How Child Care Centers Can Support Working Families

I have always been a proponent of at-home parenting or small in-home daycare situations when necessary. I believe that children thrive in a home setting with lots of one-on-one interaction with adults and other children of various ages. Don’t tell this to my kids though because they are both currently in a daycare center that provides rigorous academic programming to age-segregated classrooms. And they love it!

Our family circumstances have dictated this situation and I would never question it around my children, passing on my anxieties and opinions to them. They love their teachers, their friends, and their classrooms. Instead, I try to make the best of this and every situation finding objects of my gratitude wherever possible. I have learned though that there are certain things daycare providers can do that make working parents feel isolated and without the necessary support. To be optimistic, here are a few things that child care centers can do to support working families:

1. Teach in mixed age-group classrooms:
Siblings can learn together
Kids can learn from peers of all ages
Older kids provide some accountability for smaller kids in a family-like setting

2. Provide avenues for parental involvement:
After school workshops for parents
Conveniently scheduled parent-teacher conferences
Consistent daily communication with teachers

3. Provide a consistent schedule of care:
Limited closures for holidays and maintenance
Adequate notice of any closings
Alternative care options in the event of closure

4. Limit required parental preparation:
Provided lunches and snacks for kids
Limited “homework” assignments
Adequate supplies for projects and activities

Some daycare centers provide a daily reminder that working can be a burden for parents while others make efforts to become part of the team allowing parents to work or go to school while maintaining some level of balance and sanity.

What does your daycare center do to support you as a working parent?

Sunday Night Gratitude Exercise

Each week on Sunday night, I sink into a terrible mood looking ahead to a week of workplace and familial obligations. It's not even that I hate my day job but I despise the requirement to sit in an office for eight hours each day when so many more rewarding tasks await me at home. I just love to serve my kids and my husband and wish that I had more time and flexibility to devote to them. Unfortunately I am daily accosted with solutions to this problem via continued education and entrepreneurial opportunities. My day job, however, provides my family's single income, good benefits, stability, and peace of mind in a troubled economy.

Instead of veering off the course set, I have learned to focus on what I can control and recognize the gratitude that is due to my current work-life situation. Could you benefit too from these little exercises on a Sunday night?

1. Write out a statement answering why you are on a certain course: I am currently working to support my husband's efforts in achieving higher education as he did for me through five long years of college. I am proud of his drive and his hard work and want to support him with a smile on my face (even if I am gritting my teeth a little).

2. Take an honest look at who you can help through your daily grind: instead of looking at business as business, look at clients as someone to serve and pay them the same courtesies that you'd pay your family at home. If you don't serve clients directly, look to your coworkers instead.

3. Consider one area of your day where you can work a little harder: sharpen your focus, set clear goals, and seek improvement of your situation. Then take pride in the results.

4. VIsualize your long term goals: my husband and I are working toward a time that he and I will support our family more equitably. I keep a picture on my desk of myself with my kids and enjoy looking forward to the day that I spend more time with them in the yard and less time at my desk looking at their picture.

With that, I'll pack lunches, pull out clothes for tomorrow and leave behind another week's Sunday night blues.

Ideas for Freezer Meals

In my family, we have struggled to find easy meals to cook at home within the constraints of our busy schedule. Most evenings include some classes, t-ball practice, or small group meetings with our church leaving an hour or less to get home, cook, eat dinner, and get out the door again. Unfortunately, without proper meal planning we eat out all too often.

Meal planning can simply be creating a menu and shopping list on the weekend so that you have a game plan throughout the week. Incorporating your dinner menu into your calendar makes it easier to plan quick dinners on busy nights while planning for a few relaxing family meals as they fit in throughout the week.

High achieving moms have taken menu planning to a new level stocking their freezer once a month with complete meals. 30 Meals in One Day provides software that can assist the techno-loving mom in this pursuit. The software provides hundreds of recipes with options to manage those that work for your family plus options to build menus and generate shopping lists.

My biggest complaint with freezer meals has always been the hour plus prep time it takes to thaw and reheat the meals, but 30 Meals in One Day provides several menu options that can thaw in the fridge during the day then be heated up quickly in the evening. Sample recipes are provided on the website, here are a few of my favorite:

Cream Cheese Chicken
1 .7-ounce envelope Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup butter
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
1 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 8-ounce package cream cheese

Turn slow cooker on High. Place butter in bottom of slow cooker. When the butter has melted, add one envelope Italian dressing dry mix. Stir into butter until well mixed. Cut chicken breasts into 1" strips. Place in slow cooker and stir to coat with butter and dressing mix. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours. Remove chicken to plate to cool. Add cream of chicken soup and cream cheese. Stir to melt and mix well until smooth and creamy. Remove sauce from slow cooker and allow to cool. Place chicken and sauce into a gallon resealable freezer bag. Label. Freeze.To serve: Thaw. Heat until piping hot and bubbly. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or hot buttered noodles.

Honey Lime Chicken
2 lbs chicken tenders
1/2 Tbl garlic salt
1 Tbl peanut oil
1 20 oz can pineapple rings
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbl lime juice
2 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl cornstarch

Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt. Brown in oil. Drain pineapple. Add one fourth of the pineapple juice to skillet. Cover and simmer 6 to 8 minutes until chicken is golden. Remove chicken. Add honey, lime juice, soy sauce, cornstarch and remainder of pineapple juice. Bring to boil. Cook and stir until thick and clear, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Allow to cool. Place chicken, pineapple rings and sauce in freezer bag. Label and freeze.
To serve: Thaw. Heat until sauce is hot and bubbly and chicken is heated through.

Coconut Shrimp
24 large shrimps, uncooked
1/2 cup cornstarch1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 egg whites
2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
Marmalade Dipping Sauce

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails on. Make a slit about 1/2 way through along the inner curve of each shrimp. Press open and gently flatten. In shallow dish, combine cornstarch, salt and cayenne pepper. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Place the coconut in another shallow dish. Coat shrimp first in cornstarch mixture, then in egg whites, then coat with coconut. Heat oil to 375° in electric skillet or deep-fryer. Deep-fry shrimp 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with Marmalade Dipping Sauce. To freeze: Arrange prepared but uncooked shrimp in single layer on a baking sheet. Cover and freeze. Transfer to freezer bag. Label and freeze.
To serve: Thaw. Fry shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden.

Zesty Beef and Vegetable Soup
1 lb beef stew meat, cubed
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen green beans
2 cups carrots, sliced
4 cups hot and spicy tomato vegetable juice
1 14.5 oz can Italian tomatoes
2 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp basil1 Tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place beef in slow cooker. Add onion, garlic, corn, green beans and carrots. Combine tomato vegetable juice, stewed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour into slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 6 hours. Remove from slow cooker and allow to cool completely. Place in freezer bag or in containers for individual servings. Label and freeze.
To serve: Thaw, heat and serve.

Do you have any tips or recipes for freezer meals? What are your families favorite quick and easy dinners?

Every Mom’s Social Networking Utility

Most of us live through our twenties surrounded by friends and family. Many of us even choose this time of our lives to settle into city centers where we brush elbows with strangers each and every day. As we grow, we choose our truest friends to keep in touch with, we often move away from family, and we select a mate to share the rest of our lives. Then, as the song goes, comes a baby in a baby carriage. From one of many in the crowd to isolation with an infant, and without the euphemistic instruction manual.
Humans are social animals defined by civilizations. We thrive in social situations and falter when left alone. Luckily, we are raising children in a highly digitized age when advice and companionship is never more than a few clicks of the keyboard away. Not all social networking utilities are created equal though. Certain tools available lend themselves better to moms in particular situations:

1. For Stay at Home Moms: Facebook is a great way to share information about yourself and your family with a group of “friends”. Because your profile is not public, moms can feel safe to share information about themselves and pictures of their family. Friends can leave comments, chat, or send directed messages to one another.
2. For Work at Home Moms: Twitter provides a venue to share a constant stream of information and ideas. Twitter is great for moms with small business and blogs who are trying to create a brand image. Twitter is also a great networking forum to contact potential clients and like-minded businesses.
3. For Moms Working outside the Home: LinkedIn provides a professional forum to stay connected and informed about your industry and your contacts. LinkedIn is also used by recruiters and job seekers. Who isn’t always looking for a better opportunity?
   

Motherhood doesn’t need to be isolating. Do you use social networking for any particular purpose? What do you like about the tool that you’ve chosen?

Shortcuts for Busy Moms

As a busy working mom, I have developed some…behaviors that may seem a little obsessive compulsive to some. I would rather call them my daily coping mechanisms though. Quick shortcuts, these coping mechanisms help to ease my efforts each day as I juggle home, work, and family responsibilities.

1. When loading the dishwasher, I designate each compartment for a particular type of silverware. This makes unloading easier as an entire handful of silverware can go directly into the silverware drawer already separated.
2. My work clothes are hung in my closet all facing the same direction and organized according to length of their sleeve or skirt. This makes it easier for me to assess my wardrobe options each morning according to the weather forecast.
3. I charge my cell phone every night on the same charger whether it needs it or not. Without this routine I would be left searching for my cell phone each morning and inevitably stranded someplace with a dead battery.

Crazy – maybe. But these easy shortcuts leave me feeling a bit more organized and a bit more accomplished as I move through my daily routine.
What coping mechanisms or shortcuts do you have to manage the day to day tasks of a working mom?

Easter Egg Ideas

Easter is a very meaningful time for my family and I am lucky to have an employer that grants a floating holiday to all staff this time of year. This means that our office remains open during regular business hours around Easter but each staff member is able to take one day off with pay. It is then up to us to ensure coverage of office duties during this time.

In the weeks before Easter I will be squeezing in a few activities including Easter Egg hunts, stories, and special church services. I will also be putting together a few activities at home that will help me to teach my kids what our family values as the meaning of Easter. My favorite activity is these resurrection eggs. Instead of candy and stickers, plastic Easter eggs are filled with small meaningful symbols of Easter and quickly facilitate my efforts to teach my children the Easter story.

Easter Symbols:

1. (Bread) Matthew 26:26
2. (Coins) Matthew 26: 14-15
3. (Purple cloth, representing a purple robe) Mark 15:17
4. (Thorns) Matthew 27:29
5. (Scourge-a small piece of rope or thick string) Mark 15:15
6. (Cross) John 19: 17-18a
7. (Nails) John 20:25b
8. (Sign) Luke 23:38
9. (Sponge) Matthew 27:48

10. (Spear) John 19:34

11. (Rock) Matthew 27:59-60

12. (Empty) Matthew 28:6

Daycare Stories

I recently had a bad experience with my daycare which prompted me to investigate what resources of support exist for daycare parents. I Googled "daycare stories" and was disappointed to only find daycare horror stories - from neglect all the way to child deaths in the care of daytime providers.

I am a strong advocate of children being with families as much as possible, but I also recognize that this isn't always possible. My two children are in full-time daycare; my youngest has been in full-time care since six weeks of age. In this time, I've collected a few negative stories (I won't call them horror stories). I've also collected several good, encouraging stories.

1. After nearly a year of my husband and my own attempts to potty train my first son, he spent only one week with a daycare provider before being certifiably potty trained.
2. My boys loved one daycare provider so much that they chose to attend summer camp with her, even though it was a Girl Scout summer camp.
3. Upon moving out of state, our provider and her own children saw us off each crying on my kids' last day.

Being a parent of children in daycare is tough. I struggle emotionally to drop them off each morning and a part of me wonders if their daytime providers are fostering the same manners and habits I would attempt to teach through a daily routine. These are topics that women don't tend to discuss by the water cooler...but maybe we should.

Dump the Pump June 19, 2008

Frederick County Transit just released this regarding the upcoming Dump the Pump Day on Thursday, June 19:

On Thursday, June 19, TransIT Services of Frederick County will join with other transportation systems to celebrate national Dump the Pump Day by providing FREE rides on the Connector and Shuttle routes. Take a free ride to the Transit Center (East Street MARC train station) and join us for free Rita’s Water Ice as Key 103 broadcasts live between 4 p.m. –
6 p.m.
This free ride event is designed to raise awareness that public transportation helps improve the environment, conserve fuel, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It also offers the opportunity for people to beat the high price of gasoline. Households that use public transportation save an average of $6,251 per year!
Public transportation systems help to create a healthier environment by reducing pollutants and greenhouses gases. Public transportation vehicles produce nearly 50 percent less carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide per passenger mile as private vehicles. Private vehicle use is the largest contributor to a household’s carbon footprint; eliminating the use of one car can reduce your household carbon footprint by 30%.
TransIT invites you to celebrate National Dump the Pump Day on June 19! Ride public transportation, carpool, or telework instead of driving alone to help improve the environment and to conserve gasoline. Riders that day will receive a thank you gift for doing their part to conserve.
For more information on TransIT Services and transportation alternatives, call the TransIT office Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (301) 600-2065 or visit the website at: www.co.frederick.md.us/transit.

Top Ten Family Friendly Businesses of 2008

Earlier this month, 10 of Frederick's local businesses received the honor of being named a Family Friendly Business. These 10 companies, recognized by the Office of Economic Development were ranked among hundreds acording to their creative execution of employee benefits and family friendly philosophy of work life balance. The policies of these 10 companies can be applauded for improving the lives of their customers and employees and making it a little easier for Frederick County residents to work closer to home.

Congratulations to:

Canam Steel Corporation

CitiMortgage

The Columbia Bank

DynPort Vaccine Company, LLC

Frederick County Bank

Lockheed Martin

Mason Dixon Interiors

Citi Smith Barney

St. Catherine's Nursing Center

Style Gymnastics

Watch the Awards Ceremony.

When and How to Announce Your Pregnancy at Work

I was recently at a staff meeting when one of my co-workers was called into the center of the room to receive a gift. As she slowly unwrapped a very large package, I realized just how few of my coworkers were in on the fun. Beneath layers of paper and boxes, she revealed a large jar of pickles and a tub of vanilla ice cream announcing her pregnancy. With her boss among those surprised by the news, the brazenness of the charade shocked me. Were the pickles a sign of a changing time and a corporate culture that accepts working motherhood? Unfortunately no. The pickles were in poor taste. When announcing a pregnancy at work, an ounce of tact is necessary to prevent discrimination and preserve professional standing with your boss.

When to announce your pregnancy

Traditionally, a woman would have waited until after a successful first trimester to begin making announcements about her pregnancy to anyone. It is after the first trimester that miscarriage rates drop dramatically. It may be necessary to make an announcement sooner if you begin to show early or your condition has physical bearings on your ability to complete your job responsibilities. Regardless of the timing, it may be prudent to time your announcement to coincide with successes on the job. After completing an important project or successfully delivering a presentation, your announcement will be accompanied by proof that you can still perform on the job and meet great successes with a pregnant belly.

How to announce your pregnancy

In my coworkers case, it was not when she announced her pregnancy, but how she went about doing it. It is very important to approach your boss in a professional manner and with a positive attitude to avoid discirimination and resentment of you or your condition.

1. Make an appointment with your boss to share your news and to discuss your ability to work during pregnancy, your plans for maternity leave, and your plans to return to work.


2. After your meeting, put your plans in writing and email the summary to your boss. This step confirms any plans you discussed with your boss on paper that can be tracked and saved via email.


3. Be flexible throughout your pregnancy. If your pregnancy prevents you from completing certain responsibilities, offer to take on a new, temporary role. As your due date approaches, train others to carry on the tasks you are currently working on. And as you prepare to return to work, keep in close communication with your boss and coworkers to time your return appropriately.

As with motherhood, pregnancy does not need to impede your ability to work or your ability to relate to your boss and coworkers. Your initial announcement should be handled positively and professionally so that you can continue to work safely throughout your pregnancy and share the excitement of impending parenthood.

What Happened to Working Mother's Day?

On August 31, 1980, then President Jimmy Carter proclaimed a day of recognition for American mothers taking on important responsibilities outside the home. This was the first official Working Mother's Day.

His successor, President Ronald Reagan, again recognized the Working Mothers of America by proclaiming September 5, 1982 Working Mother's Day. Both Sundays, as the nation prepared to enjoy a Monday off of work for Labor Day, these two presidents asked us to remember the uniquely challenging and important work of mothers working outside the home.

However, subsequent presidents failed to follow suit. Despite the growing number of women reentering the workforce after having children, Working Mother's Day has not been celebrated nationally since 1982. Why are working mothers no longer within the purview of our federal administration? What happened to Working Mother's Day?

In Jimmy Carter's words:
"On the job and in the home, working mothers are making a vital contribution to the national economy and to the strength of the American family. Working mothers do not shed homemaking and parental responsibilities; they merely add the demands of a job to those of wife and mother. As we recognize the hard work and dedication of these women, we also acknowledge the many special problems they confront in meeting their dual responsibilities. We have an obligation to reinforce and support them in their endeavors."

August 31, 2008: Don't forget to recognize the working mothers who make a difference in your life.

12 Commonly Asked Interview Questions, and Why Employers Ask Them

Most interviews contain a core set of questions that you as a job seeker can anticipate and prepare for. Understanding why an employer is asking a certain question, may help you to provide a palatable response. Regardless of the questioning you face, remember to answer each question thoughtfully and completely. If you are nervous, try to keep your responses brief and give your interviewer time to tell you about the company and the position for which you are interviewing.

12 commonly asked interview questions:

1. Tell me about yourself.
   This is the classic open-ended question that will set the tone for an interview and give you a chance to provide basic information about yourself. It is important to answer this question confidently, but not come off as arrogant. Take approximately 30 seconds to sell your most impressive skills and relevant qualifications.


2. What are your long term goals?
   This is a compatibility question that will help the employer determine if you are a suitable candidate for employment. With the impending labor shortage, employers are looking for employees who will be with the company for a long duration. If your long-term goals are not compatible with the vision of the company, your employment is likely to be short-lived.


3. Why do you want to work for us?
   This question will shed light on your motivation for applying to a specific position and with a specific corporation. Prior to your interview, research the background of the company you are visiting by perusing their website and previous annual reports. Discover the mission of the company and decide if it is appealing to you on a values level. Consider what makes this company different than others in the area. Answer the question, "Why are you here and not somewhere else?"


4. Why are you qualified for this position?
   Many applicants appear to be over or under qualified for a given position on paper. This question provides you an opportunity to rationalize your experience as compared to the position requirements.


5. Why did you leave your previous position?
   Be very positive when answering questions about your old job. In this question, the interviewer is looking for basic information - did you quit, get fired, etc. - as well as more in depth information about what you are looking for in a potential position. Be honest, be positive, and use this as another opportunity to show your prospective employer that you are excited about the opportunities offered to you at a new position.


6. What did you like best/least about your previous position?
   This is not an opportunity for you to complain about your former position. Instead, this question will shed light on those things you value in a job and your work environment.


7. What did you think of your old boss?
   This question should give some indication of your relationship with authority and can also indicate what qualities you value in leadership. A perfectly qualified candidate can fail at a position if they are incompatible with their supervisors.


8. What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
   It is more important to answer this question confidently and completely than to provide the perfect answer. Avoid canned responses and provide more than a list of adjectives. For strengths, provide concrete characteristics with examples that will lead you to success in the prospective position. For weaknesses, be honest and able to identify opportunity areas and examples of growth.


9. What is most important to you in a job?
   Are your values compatible with the corporate culture you are about to enter? While it is fine to mention scheduling flexibility and work/life balance here, do so cautiously. Employers will be turned off to a candidate who seems to be already calculating the hours necessary to work to the weekend.


10. Why should we hire you?
    This question gives you one last creative chance to plead your case for employment. Corporations often interview multiple candidates for a single position. Answer the question confidently, "Why are you better than each of the other candidates interviewed?"


11. Are you available to work overtime?
    The answer to this question should be yes , however, your should indicate exactly what your stipulations for working overtime will be. You should try to appear willing to work the hours necessary to complete a given assignment but there is nothing wrong with requesting, for example, that notice of two days be given, or only working overtime up to 45 hours per week. Be flexible for your employer but make sure the arrangement works for you.


12. What kind of salary are you looking for?
    This question is intended to numerically rule out any candidate that is expecting a salary much higher than will be offered. Similarly, if you name a salary in the low end of the salary range offered to candidates, you may have just named your salary. Do not be evasive about this question, especially if you will require a certain salary to accept an offer. Do note that salary will be negotiable if an offer is made.

Also, employers will often ask situational types of questions, usually representing situations that may arise while on the job. These questions are intended to determine the way you react to a variety of situations and conflicts. Answer these questions thoughtfully and completely. Avoid a canned answer. And try to reflect the organizational values in your response.

As always, good luck in your job search!

Working Women in the News

Working Women Key to Reducing World's Poverty

Here's one to make you feel good - working women experiencing gender equality in the workplace are cited as being key to economic growth and the fight against poverty. Working women also have an effect on literacy rates, family health, and mortality.

The IT Sector is Still Failing Women

Women pursuing work in the IT sector continue to report existence of gender discrimination and experience a glass ceiling.

Increasing Interest in Recruitment of At-Home Moms

Faced with the impending labor shortage, large corporations are beginning to seek out women who have previously left the workforce, usually to raise children.

Breastfeeding at Work Toughest for Younger Moms and Retail Workers

A survey by the National Center for Health Statistics notes the existence of barriers for new moms who continue to breastfeed after their return to work. In fact, 32% of working moms quit breastfeeding within 7 weeks of their return to work.

Study Links Lack of Sleep to Weight Gain for New Moms

Bad news for busy moms trying to loose the baby weight. A new study shows that moms who get five hours of sleep or less at night will face major difficulties loosing their baby weight.

Parents and the High Price of Child Care: 2007

Stats for 2007 reveal the continued crippling cost of childcare for working parents.

Worst Working Mom Moments

Need a little release? Share your worst working mom moments on the new Mommy Track'd forum.

Return to Work Project Gift Packs

Wow, I have been having so much fun networking with other businesswomen and busy working moms in support of the Return to Work Project. I have received numerous contributions from businesses whose products directly support working moms or whose mission is to balance work and family.

I was very excited to meet last week with the owner of the Golden Orchid Spa and Shop in downtown Frederick. Yvette is a busy working mom herself and a very successful entrepreneur with a gorgeous spa. This meeting was so exciting because Yvette is truly passionate about providing services to women guilt-free. Why should a mom feel guilty taking time for herself on the weekend to relax and get a facial? Don't we always leave the spa feeling renewed and truly beautiful? A place like the Golden Orchid is a wonderful retreat whether you have an hour or a whole day without work or kids.

I am trying hard to reach out to all types of businesses that support working moms living in Frederick. Whether a mother returns to work after a short maternity leave or a long leave of absence spent raising her children, these gift packs will have something for everyone. Whether a mother returns to work because she wants to or because she needs to, she will find resources and support through the project.

As we move forward with the project, I am always looking for more contributions. I am also anxious to hear from working moms about the businesses and resources that were essential during the transition back to work. For more information about the project, please visit the project blog site: http://ReturntoWorkGifts.blogspot.com. To find out how you can participate in this wonderful project, please contact me at flexibleworkforce@gmail.com.

Book Review: The ParentPreneur Edge

When local author and entrepreneur Julie Lenzer Kirk asked me to review her new book, The ParentPreneur Edge, I was thrilled by the opportunity. Kirk posits that the skills we hone through parenting can be invaluable in running a business. This supports my championed belief that being a parent is not our greatest detriment in the work world. However, I am forced to use the excuse that as a busy working parent myself, I fell victim to obligation overload. Kirk's book migrated from my "Work - To Do" pile to my "Summer Reading" pile, you know the pile that gets lugged along on every summer vacation yet is never touched. Finally, I share with you a review of Julie Lenzer Kirk's enlightening book, The ParentPreneur Edge: What Parenting Teaches About Building a Successful Business.

Kirk's book was written for parents and entrepreneurs; however, the lessons she conveys make good business sense for any manager. The ParentPreneur Edge is filled with stories of parenting and entrepreneurship that serve as a step-by-step guide to entrepreneurship or a source of motivation for any parent experiencing developmental growing pains whether that "child" is a small business or biological offspring. With personal anecdotes from her family and her business, Kirk walks readers through the stages of development including:

Preparing for Entrepreneurship - Getting Pregnant
Launching - Labor and Delivering
The Early Days - Baby to Toddler
Ramping up: A Time to Learn - Elementary School
Growing Pains - The Preteen Years
Emerging Independence - The Teen Years
Exercising Your Exit - Letting Go

Each chapter is full of good advice for the seasoned manager or budding entrepreneur. Throughout the book, Julie stresses the importance of fiscal responsibility to the tiniest detail and a need to view a business plan as a living document. Kirk also takes a moment to discuss the challenges of managing employees who desire flexible scheduling. As an entrepreneur, Julie started her IT business out of a home office practicing maximum flexibility of her own schedule. Flexibility with a new baby and a new business was essential. However, Kirk quickly discovered that managing a small staff provided a large challenging in approving flexible scheduling. For the employee who wished to alter his schedule just one night a week to pursue graduate education, Kirk went to bat. However, for the office manager who wanted to telecommute two days a week, Julie found the request impossible to grant. Her policy of "balance at all costs" went out the window as a procedure for granting flexible scheduling evolved.

If you are thinking of starting a small business, The ParentPreneur Edge offers step-by-step guidance through the stages of entrepreneurial development. If you are a business owner or a manager, The ParentPreneur Edge offers a variety of resources from websites to support groups to other books to read. If you are a working parent, the book offers uplifting and motivational anecdotes from another parent who has juggled so much and found so much success.

The ParentPreneur Edge is published by John Wiley & Sons.

Walking to School for a Future Flexible Workforce

October is National Walk to School Month with local schools participating in Walk to School Day earlier this week. Similar to events held earlier this summer, including Bike to Work Day on May 17 and National Dump the Pump Day on June 21, October is a full month to celebrate our children's ability to walk safely to school. Events such as these indicate our society's loathing of a culture that revolves around the commute marked by long lines of cars that clog our highways and pollute our air.



The intended purpose of National Walk to School Month is:

• to enhance the health of kids
• to improve our air quality and the environment
• to create safer routes for walking and bicycling

Whether the final destination is work or school, by promoting events such as these, we are teaching our children to value the health of our environment as well as their own health and safety. The increasingly younger workforce values flexibility over monetary rewards. We may be raising a generation who live closer to work than ever and find innovative ways to make telecommuting work.

What do you think: Is National Walk to School Month another failed attempt to curb childhood obesity or have we successfully planted the seeds for a more flexible workforce?

Local: Fall Job Fair

The Herald-Mail Company, the One-Stop Job Center, and Hagerstown Community College will hold a job fair tomorrow at the community college. Participating employers include Canam Steel, Waynesboro Hospital, Chase CArd SErvices, Cedar Ridge Ministries, AFLAC, and the Board of Child Care, among others.

Fall Job Fair
Hagerstown Community College ARCC
Friday, October 5, 2007
10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Try On a New Job: Temporary Staffing Agencies

Temporary placement agencies offer employment options not just for those seeking temporary work but also for those reentering the workforce, changing careers, or enduring an extended job search. In additional to flexible assignments, many temporary agencies provide health care benefits, accural of paid time off, and other benfits.

Historically intended to provide temporary administrative staffing, temp agencies are now used to cover extended absences and new positions for many positions in nearly every field. Increasingly, companies are using temporary agencies as recruiting firms to "try out" potential employees for a new position. Given a built in six month probationary window, companies can hire a temp employee to determine fit for a permanent position with no legal obligation.

Similary, for job seekers, assignments through a temp agency can provide financial security during a job search while giving you time to try out a particular position, company, or career path. By taking on increasingly difficult temporary assignments, you can build your resume and gain valuable experience to bolster your job search. While working with a company, pay attention to internal job postings or talk with your supervisor about making a temporary assignment a permanent one.

Numerous temporary placement agencies work with job seekers and companies to fill a variety of open positions. Look for a temp agency that operate specifically within your field of expertise. Employers generally pay a placement fee to the agency. If you, as a job seeker, are asked to pay for placement services, seek temporary employment with another agency.

The Working Mother Magazine List

The October 2007 edition of Working Mother Magazine features the landmark list of "100 Best Companies" for working mothers. Companies were recognized for the availability of mother-friendly benefits such as access to five flexible scheduling options, availability of leave for new biological and adoptive parents, access to child care options, and three work/life programs.





The Top Ten companies included:

1. Baptist Health South Florida
2. Booz Allen Hamilton
3. Ernst & Young
4. General Mills
5. IBM
6. KPMG
7. The McGraw-Hill Companies
8. PricewaterhouseCoopers
9. UBS
10. Wachovia

What struck me about these ten was their longevity of this particular list. These companies have spent an average of eleven years on Working Mother Magazine's Top Companies lists; only two have spent five years of less on the list. These are companies with a strong track record of working mother friendly policies.

Of the 100 companies recognized, only one local company was included. Discovery Communications in Silver Spring, MD was lauded for their various flexible scheduling options, on-site childcare consultants, nine weeks paid maternity leave, on-site wellness center, and multiple women's support groups.

Arnold & Porter, Covington & Burling, Fannie Mae, and Marriott all in Washington, DC have each been recognized on Working Mother Magazine's lists in past years. Please visit Working Mother Magazine online for a complete list or purchase a copy of October's edition from your local newsstand.

Business Appreciation Week

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development will be spending the week visiting local businesses just to say thanks for doing business in Frederick County. Specifically, the Office of Economic Development is celebrating businesses that contribute to the growth and stability of Frederick County's economy by providing good career opportunities to local residents.

This week and every week, why not celebrate Family Friendly Businesses in Frederick County. When you visit a business that provides stable and flexible jobs to local parents, why not take a moment to say thank you for being an example to other businesses and a support to working parents in Frederick County.

The following are local businesses who at some point recently have been commended for family friendly practices:

• Advocate's for Homeless Families
• Boscov's
• Buckeyestown Veterinary Hospital
• Cambrex Bio Science
• Celebree Learning Centers
• Dandelion Christian Child Care
• Frederick Country Day Montessori School
  
• Frederick County YMCA
• Frederick Memorial Hospital
• Hildebrand, Limparis, and Associates
• Love and Company
• Music and Arts Center
• Mental Health Association of Frederick County
• Offutt and Associates
  
• Opossum Pike Veterinary Clinic
• SAIC - Frederick
• Sandy Spring Bank
• Structural Systems
• Sunrise of Frederick
• Toys R Us
• Uncle Ralph's Cookies