ARE you a working mother? Have you ever felt a need to unload some of the stress you are going through?
In a way, it is a lot tougher for working mums with younger children than it is for mums with older children.
The younger ones seem to need their mothers so much more. The older children have grown more independent and can (sort of) look after themselves.
However, the older they are, the more difficult it is for parents to control their actions or to be sure what they are up to.
If life is too hectic, you are invited to seek refuge at a Web site called Working Mom’s Internet Refuge which is located at http://www.moms- refuge.com/.
There are all kinds of information available at this Web site. Find out about parenting in the Nineties or read about how to plan for trips with the children.
Helpful information such as mothering, immune boosters, managing financial stress and how to boost your self-confidence should appeal to most working mothers.
The Web site is organised into several sections: Family, Career, Personal, Art of Juggling, New Moms, Single Mums, Sports Moms, Dad’s Voice, What’s For Dinner?, Essential Indulgences, Resources, Rant Board, List and Home.
The topics are pretty much self-explanatory. Let me just highlight a few.
The section on Family, for example, includes write-ups on kids sharing a room or on raising spirited children.
In the Career section, you can expect to find survival guides, setting up small businesses and working at home advice.
In the Art of Juggling section, many would be attracted to reading about managing time and managing multiple tasks, which incidentally, is what life in the large cities are all about these days. Don’t you agree?
New mothers should be interested to check out the section on New Moms. Learn about breastfeeding, feeding the baby with juices and so on here.
I like Dad’s Voice. Go into it and you will find opportunities to know more about fathering.
If you are interested, you can access some great sites such as At Home Dad, Father’s Forum, FatherNet, National Father’s Network, Father’s Resource Centre. Interested?
Rant Board consists of several forums on topics that include family, career, mothering, juggling and potluck (miscellaneous).
You can choose to be a passive participant and read some of the messages and replies that have been posted to the forums.
Or you can post a question yourself. Someone might just have a reply for you.
I believe many women here will appreciate the Working Mom’s Internet Refuge Web site. There is plenty of useful information to learn from.
On the other hand, if you are tired of being a working mum and would prefer to work from home, there is another Web site for you.
Visit Home-Based Working Mom at http://www. hbsmn.com/ and you will find some useful information such as opportunities and ideas for starting a home-based business as well as valuable tips.
In addition, there are resources and links to sites on the Internet that offer related information, help with business plans, advice on accepting credit cards and so on.
Incidentally, I was attracted to the fact that Home-Based Working Moms is a national association based in Austin, Texas, United States.
It was founded in 1995 for mothers (and fathers) who work at home and who would like to work at home.
The association aims to provide its members with support and information to start a home-based career and help build it to a successful and more satisfying level.
The underlying spirit is to enable parents to spend more time with their children. This I appreciate, judging from the rat race that we are all locked in today.
Note that members will be entitled to additional benefits. I also observed that membership is open to residents of other countries. Perhaps you may want to consider paying US$39 for a one-year membership!
