When I was a child, I thought that the only women who stayed at home with their children were those women without much education…you know, the ones who supposedly couldn’t do much more than be mommies. (Yes, I know how awful that sounds, but I was little!)

These days, I understand that mothers sometimes walk away from the corporate world — from very successful careers in every field, in fact — to stay at home with their children. It’s quite a leap from chief financial officer to chief diaper changer. And I’m not the only one who realizes that there are thousands of highly skilled, well-educated stay-at-home moms out there.

The decision among some highly educated women to stay home with children is sparking a countertrend: The rise of the mommy “SWAT team.” The acronym, for “smart women with available time,” is one mother’s label for all-mom teams assembled quickly through networking and staffing firms to handle crash projects. Employers get lots of voltage, cheap, while the women get a skills update and a taste of the professional challenges they miss. […]

Skilled workers taking temp projects isn’t new, of course. What’s different about these teams is that they’re available on short notice because the women are usually at home; they tend to work cheap because their main motive is to keep their skills fresh; and they’re often extraordinarily well-qualified, having left the work force voluntarily when their careers were on the ascent.

I love everything about this idea. Mothers bring so much to the table besides motherhood itself, and it’s good to know that employers recognize the incredible talent and intelligence in the eyes of the Maya-wrapped women around them.

Posted by Sunshine.

Stoopid moms! Two moms, grown women, got into a brawl at a Chuck E Cheeses restaurant. Why? One mom was upset that the other woman’s child was “hogging a game”. Numerous 911 calls to the police were made, and both women are being charged with simple assault and battery. The children were 9 years old, old enough to be totally mortified at their mom’s behavior. Way to go, moms! ..not!

Mommy fatigue causes memory loss. Mommy is sometimes a scatterbrain. At least I am. I am especially horrible with people’s last name - especially at work where I am constantly scanning the phone list to prompt my memory. But, amazingly enough I can usually remember where every single miscellaneous item is in my house for whenever my kids (and husband) whine “moooommm… where is the (fill in the blank)?”

Sleep deprivation, hormone changes and stress can reduce memory. Did you know that a mom loses between 450-700 hours of sleep in baby’s first year alone? I was a walking zombie as well. And I feel for my friends who have older “non-sleepers” that can go on even for a few years. On the positive side, a mother tends to have increased awareness for the health and safety of their child. Some serious nurturing kicks in. So don’t fret if you put that gallon of ice cream in the fridge instead of the freezer… you will still be a great parent to your precious children!

Dying to know if hubby will go bald? Well, a new DNA test is available and for $150, a guy can swab his cheek and send it away for analysis. In return, it will give you decent odds to consider. The big question is, what to do if it does happen? Personally, I prefer a nice sexy shave like Chris Daughtry. What I don’t get is all the guys who are seriously losing it and grow what is left into a looong ponytail hanging down their back. I guess that is our generations answer to the comb-over.

Today it has been one of those days where you just want to shut yourself in the room and let the day pass by. That will never happen with three kids around. After a very stressful morning where my toddler wanted me to dance to the Mickey’s Clubhouse tune and my other two boys had tons of energy to start the day, I prepared a schedule to complete laundry and house cleaning.

I opened the refrigerator door and guess what: no milk. I had to drive to the store with a toddler begging to keep watching more Mickey cartoons. I had put on whatever I found in my drawers, and I saw a couple of moms from school. They had that special expression that told me that I looked horrible.

I got to school to pick up my kids and it was raining. HEAVY raining. I had to go out from the car to get my kids, shoes were wet and my hair was all over the face. You get the picture.

I got home and forgot to buy something for dinner so I told my husband that he needed to bring dinner. I was afraid I could light up a fire in the kitchen. I forgot to do some laundry and the house was a mess.

Then I had a priceless moment. I went to give kisses to my kids at their bedtime and my oldest son told me this: “I love you mom and I would not trade you for anything in the world. Don’t stress out, we are here for you.”

Suddenly everything that happened earlier was in the past and I looked at my boys and everything got better.

Here are six tips from Mom Stress Relief to assist you in living a more stress-free life.

1. Determine, no matter what, to schedule time for yourself.

2. Don’t forget to breathe! Practice deep abdominal breathing periodically throughout the day. Breath in deeply through the nose pulling the belly button toward the spine, hold for a few seconds, and then slowly release.

3. Take time to exercise. Exercise helps to decrease depression, increase concentration and energy, and the endorphins released gives one a greater sense of control.

4. Eat Healthy. There are foods that promote calmness as well as foods that increase stress levels.

5. Practice Thinking Calmly. The easiest way to do this is by focusing on the here and now. Forget about what is going to happen later in the day, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year - just focus right here, right now.

6. Have a sense of humor. We all are familiar with the saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” This is so true! Be willing to laugh at personal mistakes, or a toddler’s antics. Watch a funny movie. Share a joke with a friend. Lighten up! It will make such a difference.

Motherhood… it brings out the best and the worst in any woman.

Posted by Momcrazyforkids.

I thought I was a Red Sox fan, but my three-year-old puts me to shame. Henry has worn a Red Sox t-shirt every day for the last three months. I don’t mean virtually every day - I mean every blessed day. He puts on his Boston cap after breakfast and rarely removes it until bathtime. He knows all of the major players and their positions, and even has many of the more obscure fellows who get little playtime down. Ask him who his favorite player is and you’ll get an earful: “Well, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez, and Jason Varitek, and Julio Lugo, and Daisuke Matsuzaka, and J.D. Drew, and Kevin Youkilis, and…” and on and on. And he talks Sox off and on all day.

He can’t accept that another team might be worthy of any positive attention. My husband is a Cubs fan, from the cradle, but because they’re not the Sox, our son maintains that they’re “bums”. If the Red Sox lose a game, Henry is convinced that it’s a mistake. “No, no the Red Sox won. The Cubs looosed.”

According to Julie Tilsner, writing in the current issue of Parenting, this sort of obsessing among the young set is normal. “It’s a big and scary world, and in lieu of mastering it, they seek to master a small slice of it. That can be a single favorite movie or an entire genre (princesses, power tools).” How to survive when your child requests near constant feedback on his latest favorite topic, and you frankly need a mental break? (And even when the topic is the Red Sox, I reach my limit round about 4 PM most days.) Ms. Tilsner offers, “[T]here’s no shame in setting your brain in cruise control and repeating ‘Wow!’ every now and then.”

And occasionally, I’m amazed at how creative my son can be at using our shared Red Sox love to his advantage. A couple days ago, I saw him pull off the bottom of the water spout attached the garage, something I’ve asked him many times not to do. When I marched over, brandished the dislocated spout, and demanded, “Who did this?!” my son came back with, “A Yankee.”

Nice play, Hank!

Posted by MommaSteph.

Not as satisfying as virtual bubble wrap - and in fact, if you’re having a frustrating day, the online Etch-A-Sketch may actually make things worse, but I found it cathartic to produce this portrait of me, roughly 7:30 last night, with two hot kids fighting over two identical balloons, and my husband working late:

Not my finest moment as a parent. (Though probably my height of abilities as an artist, freehand or etchy. And the typo is perfectly in character.)

(Via Parent Dish.)

Posted by MommaSteph.

I thought maybe it was just me.

It seemed like the Best Foods man was following me around. Every time I’d pick up a magazine, the page would flip open to him, and I’d start, and not for the reasons the Best Foods executives were angling for.

I’m sure Mr. Best Foods Model is very attractive in real life, but this ad is just scary to me, and it occurred to me that in trying to appeal to women (”Let’s see, if they’re ovulating, they’ll appreciate his scruffy ruggedness; if they’re not, they’ll be attracted to his full lips and doe eyes”), and perhaps tired moms with dormant libidos especially (…and he can cook…”), the Best Foods people perhaps missed the mark generally. Best Foods man is supposed to represent “real” - natural, wholesome, unprocessed. But he just seems intrusive.

So I threw up a poll at the boards.

While one-third of responding moms found the Best Foods man attractive, 56% found him unattractive, and just over 10% found him scary.

Note to Best Foods execs: Check your market research! Note to Best Foods man: As it happens, my wonderful, smart, comely (single) sister sees beyond this scary photo and does find you quite attractive. You could probably woo her away from her Miracle Whip with a nice dinner.

Posted by MommaSteph.

In every stage of our life we meet a lot of different people. There are some of them that go through your life unnoticed. But there are others that always have a place in your heart. There are special friends when we are young and there are other types of friends when we grow up. And some bonds that last a lifetime.

Motherhood is a very challenging time of our lives where we struggle with many things. Ask any mother and she will tell you that if she made it this far is because of those friends with children that understand how difficult it can get.

Motherhood and friendship have highs and lows. On one hand, you have the support and trust of somebody that is living the same experiences as you. She can relate to a temper tantrum or having a picky eater. She knows how many changes your body goes through and most of all she has patience to hear you out. On the other hand, there is competition. There are mothers that compare each and every single step of their child’s life with yours. You will always find those moms. Everywhere. The key is to be cautious and not let them get on your nerves.

My sons and I have developed great friendships during my years of motherhood. We all share a lot of things and we learn from each others’ experiences. MomSquawk has created so many friendships. We are from all over the world and yet we feel very close. We all share our love for our kids and most of all we feel like a very big family.

But you know what? I have not forgotten those other important friends in my life. They may not have come during this stage in my life but they sure have left a mark on my heart. They are not many but they know who they are.

Good friends are hard to find. If you found someone with whom you can pour your heart out and she still likes you, you have a great treasure on your hands. Be sure to keep in touch.

Posted by Momcrazyforkids.

Cord Blood Research: University of Texas researchers have announced that they successfully used adult stem cells cultivated from cord blood to produce insulin. This discovery may one day cure type 1 diabetes, as affected people may be able to grow their own insulin-producing cells.

When Preggos Attack: A young man from the city of Pattaya in Thailand got a scare when he tried to park his pickup truck and found it suddenly under attack by an enraged pregnant elephant.  The driver ran for his life while the mom-to-be whipped the truck with her trunk and stomped on it. After calming the elephant down, her handler noted that this behavior was highly unusual for her, but that it might have something to do with the fact that she is now one year, five months along, out of an expected 22-24 month pregnancy. Enough said.

As a frequenter of several different boards, I find myself wondering if people think I lead two separate lives. Conversations with my “in real life friends” will often turn to talking about my other life…my Internet life.

But as moms, what do we really get from Internet friendships? Can they possibly be as close knit or as supportive? After all, we don’t even “know” many of them.

The short answer is yes, as was demonstrated by this thread on MomSquawk.

When Sara’s son Mikey was 6 months old, he was diagnosed with leukemia. Mikey and his family were facing the fight of their lives. Sara’s Internet family did what could be done to support them. As Mikey won his fight, his cyber family came together in celebration and support, putting together squares…quilt squares sent from all over the world. Each one created with love and honor.�Most of us have never met Mikey or Sara. At least not in real life. But we love them just the same.

On another board, I witnessed women booking flights to be by the side of their Internet friends while their seven-month-old daughter underwent open heart surgery.

These are amazing acts of kindness and support. Over the last three years, I have witnessed very tight friendships form. Many are closer than some in real life friends will ever be.

Though these mommy bonds are made over cyberspace, they can be very real and lasting. Feelings of love and support can travel many miles, and it’s incredible to see how simple acts of kindness can lift�the spirit of someone you have never even met.

Posted by Mally

We all have busy lives, and odds are, having our first or fourth child just made things that much more hectic. It was about 6 months ago, after ranting about my outlook calendar and my blackberry dropping appointments that I was introduced to the momAgenda.

This nifty little book, complete with an upscale, boutique feel, keeps me, and my child, straight. What I love so much about this day planner is that the designer, mompreneur Nina Restieri, has left space for me to record my activities as well as spaces for my child’s (well for me, I record Cole’s activities and also use a space for my husband’s schedule…if needed). There are monthly view pages as well as the signature “Week-at-a-view” pages.

I have scanned a copy of mine and you can take a glimpse at my�Monday, below.  Also included are party and vacation planning templates, places to record all those numbers you tend to misplace, like the handyman, plumber and florist…personally, technology is a wonderful thing, but at the end of the day I’m loving my good ‘ole black (or stain-resistant “Chocoloate” in this case) book, where everything gets recorded.

Posted by Dorian. (more…)