Working and Parenting

In honor of Have Fun at Work Day, here are ten ways to have a good time while you’re on the clock.

10. Play Practical Jokes

Whoopee cushions never go out of fashion. Neither do hand buzzers, fake gum, fart machines, or fake ice cubes with flies inside them. Just be sure to play your jokes in good fun and that the person being pranked doesn’t get his feelings hurt. My mother’s coworkers used to love to hide fake spiders, snakes, and even a life size NASCAR standup in her private bathroom!

9. Pass Notes

Who says that the note-passing has to stop when you’re out of school? Skip the emails for a day and pass goofy notes to one another. They don’t have to be revolutionary; they don’t even have to make sense: “Do you like albino elephants? Check yes or no!”

8. Have an Interoffice Picnic Read more

Last autumn when Manuela Maier signed her children up for an all-day school program in Germany and went back to work, she was "ostracized" by everyone in town.  They called her a "Rabenmutter, or raven mother, after the black bird that pushes chicks out of the nest."  (I guess that's the opposite of a "helicopter parent.")

For over 250 years, school for German children has ended at lunchtime.  This of course required a parent at home to care for them.  As opposed to America, for example, where all-day (or most-day) schooling is the norm, and both parents can take jobs outside the home.  A single mother in Germany is in big trouble, unable to accept full-time employment because she has to be home when the kids get out of school at noon.
Read more

With the kiddos at home today, you might be wondering what to do with them so soon after holiday break. Sure, you could let them sit in their PJs and watch cartoons or play video games, but what’s the fun in that? Instead of another boring day off school, why not make it a fun day by celebrating the reason they’re off—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sometimes it’s hard to celebrate people—it’s not exactly the same as celebrating a cartoon character or commercial holiday where plenty of activities and decorations are readily available. How can you make Dr. King and his message accessible to your kids? Here are a few ideas to get you started. Read more

I think it’s safe to say that most people hate working in customer service. It’s an often degrading, humiliating experience where the person buying your goods or services thinks everything is your fault (I’ve worked in food service, though I hear retail, product services, etc. are all the same) and takes it out on you—sometimes quite cruelly. We used to have this theory that customers are not really themselves when they are buying something (particularly food); that they are more aggressive and monstrous than normal. Sometimes, though, I think that they’re actually themselves. Some people think they’ll get better treatment by being mean, and some bullies just never grow up. Read more

It’s almost funny that we have to hunt for happiness, but with only 39% of people in the United States feeling “very happy” (I guess that’s better than 3% of Latvia…), something’s got to be missing…right? Read more

Though New Year’s Day is past, we still have almost a month until Chinese New Year; and, like many life coaches claim, the entire month of January can be dedicated to starting anew rather than simply the first day. That’s why we still have weeks of New Year’s goodness left to do all kinds of cool things with our kiddos.

Goal Book: A book of aspirations, dreams, goals, whatever—I call mine a Magnum Opus (like Charlotte calls her web in Charlotte’s Web)—it’s both fun to make as well as keep. Sit down with your kids and make a list of ten things you each wish to accomplish this year. They can be silly—make a crown out of aluminum cans, freeze bubbles in midair—or serious—improve your algebra knowledge, get fit as a family. If you’re feeling super motivated, list twenty or more goals. Read more

If you’re looking for resolution ideas that don’t involve starving yourself, you might want to consider a resolution regarding your financial wellness. Everyone could probably use a bit of money management skills—if not a lot—these days, so why not resolve to increase your financial wellness this year? Here are a few ideas.

Open a Savings Account

You might think that you don’t have much to put in one, but if you stuck in, say, the $40 you spend eating out every other week, you’d have over $800 at the end of the year! This could come in handy when it’s time to renew your plates, pay taxes, or other needs arise—or you could finally take that vacation you’ve been meaning to take.

Stop Eating Fast Food Read more

If you look back at all of the things you remember about your childhood holidays, you probably won’t be able to single out a specific toy or meal (unless it involved a food fight), how clean your home was or how perfect your mother’s strung popcorn was.

Chance are, the traditions that your family had together are probably the most fond memories you can recall today—and why shouldn’t they be? Family traditions and rituals make our lives rich and fulfilling. They’re fun, meaningful, and give us something to pass down to our children. Read more

"Please don't bite me, Mr. Claus!"Luckily for me, my kiddo is completely interested in Santa. She went right up to his lap the first time she met him two years ago and has continued to visit him with confidence every year since, muttering her quirky wishes (another photo of her grandparents, a dog toy, a balloon…) shyly into his fuzzy beard.

Of course, I’ve also considered that this isn’t such a good thing. Sure, I’m delighted that she’s so confident, but am otherwise concerned about her quick taking to strangers. Anything in a suit—from Gumby to Chuck E. Cheese to Daffy Duck—simply delights her, and she instantly wants to hug anyone dressed as such. Teaching “stranger danger” may be a bit harder to do in our home. As it is, we’re not sure she’s completely understood the lessons yet. Read more

Fatigue can set in anytime for any working parent—but it’s especially prominent during the holidays. It’s funny, isn’t it? When we’re children we’re so pumped about the holidays that we don’t realize how worn out our parents are—and it’s from making the holidays so special for us to begin with! (Thanks, Mom and Dad.)

To stop fatigue from setting in—or to recover from it—try one of these tips.

Sleep! So many of us neglect this one simple need. Is it really too much to ask to give your body the seven to eight hours of rest it needs each night?

Enlist your kids for help. Maybe some of their holiday cheer will rub off on you. Sometimes all it takes for me to wake up is to dance with my daughter (and her toys; the other way, Stella Stingray and I got quite a groove on to Beyonce). Read more