I have a burning question that I hope you will answer:
What would you like to see on this blog?
A brief history
I started Working Moms Break in March 2010 to make sense of a major crisis in my own life, and in the lives of many of the women I know.
I’m so glad I did, because so many wonderful things have happened. I was interviewed on the radio (here and here), I published several stories on the Huffington Post among other blogs, and best of all, hundreds of people (maybe you!) wrote to tell me their own stories, which has helped me to make sense of my own. Thank you.
A couple months ago I launched a Facebook page to help get the word out about the blog, and that’s been growing quickly.
Now what?
At first I thought I might run out of things to write about. Not so. Turns out I have way more material than I have time to follow through. That’s why I need your feedback.
The list
Which, if any, of these things would you like to see more or less of?
- Personal stories about the problem of “balancing” work and family (Breakdown stories like this and this and this and this and this)
- Stories about my very brave friends?
- Stories about how people are solving the problem?
- Surveys like this?
- Theories like this?
- Short posts vs. longer posts?
- Interviews with experts on work/life stuff?
- A podcast? (Haven’t tried that yet. What would you like to hear?)
- Advice?
- Discussion starters?
- Book reviews?
- Funny stuff?
- Specific topics like breastfeeding and working, women judging each other, guilt, starting your own business, quitting, negotiating with your boss, housework, happiness, policy, feminism?
- Events?
- Something I haven’t thought of yet?
Leave your comment at the end of this post. Whether you’ve been reading along since the beginning, or you just stumbled in today, I’d LOVE to hear from you.
By the way, if you’re shy, don’t feel like you have to use your real name. The only person who sees your email is me.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I get a whole lot more out of real mom stories than expert advice. Experts always seem to be promoting books or articles and their advice is usually lame like “Take time for yourself” which is great but pretty empty advice since many women would love to do that and just don’t know where to start. I like the stories from moms who have examples of what worked in their own lives. I also like being made aware of political issues that affect moms.
I loved the stories of other women….and any stories about solutions. What is working….both at a family level (life hacks for families!) and at a policy level. It would be cool to leverage professional experiences that worked…
Not to be greedy, but part of what I like about your blog is the variety. I also have most liked it when you have delved deeply into your topic with a longer post or even a several-part post. Personal stories help me feel I am part of a community instead of out there on my own. Especially when you talk about your brave friends and about solutions. I like your blog because it is relevant to where I am at in my life, so if the content is relevant I would be very interested in seeing interviews,advice, discussion starters, book reviews AND funny stuff (I especially loved the advice about funny movies!!) on all the topics you listed and more that I’m sure will occur to you as you go. I have enjoyed every one of your posts today and look forward to more!
I would love to see
* Stories about the problem of “balancing” work and family
* Stories about how people are solving the problem
* Interviews with experts on work/life stuff
* Advice
* Specific topics like breastfeeding and working, guilt, negotiating with your boss, housework, happiness, policy, feminism
I find that i come to your blog for advise/possible answers on how to “survive” and to hear other’s stories to know i am not alone….I also find your surveys very interesting. I think anything that sheds light on what individuals, companies or the government is doing to improve the circumstances for working moms.
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Stories and stories and stories, especially the kinds that involve solutions. Pretty much what Courtney said. Thanks, Katrina!
Stories about how people are solving the problems / Specific topics like breastfeeding, feminism, how poverty plays into the problem for so many women / Discussion starters. I find all of these things quite inspiring. I also very much enjoy the personal stories you post – it helps to know that other women struggle with the same issues that plague my life.
Book reviews would be great, too 🙂
To sum it up, your blog is fantastic – keep it up!!!
I am with everyone else who said more stories about how you and other women get through this. I love hearing other people’s solutions and often find something I can use. My kids are now 2 and 4 so I’m now done with things like pumping at work (that was lots of fun) and I’d love to hear stories about how other people cope in the morning. Getting myself and two kids dressed, fed, and lunches packed is way more complicated than I ever imagined!
Keep up the good work. It really is great to know I’m not alone.
I love the stories…breakdowns, balancing, solving problems, specific advice, but am also at a place where I am interested in the topics and potential for change. I love your blog.
Similar to what some other people have said – i’d like to read personal stories about solutions that work. What’s worked for real life working moms. Like, the nitty gritty about how to make a commuting mom’s life easier, to how to manage if you don’t have family around (kid swapping, meal sharing), or how to cope w/ financial fears when you cut back to part time. Or, how mom’s have made big life transitions b/c they just couldn’t deal w/ the 9-5 (move to a farm & raise chickens, start your own business). I love hearing other personal stories so i know i’m not alone & there are others out there. I also have loved your book/resource recommendations on similar topic. 2nd to hearing directly from mom’s, I’d be interested in self-helpy, non promotional expert advise from guests on specific topics (i.e., from coaches who help working women transition to a new sustainable situation). Katrina, i see this blog as a really valuable resource – i see you as an intermediary who can connect all these people who share common themes. YOU don’t have to have all the answers, or have to have done all the right things: you are connecting us to various resources and insights to help us all get a little closer to a balanced & meaningful life. Thanks for all you do!
Love your blog. I would like to see more personal stories on balancing work and life, as well as tips, advice, solutions that have helped bring some semblance of sanity in other working moms’ lives.
This is all fantastic feedback. Thank you. Keep it coming! The more the merrier.
A consensus on solutions and mitigating the pressure for working parents, followed by a movement of people who agree and want change implemented (work at home, flex-hours, job sharing . . . ). Send me a petition and I’ll sign!
Well, MomsRising has the petitions, and they’re actually making things happen. http://www.momsrising.org
But I could highlight them here once in awhile…
Like many of the above posters, I appreciate the stories of other women and their struggles. Reading about them makes me feel less alone in the challenges that I also face every day. And I also like the variety in your blog. I don’t think you should focus on any one thing. Funny stuff (comic relief!) is great once in a while. I love book reviews (have you read Base Ten?) and I like surveys. I’m interested in relevant policy issues, and in stories of women working on these issues. Basically, all of the topics you listed are great.
Having said that, there is one area I keep thinking about and would love to hear more of: what can an average busy tired working mom do to change things? I’d love to hear more stories of women who are making a difference (at home, at work, working on policy or politics), and find out what got them started and how they found the time and energy and courage for their project(s).
Thanks for your blog!
One group of working mothers that seems to be consistently overlooked in most work/life policy and these discussions is low wage hourly workers. They don’t have any option of “flexible scheduling”, face loss of wages or their job if they need to take time off to care for a sick kid, frequently don’t have health insurance, and don’t often have paid maternity leave. I would like to see more discussion of meaningful ways to make their lives better.
Excellent point Liz! There are so many women who bust it every day and have so few benefits such as those you mentioned. It would be great to see the low wage working women getting help and encouragement.
As I sit here in my living room with dishes, toys, clothes and other assorted stuff strown around I think I would love to see anything that helps me feel less of a failure as a woman, wife and mother. Advice (from real people), surveys, political information for change, discussion starters, book reviews, maybe even some fitness/health info (from moms who have battled and won the weight war). I know life feels different the more weight I gain.
Your blog is great! I look forward to every post! To all you other moms, thanks for sharing. It helps so much.
Selfishly, I like the stories of stuggling parents. I like hearing about ways of messing up that I haven’t discovered yet myself (it’s also good to know that like me, people muddle through). I’m less interested in the reasearch links (feels too much like work) though a brief summary can be good, especially if findings are surprising or affirming. I like your humor and self-reflection. I like a hint of political context and strategy, but I think the personal level has more draw. Keep it up!
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