Motrin, Who’s Feeling The Pain Now?
Welcome back! Have you Joined The Club?
It is an amazing thing when a huge corporation that spends millions of dollars on advertising and marketing every years comes out with a campaign that is so blatantly off target, offensive and down right ridiculous!
If you haven’t seen Motrins new video campaign make sure to view them here:
In these two campaigns Motrin directly insults baby wearing Moms and Dads then goes on to say that Moms don’t say what’s on their minds!
I am a Mom of four girls. What makes my situation unique is that I am also a New Old Mom. Being just a little bit older, my husband and I definitely have a few more aches and pains then I did when I was younger. The one thing we would never consider a pain or a burden is the bonding that experienced with all of children carrying them in slings and on backpacks.
The thought that Motrin would claim that baby carrying was a fashion statement is absurd and ridiculous. Tell that to my husband as he totes my 2 year old around with him daily! In theory, having a way to share experiences with your children is revolutionary not back breaking.
Slings and papooses have been used for centuries.
We had three children in three years. Taking the girls to festivals, parks, hiking and just through the grocery store was made possible with these carrying devices!
Twitter Moms were in an uproar last night about this issue. One of our Friend Friends, Katja Presnal made an amazing video documenting this:
By the way, did you know it was International Baby Wearing Week?
In the second video, if you haven’t seen it yet go back to:
and click “Watch Motrin’s Children’s”.
In this video, the campaign is stating that Moms don’t say what’s on our minds and if we did then we should be committed.
Well, Motrin, we are saying exactly what’s on our minds and I think it may be some people in your Marketing Department that will need to be committed!
What this New Old Baby Wearing Mom (and Dad) will commit to is boycotting Motrin products!
Hell has no fury like that of a Blogging, Twitter Mom scorned! Hear that fury hear:
And I am sure that in the next 48 hours this list will grow and grow!
9/11 Is Our Past, Our Present and Our Future
Today is September 11th.
Today is my Mother’s Birthday.
Today, is also the date that our USA had the worst terrorist attacks in it’s history.
This is a day that has left a mark in our lives for eternity.
September 11th had always been a day that we celebrated because of my mom’s birthday. Obviously, on September 11, 2001 there was no celebration. In 2002, my mom decided not to celebrate her birthday at all.
Over the past several years she has slowly come around to where it’s OK for us to have cake and gifts again.
We are from New York. Since my husband’s family is from Long Island, the World Trade Center Diseaster directly affected many of our friends and family members.
September 11th is a very difficult and emotional time for all Americas. It poses a double edged sword for our family trying to decide whether it is “right” or not to be celebrating on such a sober day.
Despite the fact that such a tragic event happen on that particular day in history, there are many that have cause to celebrate. Maybe it’s a birthday, a wedding, an Anniversary or special event that happens to also share that fateful date. It’s amazing how people that don’t even remember my birthday seem to remember that September 11th is my Mom.s birthday.
Our country has shown it’s incredible resilence and ability to weather any storm through actions we have taken over the past seven years. As our wounds heals, we can begin to appreciate the wonderful Americas that we live in and celebrate the joys that bring our families and our worlds together.
The tradegy at The World Trade Center will always be part of our past, our present and our future.
As we take that time to remember the events of that day in 2001 we should also take the time to remember that the date is a special day for so many people for many other reasons.
Take the time today to bow your head to remember those that were lost. Then take the time to raise your head up high to remember all that we have to celebrate as we live free here in the Good Ole’ USA!
Happy Birthday Mom!
I Love You!
Sarah Palin is a New Old Mom? Was the Decision to Have a Baby at 44 Safe?
Sarah Palin a New Old Mom?
Is becoming a New Mom at 44 a bad thing?
Twitter is quickly revolutionizing the way people meet, market, communicate and debate on the Internet. It is a force to be reckoned with!
This morning I saw a Twitter friend introduce a new Twitter Pal of hers @TVMOM. That is Peggy Fox from WUSA9 in DC. Peggy had covered the story on the Walmart 11 Moms. If you haven’t seen that, you should. There are some amazing women there Walmart Money Saving Moms
Since much of Twitter is based on following like mind people and developing a community, as we discussed over at my Best Reflections Social Media Marketing Blog in most recent posts, I decided to follow Peggy.
The first post I saw was….
Pregnant at 44? Your thoughts on http://dc.momslikeme.com/me…
Then I noticed…
How responsible was Sarah Palin? At 44, she had a 1/41 chance of having a child with Down syndrome.
I do know that Peggy is a Reporter and used to stirring controversy but, I have to tell you, the hair stood up on the back of my neck. This is a topic that I am obviously very sensitive about. I went over to the forum and decided to join in even though it is specific to the DC area.
NOMC TIP: Unless a particular forum or group is closed to members only in that local area then go ahead and join! You never know who you’ll meet and what type of great advice you’ll get from other moms all over the world! It’s like having a Pen Pal.
The question posed was…
High Risk of Down Syndrome
 36 posts |
Submitted by TVMom on 08-Sep-08 11:34 PM
Sarah Palin, at 44, had a 1/41 chance of delivering a baby with down syndrome. That's partly why they're called high risk pregnancies. The older you are, the riskier it is to have a healthy baby. Do you think Palin knew those risks before she got pregnant? Just like we tell teenagers about the risks of sex and pregnancy, shouldn't older women consider the risks before having a baby? Is it none of anyone's business… or should every important decision she's made recently be looked at now? Here's a link about it the incidence of Down Syndrome with increasing maternal age: http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/downsyndrome/l/
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From the time I responded to the Twitter post, Pregnant at 44 ,to the time I got back from dropping my daughters off at school, the forum post title had changed to “High Risk of Down Syndrome” and the part about tell teenagers was added. Otherwise, I would have commented about that directly in my post on the forum.
Peggy raises some really excellent points in her query here. I happen to have very strong opinions about this topic since I am a New Old Mom.
Let me be very clear, at this point I am NOT making a political statement. I am merely supporting another New Old Mom that happens to be running for the Vice Presidency!
I am 44 years old right now also. I have 4 daughters. My youngest is 2 ½ and I had her just shy of my 41st birthday. I have all girls. If I were to become pregnant again tomorrow I would take that as a blessing. I believe that God gives you what you can handle in life. Sometimes, I do wonder, as I have stated previously, if I may have been mistaken for someone else? However, I am very happy to play the cards I am dealt. LOL
That statement I just made about getting what you can handle in like gives me a great segway into the issue of Down Syndrome. Peggy provided a link for Down Syndrome Statistics increasing with maternal age. Here it is: http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/downsyndrome/l/bldownssyn.htm
This link gives basically just a general overview of statistics.
Here is some additional information on Down Syndrome and the age of the mom from a Google Search.
The National Down Syndrome Society
The National Association For Down Syndrome
What Sarah Palin new about these statistics is hard to determine without actually asking her directly. I can only assume that since she is well educated and seems to be in good health that this common knowledge information was readily available to her and that she was well aware of these facts.
Whether she took them into consideration or not is also a question for Sarah Palin to answer. Honestly, I believe that it is also a question that is irrelevant. It is irrelevant to anyone outside of her family and definitely irrelevant to a political campaign.
In my situation, we had gone on vacation. I came home with a souvenir!
We had 3 healthy daughters at the time. Due to a pesticide poisoning at our home, I had had a very difficult 3rd pregnancy and some health issues. We had decided that if I wasn’t pregnant by the time I was 40 then…game over. It was about a week before my 40th birthday that I found out that I was going to be a mom again and over 40!
I did have concerns. I did worry about Down Syndrome and other issues common to pregnancy at an older age. When I was pregnant with my first daughter I worried, too.
I did not have amniocentesis done. I had been under the impression that it was mandatory for women over 35. My doctor explained that that was NOT true anymore. That with technology these days amnio was not required and would only be done by choice.
My doctor also informed me that many of the moms that she was seeing at an older age were in better health and more fit than the younger moms! I know that was my case. I was in the best shape I had been in since I had my first daughter was born!
Now the Down Syndrome issue…
One of my best friends and I were discussing the amnio thing. I said the 'God gives you what you can handle' thing and she quickly responded that…”it’s not about you. I know you can handle anything. It’s about your other girls.”
She proceeded to tell me a story about a friend to cares for a Down Syndrome sibling. They are in their late 40’s or 50’s now. Her friend takes care of the sibling completely.
My friend’s question was, “Do you want to leave that burden to one of your daughters?”
The question shocked me. It made me think. It made me cry. I cried…a lot. In the end, a child is a child and a gift. Period.
About Sarah Palin's choices…
I have to say, Sarah Palin, like me and other Moms over 40, probable had to deal with many comments like this one and the many others that I fielded when it became public knowledge that I was pregnant and “over 40”! People often feel the need to give advice or make comments that you need to take with a grain of salt. Unfortunately, though, many people forget to turn their brain on when the turn their mouth on!
Forty is the New Thirty…Period!
Women in this 21st Century are smart, healthy, fit, business owners, entrepreneurs, soccer moms (or hockey moms in Sarah Palin’s case) and we are having healthy, beautiful babies!
Medical technology has changed dramatically just from the time I had my first daughter to the time I had my fourth daughter. I am sure it will be even better if I have a fifth child!
Pregnancy is a condition not a disease.
The decision to become pregnant or have a child later in life is a decision that is private to that family. It absolutely should not be placed in the political focus. If the question is whether Sarah Palin’s decision should be scrutinized or not then I have to say a resounding “NO”.
As I stated in the forum post, the decision only affects the immediate family. In Sarah’s case the people of Alaska would have been affected only if she was unable to do her job. Many politicians have had real life threatening diseases while in office and it was dealt with in a very matter of fact way. Again, pregnancy is a condition not a disease and should be thought of in that same way.
The New Old Moms Club
My reasons for starting this blog along with its up and coming sister blogs, New Old Moms Entrepreneur Club, Fit Moms Over 40 and two other New Old Mom Blogs that you can watch for are mainly because of the stigmas that I have run into regarding “over 40” and especially “new mom over 40”.
I hope these blogs, as they grow and flourish, provide a place for other New and Old Moms and women in general over 40 to inspire, motivate and empower each other. Together we are redefining what it means to be “OLD”.
Sarah Palin’s decision to have a baby at 44 should not even be a point of contention here today. I applaud her, congratulate her and welcome Sarah to the New Old Mom’s Club.
CrateWays To Organize for School
My husband, Jack is “Mr. Prepared For Everything”. He is almost obsessive about being prepared the night before for “whatever” you might be doing the next day.
As you might be able tell from my tone, I am more of a “leave to the last minute” kind of person. I truly believe that I work best when under pressure. (good excuse, huh?)
Like many parents, we want our children to be the best of our best…if not better.
Consequently, we try to teach our girls the importance of being prepare and organized so that they will be able to function at their best.
Basically, all this boils down one thing: Having everything ready the night before helps tone down the sheer lunacy that often takes over our home on any given morning before school!
My Solution…The Crates.
I get them at Walmarts. It’s important to get the kind that you can put hanging folders in. Two or three per child is plenty.
Obviously, hanging folders are part of the equation, too. An optional item is a small white board. Being the Dollar Store Queen, I got the mini white board there but I am sure you can pick one up at any stationary store. (Walmarts does carry them but they don’t always have the smaller ones)
Put it all together and what do you get…instant organization!
I did a little video so you could get a better idea of how I use these simple tools to save my head from spinning off every morning. Take a look!
HINT: if you go to all the trouble to buy all the items and putting this together…USE IT! Teach you children to USE IT too!
The only reason I say this is because I am notorious for brilliant ideas that I never put to use. I have the theory, the materials and the good intentions. But somehow I never complete the transaction. Consequently, my garage is full of some very interesting things!
This one I actually use and it is has been a lifesaver.
We have only been through about 10 days of school and I already have a stack of papers 12 inches thick! This gives you a way to organize and filter through that mess.
Using more than one crate really helps keep everyone organized and things easily accessible. I use one crate just for clothes for the day, gym stuff, lunch boxes, art smocks, special afterschool items (ie clothes for soccer practice), and any other items that the kids may need to keep track of.
Keep the crates in a visible place if possible. Get your children in the habit of emptying their back packs as soon as they get home into the crate. Hence no excuses that you didn’t get the notes because they are still in the bottom of a backpack 6 weeks later!
If they are old enough, they can file the papers accordingly. If they are younger, try color coding ie. Red folder for Math, Blue folder for Reading, Green folder for Mom Notes, etc.
Typically, I get my girls involved in the process. They label their own folders and empty their back packs out.
5 ‘MUST HAVES’ in the crates:
1. School Calendar. This can have a separate folder or be hung on the front of the crate very easily with string.
2. Teacher’s Information/Contact Information. I have a separate folder for this info. All of the girl’s teacher’s names, contact information and their requirements are in this folder.
3. Your child’s schedule. I hate having to ask…”do you have gym today?” If you keep a copy of the schedule readily available and the gym clothes in the crate their are no worries 10 minutes before the bus arrives.
4. Extra school supplies for homework. Loose leaf paper, pencils, markers, a pencil sharpener, etc. These things are great to pick up about a week or two after school has started or throughout the year when you’ll find they are much less expensive!
5. Contact information for friends or the class list. If your child has a question on homework or just wants to have a play date having this information handy really helps.
I keep a little white board attached to each girl’s crate just for any special notes or deadline dates that we need to remember. Make sure you have a folder designated for “Papers to be signed”. That is something that is always an issue for us.
It is a good idea to check the crates before bedtime to make sure homework is there, papers are signed, clothes are out and (my pet peeve) lunch boxes are emptied!
One thing that I have found through using the Crates is that mornings do run a bit smoother. Also, when the girls go to bed knowing that they are prepared for the next day, all of us sleep just a little bit better.
I hope you enjoyed this tip and please let me know if there is something special that you and you family do to stay organized for school!
Tween Girls…How To Earn The Meanest Mom In The World Award In 5 Simple Words
Yes…I am the Meanest Mom thanks to these 5 words.
No Make-up Worn To School
My daughter is 12 years old. BugMama is the sweetest, kindest and prettiest girl that you could imagine. Of course, I’m prejudice.
Last year the girls were in Private School so there were no options. The rules were very strict regarding makeup, jewelry and even nail polish.
Girls being girls, the infatuation with makeup had started oh way back in probably 1st grade. We have had makeup and nails parties during sleepovers. The girls have even been allowed to were a little bit of makeup on special occassions.
School started last week. On the second day of school I realized in the car on the way to school my BugMama had makeup on. It wasn’t a lot but it was enough to be noticeable.
Basically, eyeshadow (blue of course) and eyeliner was the extent of what she had on. Still, it was too much for me.
I probably should have pulled the car over and made her wipe off her face. I didn’t. It was only the second day of school, a new school, so I didn’t want to start a fight and have her go through the day upset.
When the girls got home I waited until everyone got settled then said those 5 Words:
No Makeup Worn To School
You’d have thought I had said they had to go to school naked! The tears were almost immediate. The objections and agruments were intense.
“everyone else is wearing it”
“it’s only eyeshadow and eyeliner”
“you bought it for me”
and of course the age thing…
“I’m 12 years old!”
Standing firm, I am bestowed the honor of…
“The Meanest Mom in the World”
Now, I have to say, I love having that title. I actually strive to earn the Meanest or Worst Mom in the Universe by year end.
Never said I was completely sane. In my mind, the actions that regularly earn me my glorious title are
actions that show my love for my daughters.
When it comes to makeup I always fall back to the Full House episode when DJ started wearing makeup. Becky ’s advice is what I use for my daughters and for myself…less is more.
Despite the fact that Bratz Dolls are very popular, I don’t want my daughters to look like one!
The end result with BugMama was a compromise. No blue eyeshadow and a very light line of eyeliner that I have to check before she walks out the door.
What did a compromise accomplish? A point of trust. I explained that I would trust her to follow my guidelines and if saw she couldn’t do that then she would lose all privledges.
I gave her some rope, a limited amount, and waited to see what she would do with it.
The next day, there was a very faint black line under her eyes. Four days later…no makeup at all.
Yeah, Mom rules win one! Unfortunately, my title has been down graded though!
So, for right now I only retain the title of Meanest Mom in North America.
No worries, I am sure by the end of the year I’ll hit the Universe mark!
If you have an opinion about Tweens and makeup please feel free to share it with us!
Have a great day…
No Domains The Same!
One Penny Coupon Right Here!
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