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Days like these, it sucks to be a working mom. It’s been a long time since I felt that agonizing tug on my heart as I kissed my kids goodbye and dragged myself out the door for work, kicking and screaming.
It used to be a daily occurrence when the kids were babies. Each morning, the front door became a tear-filled torture chamber as I forced myself to walk away from the only things that mattered to me in this world. Things slowly got better as the kids got older, but some days that familiar heartache still rears its ugly head.
Today was one of those days. My 6-year-old daughter is in the process of losing her second tooth. It’s the bottom front tooth, so it affects every aspect of her life from eating to talking. As I’ve mentioned before, “Princess” is a very special girl. To her, each of the most natural, everyday functions that we all take for granted – from eating breakfast to putting on shoes to pooping – is a tremendous ordeal.
For most kids, losing a tooth is two parts excitement, one part fear and seven parts cool and gross. For Princess, the process is nine-and-a-half parts fear and one-half part cool and gross. As a result, she was a soggy mess this morning, full of tears, spit, snot and a little bit of blood thrown in for effect.
That tooth was just hanging by a thread, and she was determined to get it out before she left the house. But she was too scared to actually pull on it, so she stood in the bathroom all morning crying her eyes out as she repeatedly rinsed with water and spit in hopes of dislodging it “tsunami-style.” There was no way we could put her on the bus in her condition.
The bus came and went, and we hoped she would calm down before I left for work so I could drive her to school. No such luck. The tooth was being as stubborn as the girl, so I was forced to walk away and go to work, leaving my daughter a puffy-eyed mess.
I get no sympathy from my co-workers who say, “Well at least your husband is there with her.” Any mom will tell you there are some things a kid needs her Mommy for. Hubby is a fantastic father, and he will be as sweet and gentle with her as I would, but it’s just not Mommy.
I know, I know. It’s more about me than it is about her. She will be just fine. I will come home this afternoon to a smiling, happy girl who may or may not have a missing tooth. It just irks me to have to spend my day with other people’s children when I could be home hugging my own kids.
I will get through it, and thankfully these dreadful days are getting less frequent. But it makes it no less painful when they do come along.
Photo by Ignacio Leonardi
Why are there so many resources for kids who don’t succeed in school, but the kids who excel are not given any special accommodations? My daughter “Princess,” who is in first grade, reads at a third grade level (or higher) and composes her own piano music. She is beyond any child in the class in Accelerated Reader points. She gets 100 percent on nearly every single test and quiz she brings home. She is not just bright; she is brilliant. Yet her teacher does not seem to acknowledge that she is at the top of her class. At our last parent-teacher conference, we asked if Princess would be labeled as gifted. She hemmed and hawed and said she’d like to recommend her, but she thought Princess was just a bit too shy.
Since when did shyness have anything to do with smarts? In fact, shyness is a classic trait in gifted children. It seems that experts have no problem labeling a child with behavior problems as having ADHD so their parents can make excuses about why their kid is failing, but the smartest kids in the class get no extra challenge or accommodations.
Let me stop here to ask all those parents with ADHD kids to please NOT blow up my mailbox with complaints. I know there are plenty of children with legitimate learning disabilities, and I am not for a second suggesting that kids should not get the help they need. But I am also a high school English teacher, and I have seen my share of students who are obnoxious jack-holes and are labeled ADHD so they can get out of doing their work. I have also seen plenty of smart, well-behaved kids like mine get robbed of valuable educational experiences because these jack-holes take up all the teacher’s time and energy.
That being said, I think another part of the problem is…get ready for a shock…. No Child Left Behind. This train wreck of an idea has made it impossible for teachers to do anything but focus on the bare minimum (i.e. the kids who can’t, or don’t, learn the basics). Teachers are so worried about meeting minimum standards and making their students pass those ludicrous standardized tests that the smart kids just sail right on by. Who cares if they’re bored out of their minds and don’t actually learn anything? They’re passing the tests, by golly!
I have determined that the only way to make sure Princess gets a more challenging educational experience is to try to get her into the gifted program. I feel guilty as I write this because I’m becoming one of those parents – which is actually every parent – who wants an individualized education for their child. But when you’re too poor for home school or private school like we are, you do what you can.
Princess came home the other day and told us about a child in her class who was named the “Lucky Learner.” Apparently, he got to be the line leader for the day and some other special treatment. I asked Princess if she has ever been the Lucky Learner, and she said no. I suspect the Lucky Learner is actually not so lucky. It sounds to me like a child who has been struggling and did something right. I think it’s wonderful to recognize kids who have accomplishments, but is it wrong for me to think Princess should be recognized for being the smartest kid in her class? What’s wrong with making smart kids feel good? Why should the struggling learners get all the attention?
I’m being a bit facetious, but there is a point. No Child Left Behind has forced teachers to ignore the needs of bright children. Let’s hope our new president will have some fresh ideas to make sure all kids – not just the struggling ones – get the rigorous education they deserve.
Photo by Muris Kuloglija Kula
You've read this blog religiously, you've clicked on all the freelance writing opportunities, now it's time to actually try to land the job. Where do you start? First, you need a solid, professional-looking resume. Then you need a well-written cover letter. Finally, you need work samples. Showcase your talents and be confident, and you will surely get some work.
Resume Writing
If you don't have a freelance writing resume, now is the time to write one. Start with a broad job objective or profile so you can use the same resume for several different job opportunities. Say something like, "Objective: A freelance writing position that will allow me to use my skills and experience toward a rewarding and successful career." For a profile, say, "I am a seasoned freelance writer with more than X years of experience in professional writing."
If you have more education than experience, be sure to list education first. For instance, if you have a master's degree but have never held a real writing position, you want to emphasis your positive points. If you have lots of writing experience and a high school diploma, list experience first. If you have neither a degree nor writing experience, you could always list writing for your college newspaper or other writing you have done.
Cover Letter Writing
Use your cover letter to introduce yourself and your skills, but don't make it a laundry list of your accomplishments. Your introductory paragraph should tell them who you are, why you are writing, and what you want from them. I have a standard introductory paragraph that I have used for just about every cover letter I have ever written. Here it is:
"My name is _________, and I am writing in response to the freelance writing position advertised on Craigslist. I am an award-winning journalist with nearly two decades of professional writing experience, and I would like to be considered for th position."
In the next paragraph, I tell them my resume is attached, and I outline a few of my accomplishments that match what they are looking for. Be sure to have the ad in front of you so you can refer to specific skills they need.
Your cover letter should only be about three or four paragraphs. Your conclusion should sum up why you are the best candidate for the job. Then thank them for their time, and tell them you look forward to hearing from them.
Outlining Your Experience
Writing jobs will often require some proof of your writing ability. Be sure to keep track of all the writing you do, especially the pieces you are most proud of. If you do a great deal of Internet writing, you can just send the links to your work via email. Some freelance writers even create their own Web sites to send potential employers.
What About Jobs That Aren't Advertised?
Don't be afraid to send an email to the editor of your favorite publication or Web site offering your services as a freelance writer. You never know when an opportunity will come along, so there is no harm in asking.
I hope this information is helpful. As always, I encourage readers to comment and share their ideas and questions. Let's get a conversation going! For more information about making a living as a freelance writer, check out this highly recommended book.
Here are the latest postings I've found. Be sure to contact me with your own ideas as well.
Feature Writer at uCrave.com: Looking for long-term feature writers along the lines of Mashable and Weburbanist on fashion design, gadgets, movies, and music
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Photo by Kriss Szkurlatowski
One of most difficult aspects of being a freelance writer is finding work, so I thought I would start posting some of the most promising job leads I have found in my research. I would also like this blog to become more of a community. Feel free to email me with comments and questions, and I will post them in a Q&A format, kind of like an advice column. Let's talk about freelance writing so that together we can all make more money!
Writer/Editor Business Partners
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I perform a miracle every single weekday morning. The miracle is getting my 6-year-old daughter Princess on the bus by 7 a.m. I would like to say this miracle is always free from crying and/or kicking and/or throwing of garments, but I can’t go that far. Suffice it to say that somehow, by the grace of God, I get her on that bus. How we get there is not always pretty.
This morning, for instance, we had a major Panty Calamity. As I have mentioned in previous posts, Princess is extremely picky about her clothing. If a seam doesn’t feel just right, an article of clothing could be banished forever. Panties are particularly troublesome because you have the elastic around both the waist and the legs as well as the cotton part, which tends to bunch and sag. At this moment there are no less than 10 pairs of underwear in Princess’ drawer that do nothing but confuse her father into thinking she has enough panties to get through the week. There is only a small group of about five “acceptable” panties that Princess will wear at any given time. And that group is usually hanging out in the hamper, leaving Princess virtually panty-less
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A new British survey by the ICM research institute has found that parents are too protective of their kids. The study showed that “half of the children aged 7 to 12 in Britain are not allowed to climb a tree without adult supervision and 42 percent are not allowed to play in the neighborhood park without the presence of an adult.” Experts say that overprotective parents are robbing their kids of their childhood. They are also depriving them from learning essential life skills and how to handle everyday challenges. I am actually torn about this issue because I tend to be on the overprotective side of things, although I worry that I am too involved in my kids’ lives.
My mother perpetuates the problem. She is convinced that anytime the kids walk out the front door they are going to be abducted. We live in a very nice neighborhood with a large, tree-filled front yard, and the kids love to romp around out there. Hubby has no problems letting them do their thing while he tinkers around in the garage or plays guitar in the front room. He doesn’t feel the need to watch them constantly; he simply checks on them every now and then. When I’m in charge, I feel the need to actually be in the front yard with them. I don’t follow them around, but I at least have one eye on them most of the time
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I am a high school English teacher, and I can tell you without a doubt that students cheat, and they cheat A LOT! They don't think anything of copying each other's homework or cutting and pasting entire passages off the Internet. This goes for both the slacker kids as well as the "cream of the crop" college-bound students. They simply don't think what they are doing is wrong.
Can you really blame them? They see their own politicians and business people cheating all the time, and those folks are some of the richest, most powerful people on the planet. What are the real consequences for cheating in our society? Sure, you could get caught and go to some cushy country-club prison for white-collar criminals for a while. But in the grand scheme of things, what motivation do kids have for NOT cheating
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I give it two stars out of five
Let me start by saying that the book on which this movie is based - Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux - is a fabulous novel. I recommend it anyone who loves a good fairy tale, no matter what age. It was well-written, timeless, and entertaining. I'm afraid I can't sing the same praises for the movie. In fact, I was extremely disappointed.
I suppose you can't blame the movie makers except in the fact that they tried to make a movie for this book in the first place. At first glance, the story would appear to be very adaptable into movie form: a heroic mouse goes on a quest to rescue a grieving princess. It's a unique twist on the classic knight's tale. But the story is much more complicated than that, and it was simply impossible to translate the backstory and character development onto the screen
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A new study to be published in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics shows that teenagers who take pledges to keep their virginity until marriage are just as likely to have sex and less likely to use contraception than those who don't take abstinence pledges. This study was the largest so far in a growing line of evidence that shows that abstinence education simply doesn't work.
I am a high school English teacher, and my students literally laugh at the sex education they get in school. They mock the system for being naive about the sexual behavior of teenagers, and the general consensus among them is that everyone has sex. Period. Abstinence is a joke
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