Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is under fire for unceremoniously ending the company’s telecommute program. Mayer is now being attacked, being called anti-family, old fashioned, even a hypocrite because she paid to have a nursery built adjacent to her own office. 

A few very quick thoughts on this:

1. Many of the CEOs and tech industry people with whom I have heard from (blog posts, professional forums) agree that this decision was probably more about righting the ship than about attacking peoples’ lifestyles. Yahoo is in trouble and it needs help. Mayer was trying to implement an “all hands on deck,” kind of solution, they say. 

2. From a PR standpoint, Yahoo and Mayer could have handled this better.

3. It is nice to see so many people coming to the defense of non-traditional work arrangements (flex schedule, working from home etc) and to see this issue getting so much attention. 

4. I would like to see more fathers and non-parents weigh in on this issue. This is not just a “mom issue.” It is not even just a parent issue. Improving work/life balance would benefit all of society. 

—Dawn Siff, Parenticity

Bebe Day by Day - by Pamela Druckerman

A few nights ago I attended a book release party for my friend, Pamela Druckerman. The party was organized by Go Mighty — more about them in a minute.

Pamela’s first parenting book, Bringing Up Bebe, about her experiences as an American ex-pat raising a baby in Paris, traces her journey as from neurotic, overprotective American-style mom — to anthropologist, observing her French counterparts — to a more relaxed parent, in the French style. Her new book, Bebe Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting, builds on her experiences with little lessons, canapé sized bits of advice and takeaways, like:

• “Pregnancy is not a Research Project” (a theme I’ve also tried to convey in my Growing and Glowing videos.)
• “Don’t Become a ‘Taxi Mother’.”
• “Don’t Let Your Child Interrupt You” — and the natural sequel, “Don’t Interrupt Your Child.”
• “Back off at the Playground.”

The last one, “Back off at the Playground,” is my personal favorite because I want write an entire ranting manifesto to other parents called: “BACK Off and Away from my Child.” I want to tell them: “I am RIGHT here ten feet away for a reason. I see him, I want him to learn and discover for himself. And why yes, I am reading the paper on my iPhone, quit shooting me the stink-eye.”

At any rate, if you are a new parent, or a not-so-new parent, who is open to seeing what lessons we could all learn and take away from another culture, another philosophy, give her book a read. 

Photos by: Leslie Fandrich,  @LeslieFandrich 

Go Mighty is a fabulous online forum that encourages you to make a list of life goals, connect and create a community to help you support those goals.

—Dawn Siff, Parenticity

improvisingfatherhood:

Parker is really getting big.

Big fan of this dad’s blog. Totally cracks me up. —Dawn Siff, Parenticity

(Source: bestnatesmithever)

This! Yes. Just this. 

(Source: messagewithabottle)