By Kimberly Hicken and May Anderson One of the most important communication skills I ever learned had nothing to do with giving advice or solving problems. It was learning how to let people know I was truly listening. When someone shares something difficult, our natural instinct is often to fix it. We offer suggestions, tell…
Working Moms Connection began with one simple belief: somebody ought to do something to better support working mothers. This is the story of how an overwhelmed engineer and new mom built a community, the lessons I learned along the way, and why I still believe ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.
By May Anderson As a working mom, I have very limited time to spend with my child. I want to make sure that the time I do get with him is fun, educational, and strengthening to our relationship. As my toddler gets bigger and learns new things, I can’t help but to wonder what I…
By Viridiana Word I have always loved being a working mom. My career in education is a demanding one, but one that I have worked really hard to accomplish, and one that brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction. Despite the pride I take in the work that I do, however, I have always…
By Viridiana Word When you are a working parent, getting your child to excel academically seems like an even harder task, since we are working on limited time, with (very) limited energy. The never-ending battle over homework and grades seems to be an even steeper hill to climb, especially when you are not available at…
By Jackie Ybarra How to build mental toughness doesn’t seem like a topic I should be writing about to an audience of mothers. After all, it’s mothers who feel the power and pain of childbirth, often teetering the line between life and death. It’s mothers who give so much of their physical and mental self…
By Alysha L Sometimes life just wears you down and it always seems to happen when you don’t have the time to destress. Or, at least that’s how it feels! In my preschool class, the other teachers and I spend our whole day being “on”. The kids keep me going and they keep me motivated,…
Interview in 2018
Connect with Marisella here. From 2018.
By Amber Bennett Every year the ball drops and we make a promise to ourselves that this year will be different. We decide we’ll lose weight, quit yelling at the kids, start meal prepping, or some other thing we’ve never done before but feels like we should be doing to be a “better mom” (whatever…
By Brittany D. Linde, PhD What do you hear when you hear the word “savor”? Maybe you relate it to food or drinks, such as savoring a tasty morsel or a fine glass of red wine. But what else can be savored? How can you incorporate savoring into your daily lifestyle? Wikipedia will tell you…
By Viridiana Word Society puts a lot of pressure on moms in general. We are constantly judged, questioned, criticized for the way we raise our children, the discipline methods we use, breastfeed or formula feed, whether we let them have screen time. Add to that the stress of being the type of mom that goes…
By Sabrina Barton Written December 2017 Working Mom’s Connection was established on November 2nd, 2017. While still fairly new, Working Mom’s Connection has some pretty big goals to provide additional much-needed resources to working mothers. While talking with working mothers there is often a word that sneaks into many conversations. And, unfortunately, that word is…
Date: June 14-15,2019 Working Moms Connection will host their annual event on June 14-15, 2019, in Provo, Utah at the Utah Valley Convention Center. What is Embrace? The event will provide a chance for working moms to connect with one another and celebrate their mom-wins. Sponsors and businesses will be present, giving attendees the opportunity…
By Kimberly Hicken When I got a divorce, I still had five children at home. They ranged in age from 6 to 15. It was a tough time for all of us. I remember the night I told my kids that their dad and I were getting a divorce. The three oldest kids accepted…
By Kimberly Hicken As a working mom with eight kids, I know how hectic life can be. I think I was late for everything for the first twenty years of motherhood. Sometimes, I think the baby purposely waited to poop its diaper until I was on my way out the door. In fact, I think…
By Kimberly Hicken I work at a youth correctional facility as an English teacher. Most of my students never had a real childhood. They grew up in families where drugs, alcohol, stealing, gangs, and prostitution were the norm and the reality. The focus for many of these kids was survival—safety, food, shelter. They didn’t have…
By Kimberly Hicken The Notebook I’m sound asleep, but the soft tiptoe on the carpet wakes me. I lean up on my right elbow and say, “I caught you!” The guilty child moans in disappointment and puts the notebook back on the foot of my bed before silently leaving my room. I glance over…
By Kimberly Hicken My great-great-great grandfather was the first settler in the small town where I grew up. The town was named after him. My grandfather used to ride a horse to school. My father’s first car was one that he shared with his brother. It was a Model-T Ford. When my father was…
By Kimberly Hicken Excitement I Didn’t Want: It was Martin Luther King Day, and my kids were home from school. My teenage son Jacob and his friends had taken over the living room playing video games. I think there were about six teenage boys in the house eating my food and yelling at the…
By Kimberly Hicken I had a co-worker once who could juggle. Every now and then, she would pull three or four balls out of her desk and start juggling. She rarely missed. I tried to have her teach me the skill, but I never caught on. Every time I tried, I felt like I…
By Kimberly Hicken The Background: I remember the situation like it happened yesterday. My front room was a disaster because my son and his friends had basically destroyed it the night before playing video games and eating snacks. I asked my son to clean it up. Like most teenage boys, he promised he would and…
By Kimberly Hicken When my son Jacob started rebelling against the rules, I was beside myself with worry. He was staying out late (or all night), hanging with the wrong group of friends, refusing to do his chores, smoking cigarettes, and I was pretty sure he was drinking also. I did everything I could…
By Kimberly Hicken I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was walking through the store with my two little boys, ages 4 and 2. I made the mistake of going down the candy aisle. My oldest grabbed a candy bar off the shelf and asked if he could have it. Of course,…
By Kimberly Hicken “Mom! You lost my shirt!” “Mom! Where are my favorite pants?” “Mom! Why didn’t you wash my shorts? I need them today!” “Mom, I don’t have any clean socks!” These used to be common statements around our house. With eight children, there was always a lot of laundry. It was a never-ending…
By Kimberly Hicken One of the most stressful days of my life occurred when my oldest daughter was almost 16 months old. It was one of those mornings when I was already running late. One of her older brothers couldn’t find his shoes, someone spilled milk on the kitchen floor, and my oldest son…
By Kimberly Hicken I remember when my oldest son went to school wearing sandals. I was horrified. I kept thinking the school would call at any moment to inform me that I was a horrible parent. You might be thinking that wearing sandals isn’t that big of a deal. Did I mention that it…
By Kimberly Hicken “Tyler, hurry up! You’re going to miss the bus! Jacob, get on your shoes! Holly, where’s the diaper bag? Jacob…What do you mean you can’t find any socks? Well, just wear your shoes without socks! We need to leave! I’m going to be late for work. Again.” Does this sound familiar? If…
By May Anderson It seems like it is this mystery feeling that some people have and some people don’t. In the past, I have asked myself several times, how do I get some of that? Do you want to know the secret? It is all in how we talk to ourselves. Are we constantly pointing…
By May Anderson Even the most motivated person in the world can feel unmotivated at times. It can happen to you, and me unfortunately. In fact, sometimes we get into such a slump that even thinking about making positive changes seems too difficult. But it’s not hopeless. With some small steps, you can get started…
Are you a self development junkie? Always looking for the best books to help you get to where you want to be? This list is for you! We have researched the most recommended self development books for women entrepreneurs recommended by successful women entrepreneurs.
By Alysha Lundgren You hear all the time about how we can conserve our resources, using both sides of the paper, and turning off your water when you’re brushing your teeth. You hear about recycling and reusing something in a creative and practical way, like turning an old crate into a coffee table. There are…
By May Anderson A few years back, I was a skinny mini. I ate pretty much anything and didn’t gain an ounce. Then along came life. Here I am now, 6 months postpartum with baby number two, and while weightloss would be ideal, I find that I am more thankful and loving to my body…
Finding time for yourself as a working mom can feel impossible. Hillary Goodell shares practical tips for scheduling fun, reducing guilt, and creating a healthier work-life balance.
Patrice Hazam shares a humorous perspective on aging gracefully, learning to care less about others’ opinions, and finding joy in the imperfect moments of motherhood.
By Kate McChesney I am so fortunate to have a career that I love. One of the things I love the most about it is that it often allows me the opportunity to help other parents. I can’t tell you how many times a day I need help as a parent, and how much it…
A parenting coach and psychotherapist shares a personal story and practical steps to help working moms process guilt with more compassion and perspective.
By Alysha L I’m sure you’ve caught your child with a number of weird things in their mouths: bugs, plants, playdough…etc. I’m also sure you’ve caught them with their hands in all sorts of strange places! This frustrating and sometimes hilarious behavior is how they are getting to know themselves and the world around them….
By Alysha Lundgren “If you’re happy and you know if, clap your hands!” `Your kids are probably coming home from school every day, singing new, fun songs about everything under the sun. Almost all kids seem to love music, without being encouraged or taught. This innate love of rhythm and language, helps them to learn,…
By Alysha L Part 1: Getting involved at home At my job, in a preschool, we tell the parents the same thing at the beginning of each year: “you are your child’s first and most important teacher.” We do this because, it’s absolutely true and parents need to hear it. Think of all the things…
By Amber Bennett March is women’s history month, where we celebrate the women who really helped shape and build our society. It’s a time to reflect on who we are as women. We examine what we are bringing to the table for the next generation but also rediscover our past. As a child to a…
By Amber Bennett In May of 2012 my husband was headed to work. He was frustrated that he was quitting in two days but still had to attend an off-site team meeting and it was going to be a long one. That night he came home beaming, he had no idea that his all-female coworkers…
By Amber Bennett Every day when I drop my kids off at school I tell them two things: I love you and have fun at school. To me it is important for them to know that even if I’m not there, I’m thinking of them and that I love them. This is even more important…
By Viridiana Word I am pretty certain that “frazzled” is now my permanent look. In college, I thought my life was tough because I had to balance a job and my schoolwork, plus extra-curricular activities and a social life, of course. Then I added a kid, my oldest son, to the mix. I metaphorically almost…
By Viridiana Word It is not uncommon to catch me at the grocery store from time to time throughout the weekdays, my hair frazzled, the makeup I carefully applied 10 hours before quickly melting off, and see me dragging my feet through the aisles because my growing boys went through three gallons of milk in…
By Viridiana Wood We had everything planned to a T–and it was a huge deal. After more than a year of discussions and logistics, we had decided to try and have another child–number 3 for us–maybe we would finally have ourselves a little girl. I marched myself down to that OB GYN’s office, took out…
By Kimberly Hicken I have eight wonderful children. With the arrival of each one though, changes in the family dynamics occurred. You can’t introduce a new person into your household without experiencing change, which also means learning to adapt. Sometimes, the adjustment is easier than others, but there is always some stress when a new…
By Kimberly Hicken When a new baby enters the household, everything changes. Even though it’s a happy occasion, it is also stressful for everyone. Parents aren’t getting enough sleep. The baby doesn’t seem to have any sort of schedule. Mom isn’t feeling her best yet. And to add to this stress, older siblings often feel…
By Kimberly Hicken Several years ago, I was at a gathering with other mothers. One of the women in our group was actually a grandmother; all of her own children were raised. She was the one that many of us looked to for guidance as we tried to maneuver through our day to day…
By Kimberly Hicken Why Camping: Camping is one of our family’s favorite activities. It provides a chance to both bond and experience some alone time. We can sit around the campfire and talk and roast marshmallows, or we can wander off to a quiet place and read a book or just enjoy being with…
By Kimberly Hicken The other day, I was on my way out to the car when a small movement on the ground caught my eye. It was a slug slowly making its way across our driveway. I knelt down to get a closer look. Its movement was painfully slow, but then I noticed its…