This blog is for all parents; those in the traditional workforce, those who work from home, and those who work at home. Join our conversations about balancing the needs of family with the demands of work, discovering resources and activities around Alaska, and opening a dialogue about the perks and challenges of parenthood. One of our three contributors emphasizes teen and family issues. We welcome your comments but please keep them on point and civil. Avoid personal attacks and the use of profanity.
Erin Kirkland
Erin Kirkland writes freelance and lives in Anchorage with her husband and two boys, 14 and 3. She has covered family-related topics for newspapers, parenting magazines and the Web. Erin and her family moved to Anchorage in 2005. She'll post on Wednesdays about great activities the entire family can participate in, and enjoy, together.
Gina Romero
Gina Romero is a lifelong Alaskan who is passionate about parenting. She left Alaska for a short time to earn a degree in journalism and returned for a job at Channel 2 News. Gina produced the Channel 2 Newshour for the better part of a decade and more recently served as communications specialist at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. Career perspectives changed when her daughter was born in 2007, and Gina is now a mother by day and freelance writer by night. Her Monday blog posts will focus on striking a healthy balance between work and family.
Writer Heather Lende has 5 children, biological and adopted, aged 17-25 and has been married to their dad for 26 years. She also coaches high school runners. She'll try to help you with teenage, young adult, and family matters. Expect her posts on Fridays.
Tools To Save Money - 11/3/2009 4:08 pm
Freedom is Priceless - 10/21/2009 3:38 pm
Travel Tips for Parents with Small Children - 10/11/2009 2:58 pm
Time to fall into a routine - 9/3/2009 4:06 pm
Where is the line? - 8/24/2009 9:55 pm
Are you an iphone Mom? - 8/23/2009 9:46 pm
Kaladi Kids Day - 8/20/2009 9:28 pm
Save a buck, help a family in need - 8/13/2009 2:13 pm
It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it - 8/10/2009 10:17 pm
AWAIC Shelter Gets Funding - 7/29/2009 2:18 pm
Planning ahead can buy some time later - 7/26/2009 9:58 pm
Mother and baby spent the night in a gas station bathroom - 7/19/2009 7:32 pm
What's the perfect work schedule? - 7/16/2009 3:02 pm
Last minute request makes for a family adventure - 7/8/2009 10:50 pm
New park at Westchester lagoon - 7/7/2009 9:49 am
Great Travel Web site - 7/3/2009 8:52 am
Kid Friendly Fourth of July in Whittier - 6/24/2009 12:34 pm
The Sockless Mom - 6/15/2009 11:29 pm
Feeling Guilty Because You Love Going To Work? - 6/11/2009 9:06 am
Kid Friendly? Travel Tips To Lighten The Load - 6/4/2009 9:15 pm
To Work or Stay Home With Baby? The Pros and Cons - 6/1/2009 1:53 pm
Travel With Children: Advice from Moms - 5/30/2009 9:02 am
NOVEMBER 3, 2009 - 4:08 PM
Interested in saving money? I am! It's not easy supporting a family of four on one income. Every little bit helps. I came across a great Web site that shares local deals, compares prices among grocery stores around town and gives pointers on how save money.
Click Here for the Web site. Happy shopping and saving!
OCTOBER 21, 2009 - 3:38 PM
Payday was last Friday. The money was gone by Monday due to bills and groceries at Costco. We won’t see another paycheck until Friday, Oct. 30. We will need milk and formula before then. Thankfully, I have freelance money coming to cover those costs. This scenario is nothing new. It has been happening since I decided to leave my full-time job to become a full-time Mom more than a year ago.
We live off of my husband’s humble salary. He is a Fireman for the city. I freelance to supplement. Frankly, it is not enough. There are public officials who claim a majority of Fire Department employees make six figures. Yes, on paper that is correct. However, those salary figures include benefits. It is a manipulative and politically motivated message. I can assure you we are not a six figure family. We live paycheck-to-paycheck. We are not saving any money. And, sometimes, there just isn’t enough. But we do it anyway. This lifestyle is a choice we made together, knowing it was going to be challenging.
OCTOBER 11, 2009 - 2:58 PM
Our three week journey to Denver to visit my husband's family is about to come to an end. On Tuesday, we board the plane for the flight back to Alaska. Traveling with a 2-year-old and 7-month-old is not exactly easy. Flying with children seems to cause anxiety for parents and for other passengers on the plane. I consulted with lots of parents and seasoned travel professionals before we went on this trip. I thought it would be helpful to share all of the tips I've learned, and perhaps to pick up some tips from others.
Burn the Midnight Oil: We had great luck with the red-eye flight. We kept the kids up until boarding time and they slept the entire time. Direct flights work best. We had a layover in Portland during the flight to Denver and the kids got a little cranky, but luckily they settled back down.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2009 - 4:06 PM
Programs for toddler aged children are ramping up again. I am a much better parent when we have a routine and goals to accomplish for the day. I know other parents share the same experience. For that reason, I’ve compiled a couple of activities and opportunities for parents with children under five.
If you are looking to network with other parents, Alaska's Kids is for you. It is a membership organization that organizes play dates, hikes for parents and more. I met the owner, Jamie Robinson, at Arctic Gym the other day. She is a nice lady who is on a mission to engage parents and their kids.
AUGUST 24, 2009 - 9:55 PM
I love Sunday evenings. They are a time for relaxation before the start of the work week. My routine is to get the kids to bed then make some tea and get onto Facebook to see what everyone in my online community is up to. I read the posts, often make comments and then direct message my Mom friends to set up play dates for the week.
I was going about this routine Sunday when I came across some offensive photos of a young lady (college aged) and her friends on my feed. I was floored at what I saw. At the very minimum, the photos would qualify as soft porn.
I added this young lady as a friend because I know her parents and have known her since she was a little girl. I deleted her as a Facebook friend, and emailed abuse@facebook.com to report the photos, which have hopefully been removed from the internet. But I’m still disturbed.
AUGUST 23, 2009 - 9:46 PM
Came across a great article during my weekly reading that I wanted to share. Technology and parenthood, seems the two are going hand in hand with parents:
Is the iphone Mom the New Soccer Mom?
AUGUST 20, 2009 - 9:28 PM
Kaladi Kids: Kaladi Brothers Coffee has brewed up Kaladi Kids Day in celebration of Back to School.
In honor of the new school year, Kaladi Brothers Coffee has brewed up Kaladi Kids Day featuring an art contest, favorite teacher story, free hot chocolate and steamers on Saturday, September 12, 2009.
Students, Kaladi Brothers Coffee wants to hear your favorite teacher story. You can email your story to marketing@kaladi.com. Kaladi Brothers Coffee will accept submissions until Saturday, September 12, the prize includes a $20 coffee card. In addition, Kaladi Brothers Coffee will deliver a hot drink of choice to your favorite teacher.
AUGUST 13, 2009 - 2:13 PM
I’m sitting here monitoring Twitter, where local reporters are sending tweets from Mayor Sullivan’s news conference about the city job cuts. As I mentioned, my husband is a firefighter, who is vulnerable to the cuts. I worked in a newsroom for a decade and have handled many stories over the years about job cuts. It is different being on the other end, not knowing what will happen to our family or to other families.
It is consuming me right now. I’m on autopilot as a parent today. I’m trying to live by my mantra to show no fear. The only thing I can do right now is try to offer information and resources that will be helpful to others. Two things crossed my desk this week that fit those categories.
AUGUST 10, 2009 - 10:17 PM
Firefighter Gear: These bags hold gear that protects my husband, while he is working on the line.I watch the news every night at 5 p.m. The lead story on Monday stopped me in my tracks when I heard that layoffs are coming for the Anchorage Fire Department. As the wife of a firefighter, I was surprised, then worried, then agitated.
Why? Who? Questions buzzed. What if it’s us? What if we lose our main source of income? What will we do? I quit my job last year to stay home and raise happy, healthy children. Will that change? What about other members of the fire family? I shot off a few tweets on Twitter, a few posts on Facebook, then loaded the kids in the stroller, grabbed our black lab, Chip, and went for a walk, a really hard walk.
JULY 29, 2009 - 2:18 PM
An update to my post last week about the Abused Women's Aid in Crisis (AWAIC) shelter. The shelter was at capacity and faced with turning clients away. Thompson & Co. Public Relations helped spread the word about the crisis and it worked. Today, Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced additional funding for AWAIC. While today's announcement is a great help to AWAIC, the organization is still in need of additional donations and funding. Here is the News Release from Sen. Murkowski's office:
JULY 26, 2009 - 9:58 PM
If you stay home with a toddler, chances are you are pressed to come up with activities to keep the little one engaged. I came up with the idea of a grab bag for my 2-year-old. I asked a retired teacher with more than 20 years under her belt for advice on what to put in the bag. Here’s what we came up with.
JULY 19, 2009 - 7:32 PM
A local organization committed to helping abused women and children is having its own crisis. Abused Women Aid In Crisis (AWAIC) has reached capacity, according to Judy Cordell who is executive director of AWAIC. Ninety people are living in the facility equipped with only 52 beds. Among those are five expectant mothers and two newborns.
“This is our turn away point for secure shelter. We are working all of our contingency plans currently, but domestic violence victims have specific safety concerns which can be a real threat to helpful bystanders,” said Cordell.
Thompson & Co. Public Relations is helping to spread the word in the community and posted a written plea for help by Cordell on Facebook. In the plea, Cordell wrote about challenges such as threats to staff members and limited employees stretched to the limit on the night shift. In the midst of these challenges, Cordell pointed out there is still a dire need for services AWAIC provides.
JULY 16, 2009 - 3:02 PM
I came across a great article during my daily reading that I wanted to share with working parents:
What's the perfect work schedule?
JULY 8, 2009 - 10:50 PM
Brother and Sister Lounging: This photo was taken moments before I got the last minute assignment.Working freelance while managing two young children is always an adventure. Let's take today for example. I got a call from a client with a last minute assignment. I had roughly 30 minutes to get myself, my 2-year-old and 3-month-old out the door. Toddler wasn't yet dressed, baby was not fed and I had just finished working out. No time for a shower. I threw my hair up, put on some clothes that passed the sniff test and rushed to feed the baby. Notice how babies take forever to eat when you are in a hurry? Then, toddler decided she wanted to wear her brother's infant robe for the day and threw a tantrum when I said no. We finally got it together and out the door. I arrived at my location covered in sweat, with formula all over my shirt, toting a toddler who still very much wanted to wear her brother's robe in public. I completed my assignment and was relieved to finally get everyone home. Another day, another parenthood adventure.
JULY 7, 2009 - 9:49 AM
New park at Westchester Lagoon
Anchorage is getting another park, this one at Westchester Lagoon. I ran into an engineer working on the project during my evening walk. He told me there will be a play structure for toddlers, possibly fenced, and a separate one for older kids. The park is expected to be complete in August.
JULY 3, 2009 - 8:52 AM
Came across a great travel website written by parents for parents. Check it out for good ideas on packing, where to go with kids, how to get good seats and a wealth of overall good travel information. Check it out and get empowered before you travel, you're kids will thank you.
JUNE 24, 2009 - 12:34 PM
Is your better half planning on fishing over the Fourth of July weekend, leaving you searching for something to do with the kids? Organizers in Whittier are putting the final touches on the annual Fourth of July celebration including a parade, free barbecue, car show and tons of activities for kids.
The parade kicks everything off at noon. Among other things, kids will learn about the science of cotton candy and get spiffed up with face-painting. Enjoy the holiday in Alaska’s gateway to Prince William Sound. See you there!
JUNE 15, 2009 - 11:29 PM
I went to meet with a client last week. My outfit: beige maternity trench (“regular” clothes are still a bit snug), shirt with spit-up on the shoulder (trench covered up the baby barf), black pants and black Dansko shoes without socks. Sadly, this was a good day because I managed to do my hair and put on some lipstick. In my defense, I wore clean clothes and socks when I worked a conventional job. However, now that I work from home while managing two children under the ages of two, an ironed outfit, heels and lipstick are not high on the priority list. Last week, I outlined the pros and cons of having a conventional job and managing children. Today, I’ll point out the pros and cons of working from home.
JUNE 11, 2009 - 9:06 AM
I came across a great article from the Work It Mom blog for parents who work outside of the home that I wanted to share this week:
A different shade of working-mom guilt
JUNE 4, 2009 - 9:15 PM
Pre-boarding, on-board entertainment, snacks, the friendly factor, and child-fare discounts are a few factors that give airlines big points when parents are keeping score. Then there is the parent instinct, which is hard to measure but impossible to ignore. If you have flown a lot you know what I am talking about. It is the accumulative effect of either above and beyond service from airline staff or the cold shoulder. These are influences that steer a parent’s preference when there is a choice of airlines.
In Alaska we are fortunate to be the home to Alaska Airlines, rated one of the top five affordable domestic airlines for families. Another bonus to our great state is that outbound flights frequently stop at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, named best domestic airport experience. The play area in the Central Terminal, equipped with a nursing room and family-friendly bathroom, is a haven for little ones needing to get their wiggles out. The Fireworks store located next door is a bonus stop for adorable kids’ books and clothes.
Read the adn.com updated privacy policy | 
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.
© Copyright 2009, The Anchorage Daily News, a subsidiary of The McClatchy Company 
Contact Us | Newsroom Contacts | Communication Forms | Subscriptions | Advertising | Featured Advertisers
Daily News Jobs |
RSS Feeds |
|
ADN Store |
Newspapers in Education
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About our ads | Copyright