I just read a great post today from The Mama Bee, a really smart blog that I hope all of you check out.  The topic was on child development and parent interaction.  One research found that educated, affluent working moms invest more in their children’s development than less affluent moms.  It’s not just that they have the money and therefore will spend it.  It’s that they actively choose to invest the funds in their kids versus other things

This made me think not only about what a positive force working moms are in today’s society, but also about our attitudes towards money in general.  I remember years ago attending a seminar on money management.  The person on stage asked the audience how many people wanted to have $1 million.  Everyone raise their hand.  Then the person asked, how about $5 million?  All the hands stayed up.  When he asked, “how about $10 million?”, hands started to go down. “20 million?”  More hands down.  By the time he got to $40 million only a few people, out of more than 500, had thier hands up.  Then the facilitator asked a question I will never forget - “Why don’t you want $40 million?  Do you think it’s more than you need?  How much more good do you think you could do in the word if you had $40 million?”

That experience totally turned my beliefs about money - it’s not OK for me to just strive to have enough so me and my famiy are comfortable - the more I have, the more I can do with it.  I immediately started thinking bigger and the impact I could have.  My book was born, and even bigger plans are in the works!  After all the vacations, new clothes, and multiple homes, what would you spend your $40 million on?

Some of you may have read by now the article on the Motherhood Penalty on Business Week’s working parent’s blog.  The article is about a research study that found working mothers were 100% less likely to get a job interview than women who did not present themselves as mothers on a resume.  While the statistic is quite shocking, what’s really interesting are the sentiments expressed in the comments following the article.

Really, are the mommy wars still going strong?  I am now in an enviroment full of momprenuers, so I rarely run across the non-mom these days.  However, my life at a Fortune 50 company is not that far behind me, and I must admit, I never felt the mommy wars there, either.  So the venom, and defensiveness, of some of the post really surprised me.

I found that once I was a parent, managing an employee became a piece of cake.  Convincing a toddler to eat veggies or go to bed is just as challenging as motivating an employee or managing a crisis at work, and the two worlds - work and home - end up supporting each other very well.  I also know that the year I had my first child was the year I received my highest performance rating at work and I continued to receive high ratings and big bonuses from then on - more than when I wasn’t a mom.

I also know that EVERYONE at my old company was working online after 9:00 PM, kiddos or not.  There just wasn’t time for backstabbing and gossiping or the overall waste of energy that it takes to complain about a co-working leaving to take care of a sick kid.  I attribute this to my former manager who created a very supportive culture.  Frankly, one would look like a real jerk if he or she started griping about someone not pulling their weight.  If you have a problem with someone in your office: First, look at yourself in the mirror - what bothers you about someone else is something that bothers you about yourself.  Second - talk to them directly about it instead of feeding the rumor mill. 

It’s that easy!  I left my last employer to write a series of children’s books dedicated to explaining the world of work to kids (www.mommytrip.com). The intent is to help not only children understand what mom and dad do every day and why they can’t always be around, but also help the parents really ROCK their lives. If mom and dad can build a rich life at home and at the office, then our children are raised in happy homes and the world becomes a better place for everyone. It’s that simple.

I would love to hear if you think the mommy wars are alive and well in your world or not, and if they are, what are you doing to put a stop to them?