TODAY moms
As TODAY begins to explore
A Woman's Nation, the show's anchors, guests and producers offer their opinions about the state of women in America, from family life to the professional world.
CONTINUED >>
Today producers and authors of, "Today's Moms," Maryann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo are once again a part of the "momversation."
See the episode below which asks, "Do our kids get too many trophies?"
Also please check out our new site, TodayMoms.com.
Trisha Novotny, founder of
247moms.com and mother of five children, stopped by our studio this morning.
Highlight of r NYC trip was the todays show tour thanks maryann.
TODAY Producer and author of
"Today's Moms," MaryAnn Zoellner asked Trisha about the experience.
From Natalie Morales, TODAY host and national correspondentOn Thursday we will be talking to Anita Tedaldi, a woman who adopted a child and then gave him up 18 months later. As horrible as that headline sounds, you realize how just complicated the situation was and how agonizing the decision to give up little “D.” was when you read
Anita’s own account. It’s a piece that will bring you to tears.
When that essay was first published in the New York Time’s
Motherlode blog, many people accused Anita of being irresponsible for taking on more than she could handle, for not trying hard enough to make her adoption work (even though she writes about trying everything from months of therapy to bonding sessions with a psychologist, etc.). Several others, however, applauded Anita for her courage and the strength she showed in making what she felt was ultimately the best decision for the child.
No matter how you feel about Anita's decision to terminate her adoption, her story is one almost every mother can relate to on some level. That’s because this is not necessarily about terminating an adoption as it is a story of a woman coming to terms with her emotions and accepting the fact she couldn't be the kind of mom she thought she would be to her adopted child. As much as we all like to think we can do it all, we’ve all had that humbling moment – or many humbling moments -- when we must recognize our own limitations. When was the last time you felt like you weren't a good enough parent? How often have you asked if you are doing the right thing, whether in loving or disciplining your child?
CONTINUED >>
Today producers and allDAY contributors Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo are once again a part of the momversation.
The site asks:
Healthy competition is good. It pushes you to become a better version of yourself, whether it's in sports, gaming, or even the workplace. But when it comes to moms competing over their children, well, that gets a bit sticky. Do we really need to compete over kids' grades, the price of their clothes, or which mom bought the most expensive toy for Christmas? Does competition over these things help anyone? Shouldn't we set mommy competition aside and instead support one another?
How do you deal with super-competitive moms?
From Alicia Ybarbo, TODAY producer & co-author of "TODAY'S MOMS: Essentials for Surviving Baby's First Year"
When it comes to getting my children to pose for a professional photographer, I wave the white flag. For some reason, I simply can't do it.
I've never been one to dress my children up, smooth their hair out and drive to Sears for a photo session - much less even make the appointment for one! When my first born was still a baby, I remember zooming past his first year birthday without ever having a professional photo taken. (Gasp!) I did eventually have one taken, albeit several months after his first birthday, due to some gentle nudging from mommy friends.
CONTINUED >>
From Alicia Ybarbo, TODAY producer & co-author, TODAY'S MOMS: Essentials for Surviving Baby's First YearAs a child, my family took me camping on a regular basis. My parents even have pictures of me when I was just two weeks old, swaddled like a burrito, chilling out at a campground. That experience, at two-weeks-old, was just the beginning of a childhood of outdoor education.
Every summer my parents would take me and my siblings to places in California like Eureka, Mendocino, Bodega Bay, Yosemite, Sequoia and Shasta. We’d take in lakes and mountains, redwood forests and beautiful oceans. These were vacations where nature was presented to us as an outdoor classroom.
I finally got the chance to take my own children to experience the great outdoors at
Calaveras Big Trees State Park in California, just north of Yosemite – home of giant sequoias, some as old as 2000 years old.
If you strike from your memory the idea of dirty clothes, timed showers, bug bites, and cramped quarters, camping is quite fun! My children loved it. And what’s not to love about most camping rituals: eating s’mores, stargazing, talking by the campfire, reading books, bike riding, marathon Scrabble games, swims in ice cold lakes, and hikes in the mountains with a little trail mix as the reward? This was a time where I was also able to expose my children to nature, conservation and our environment. In fact, most state and national parks offer plenty of programs for kids, and Big Trees was no exception.
CONTINUED >>
From TODAY producer MaryAnn Zoellner
It was May 22, the Friday before Memorial Day. I was sitting at my desk when I got the call from the doctor’s office that my 2-year-old, Arabella, was just tested for the flu virus and it came back positive: Influenza A − most likely swine flu. The reason they couldn’t say officially that it was swine flu is because only the CDC can determine that. My heart stopped.
Let me go back to the beginning: On Tuesday, Arabella and Zurielle, 4, both woke up with snotty noses. The next day, Zurielle slept until 9 a.m., which was odd. But when she crawled out of bed, she was fine. Arabella was another story.
CONTINUED >>
From Alicia Ybarbo, TODAY producer & co-author, TODAY'S MOMS: Essentials for Surviving Baby's First Year
Two weeks ago my husband and I dropped off our six-year-old son, Jack, and his grandmother at the airport. My mother had flown in from California to pick him up and take him back to her house in California. Jack was on his way to enjoy a month at “Camp Nana and Papa Bear” (as they're affectionately called).
Going off to camp – or anywhere for a long period of time - is a rite of passage for many children in America, but this was a totally new experience for my family. Emotions were high as my husband, daughter and I left the airport…with a noticeably quieter car. I looked back to see Jack standing on the curb with Nana, both of them smiling back at us. As my eyes started to tear behind my sunglasses, Jack’s arms were excitedly waving goodbye.
My little Jackieboy would be gone for four weeks, until we went out there to pick him up. Count them -- four! Did we really just decide to let him go for that long? What if he wanted to come home before we went out there to meet him?
CONTINUED >>
TODAY producers and authors of "Today's Moms," Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo have joined the "momversation."
Along with Heather Armstrong of dooce.com and Daphne Brogdon of coolmom.com, they took a few minutes to answer the question, "How do you find me time?"
