Archive for the ‘Opinions’ Category
30
Mar
Posted by docsandtv in Opinions, Production Expert Interviews. Tagged: barack, documentary, interviews, james lipton, Malcolm Gladwell, Mira Nair, nobel prize, obama, Phillipa Gregory, questlove, television, Toni Morrison. Leave a Comment
As a non-fiction television producer, I get to meet and interview people that I would not normally cross paths with. Sometime the are average people and sometimes they are famous. Here is a list of well-known people that I would absolutely love to interview. They are in no particular order.
President Barack Obama – Self explanatory really. However, my husband is also half-Kenyan and my father-n-law knew Barack Sr. so at least there is some connection.
James Lipton – Besides interviewing artists who at are the top of their creative craft, Mr. Lipton has impressed me with his ability to sample all that life has to offer and not judge others for doing the same. His friendship with Dave Chapelle is intriguing. I’d love to interview him despite some of my respected colleagues calling him the biggest sycophant ever.
Questlove – A pure musical genius. If you ever get to see him live as a drummer or deejay, go! If you ever get to hear him talk about music, get ready to get schooled! Anyone who has converted a room into a music library then tasks his sister with managing it, must be given credit for dedication to his passion.
Phillipa Gregory – I almost hate to admit this in writing, but I love literature, television and film about the Tudor period. I find the social stratification and people’s willingness to adhere to social rules as if they are hard and concrete things absolutely fascinating. No one brings the Tudor period to life like Gregory.
Malcolm Gladwell – One of the most interesting “thinkers” of our time. I love the way Gladwell is able to connect ideas in new ways to shed light on old problems. One question I’d like to ask him is why, when describing people he has interviewed, he always talks about their hair?
Toni Morrision – A pure literary genius. There is no question that her books are among the best ever written but her Nobel Prize speech was also a work of art.
Mira Nair – I actually got to speak to her on the telephone once for an extremely brief pre-interview for a documentary called “Understanding: Race” that aired on The Learning Channel (now TLC). I never got to meet her and have always wished that I did. She has produced and directed some of the most luscious looking movies of our time including one of my all time favorites “Karma Sutra.”
But then again, perhaps I really DON’T want to interview these people. In the past, I have interviewed people that I admired and is isn’t always all that it is cracked up to be. Sometimes, being up close and personal with them takes some of the shine off their glow. I won’t name names here in case I disrupt the glow for you. I guess, you never really know until the interview happens. I think I’ll take my chances with this group.
18
Mar
Posted by docsandtv in Documentary & Television Reviews, Opinions. Tagged: DeBarge, Donny Hathaway, Heatwave, review, series, Tom Joyner, tv one, unsung. Leave a Comment
TV One’s “Unsung” is one of my favorite biography shows on television. Each show takes us into the lives of musical artists and acts through narration, interviews, performance footage and photos. Television doesn’t get more basic than that. Yet, Unsung has managed to focus an interesting light on singers, groups and bands that have made important contributions to the music industry.
Fittingly, Al B Sure was the voice over talent for the first season. He did surprisingly well. The new, lesser known narrator is just as good and doesn’t get in the way of the story telling.
Many of the episodes have provided fodder for water cooler conversations in the African American community. When the Debarge story aired from the first season, even national radio hosts like Tom Joyner talked about it. We all know the Debarge music and something about the drug abuse in the family. But how many of us know about the abusive father or El Debarge’s efforts to make the group a success while the rest of his siblings were out partying?
For me, the most touching episode was the one about Donny Hathaway. He has one of the purest voices of all time. But his struggles with depression ultimately drove away his family and claimed his life. To hear industry experts explain the depth of his genius made me appreciate his music even more. Listening to family and friends talk about his declining mental health was hard to watch. It is amazing to think about how little was known about depression at the time.
The Heatwave story was the most insightful. I knew nothing about this group yet love some of their classic hits like “Always and Forever” and “Grooveline.” This particular episode shed light on the groups international players, their unusually strict code of ethics and the success of keyboardist and writer Rod Temperton who went on to produce some of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits.
Other profiles have included Tammy Terrell, Tenna Marie, The Fat Boys, Miki Howard and the O’Jays. The upcoming season promises the likes of The Spinners, Big Daddy Kane and Evelyn “Champagne” King. Many of the “Unsung” artists have never been profiled on television. But when I see them, I am moved to get up and dance or go running to download my favorite songs.
I’m looking forward the batch of shows. My DVR is already set. “Unsung” gives me the information I want without all of the flash and whistles. But most of all, it gives me a deeper understanding and appreciation for the music that has become the soundtrack of my life.
For more reviews, visit the Docmentary and TV Reviews category.
2
Mar
Posted by docsandtv in Opinions, Television Freelancing, Television Production. Tagged: contracting, freelance, freelancing, gig, interviewees, new job, saying goodbye, saying hello, Television Production, temping, thank you note, unemployment. Leave a Comment
Another freelance gig ends and it is time to say goodbye to my co-workers, clients, subjects, office and project… again. Quite frankly, I had grown weary of this latest project. And the client’s demands were sounding more and more outrageous. But I liked my co-workers and I loved my office even more. The truth is, even when I don’t generally like an assignment, it is still hard to say goodbye to a job that have given my all.
I usually miss the people the most. When you’ve worked 8-to-10 hours a day with a crew or spent weeks and months getting to know your interview subjects, it is hard to just pack your things and leave without looking back. I’ve said enough goodbyes to know that after the first few weeks of follow up about how is the new baby or did your house finally sell, chances are the contact will soon dwindle out. But every once in a while, a strong connection emerges.
Whether crew or interviewee, I always send a thank you note because you never know when you may need to call on that person again. I like to send notes via snail mail. Who doesn’t like to hold an envelope in their hands and open a piece of mail that is not a bill? For me, ending on a positive note has paid off. There are several guest experts that I have booked on different shows and several former colleagues have offered me gigs.
On the other side of saying goodbye is saying hello –hello to new projects, new people and new schedules. Every time I start a new gig, it takes a while to get the hang of the routine and, to adjust to the effects on my family and home life. Sometimes saying hello means proving all over again that I can do a job well despite being the new kid on the block, being a mother or previously working on shows of a different type than what I’ve been hired to do. I dislike this “pledge” period so much that the hellos have become almost as hard as the goodbyes. On the other hand, I’ve made some valuable friends and contacts on most freelance jobs and try to concentrate on the prospect of making more. Not to mention that on each job, I learn something new about the world, producing and even myself.
The best scenarios are the ones when I work repeatedly for the same client. The goodbyes are a little less painful because I know that there is a good chance that I will be back. And the hellos are always fun because I get to reconnect with former colleagues with whom I enjoy working. However, it’s a bummer when I return to find a permanent staff member who I’ve come to rely on has said goodbye in my absence. It rocks some of the stability that I’ve come to count on in my ever changing profession.
24
Feb
Posted by docsandtv in Opinions, Television Freelancing, Television Production, Writing for Television. Tagged: Amy Chua, authors, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, books, interviews, motherhood, parenting, Sydnye White, Tiger Mother, traditional Chinese parenting. Leave a Comment
Today I met the Tiger Mother. I booked Amy Chua, author of the Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother on a show that I currently produce. Chua’s book chronicles her journey of raising her daughters the traditional Chinese way. She had mixed success with making her daughters practice the piano of minimum of two hours a day and not allowing them play dates or slumber parties. First, let me say that she was intense, charming and too tiny to appear to be anyone’s task master.
The challenge with preparing the interview with Chua was that she has already been interviewed almost anywhere you turn – on television, on radio and in print. Her book and the reports about her book have drawn ire from some parents and praises from others. The critics are much louder than her supporters. It seems that they have sent her on a back-to-back damage control media tour. She’s been accused of being a callous and tyrannically to her kids, of being condescending to western parents and of back peddling by trying to explain some of the harsher moments in her book away.
My job was to find a line of questioning that both addressed the controversy surrounding Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother but also to compose questions that would elicit answers that viewers had not heard before. In other words, my job was to make the interview fresh. The questions had to be approved by my supervisor and asked by the host. We had the luxury of a half-hour show so we could go deeper than just discussing the headlines.
I felt for Chua. I think a lot of what she has to say makes a lot of sense. As a parent, I sometimes push my kids to do things that they don’t want to do or don’t think they can do. I agree with Chua that some western parents think that to build a child’s self-esteem, you have to cater to that child’s ever whim. I don’t agree with her making her children practice a song without a bathroom break or something to drink until they got it right. But the interview wasn’t about me. I wasn’t even the one doing the interviewing.
After reading the book, digesting existing reviews and watching countless interviews, I noticed that few people, if any, were asking Chua about her day-to-day life. Spending all that time drilling her kids couldn’t have been easy. What was her daily schedule like? Few people asked her about her previous two international policy books and how they related to her memoire. What were some common cultural insights in all of them? I tried to put the book on a broader scope, to find out what, other than the controversy about her tough love, could we learn from her and her work. I feel the question covered a nice range and that the host did a good job making the conversation flow naturally and seamlessly.
Working with authors and literature is one of the best parts of what I do as a producer. It is always difficult to find the line between not repeating what has already been covered, respecting the author, and asking the probing questions. In the case of Amy Chua and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, the production staff was happy with the interview. Chua and her publisher seemed pleased as well. Now it’s time to wait and see what the viewers think.
29
Oct
Posted by docsandtv in Documentary & Television Reviews, Opinions. Tagged: documentary, education, elementary, film, public schools, review, students. school systems, waiting for superman. Leave a Comment
Our American school system is broken and has been for a long time. It’s been that way for so long that so many of us have gotten used to it and have stopped looking for solutions. Do workable solutions even exist?
Waiting For Superman is a documentary that puts five faces on the issue of public education as it follows five students in Washington DC, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco who are all striving for academic achievement despite school and school system apathy. As a mother of a kindergartener and a Washington, DC area resident, this film was particularly timely for me. I was already familiar with some of the educational giants that served as the films experts. Former DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee was in the local news almost daily as she tried to overhaul the DC public schools. Geoffrey Canada, CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, has received many national awards. The KIPP Schools have been cited in numerous books and articles. But somehow seeing how bad schools affect individual children really broke my heart.
The five children profiled in Waiting For Superman each had parents and guardians that were invested in their academic futures. Their kids were not being served by their current schools and they had identified magnet or charter schools that would offer their children better educational opportunities. The film did a good job of allowing the viewer to get to know and care about the students. Each student’s story culminated with a school lottery drawing where names were pulled from a hat or plucked from a bingo basket. The lucky winners gained entry into the much sought after schools. The odds for winning a spot were in themselves depressing – 10 out of 135, 110 out of 455, and 35 out of 767. I held my breath while watching the families wait to hear if their name or number was called.
This film is part documentary and part essay. It doesn’t really follow action as it unfolds but rather presents interviews and cartoon graphics to make a specific point. There is nothing wrong with making a point and Waiting For Superman is not so heavy handed as to give the feeling of forcing an agenda.
What Waiting For Superman didn’t address was parental involvement. The movie points out many disturbing facts about the failure of our schools and school systems. For example, most teachers are tenured regardless of their ability to teach and can’t be fired. Most students are placed on an academic track that they rarely break out of. However, while good schools and teachers have a tremendous impact on how much a child learns, it is the partnership between schools and parents that give the kids the best chance possible of academic success. The children highlighted in this film were going through such heart wrenching school lottery experiences precisely because someone at home cared enough to make sure those kids got the very best their school systems have to offer. But what if no one at home cared?
I am always excited when documentary films that present a problem also give tangible steps toward change. In this case, Waiting For Superman explored why some model public schools are successfully teaching our children while others are not. The website has lots of helpful steps and links that anyone interested can easily follow as well as additional information about the film. I suggest that you visit it even if you don’t watch the film: http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/synopsis.
I am lucky that I live in a time and place where my kids will feed into a very good elementary school. Waiting for Superman has pointed out that all kids should have this opportunity and that there, but for the grace of God, go I.
11
Oct
Posted by docsandtv in Documentary & Television Reviews, Opinions. Tagged: adult oversight, Alain Chabat, babble, babies, Bayarjargal, coo, documentary, Hattie, healthy toddlers, interivew bite, Japan, language, Mari, mini-doc, Mongolia, movie, Namibia, on-demand, outdoor activities, parenting, Ponijao, San Francisco, Thomas Balmés, toddlers, voice over. Leave a Comment
Baby butts are really funny. That is one thing I took from the documentary Babies, directed by Thomas Balmés and produced by Alain Chabat. Babies simultaneously chronicle the lives for four babies from different parts of the world from their “first breaths through their first steps.” The babies are Ponijao in Namibia; Bayarjargal in Mongolia; Mari in Tokyo, Japan; and Hattie in San Francisco.
Babies is so beautiful and so adorable that you can watch it just for the eye candy. But by placing these four babies side by side during the same stages of development, we see just how similar babies are although their cultures and surroundings are vastly different. While Nattie in San Francisco attends a play group that sings about honoring mother earth, Ponijao in Namibia is rolling around in the dirt tasting rocks. While Mari in Japan is scared of the animals at the zoo, Bayarjargal in Mongolia is feeding the goats in his yard. Yet they all get frustrated when things don’t go their way and they all coo when their mothers talk to them in high pitched, monosyllabic banter.
Balmés and Chabat do a good job of making the mundane things that babies do entralling. Perhaps watching Mari learn how to put a stick through a shape wouldn’t be as interesting if she wasn’t presented next to Ponijao learning how to balance a can on her head. A baby’s ride home from the hospital for the first times sounds pretty uneventful. But when Bayarjargal’s mother takes him home tightly bundled and on the back of her husband’s motorcycle, it is striking to see just how relaxed the rules are in some places regarding babies and transportation.
Babies manages to be engaging and insightful all without a single interview bite or voice over line. And it doesn’t need it. No matter what languages the parents speak in, babies’ babble is universally cute. The pace of this film is patient and the cuts minimal – allowing the viewer to really see the babies’ thought processes unfold. I missed this movie in theaters (I was busy tending to my own babies at the time). But the On-Demand version did not disappoint. It featured a “where are they now” mini-doc at the end of the movie in which the director returned to show the stars (now four years old) and their families the final versions of the film. Despite their differences in family structure, abode structures, adult oversight and outdoor activity, they all turned out to be happy, healthy toddlers.
9
Jul
Posted by docsandtv in Documentary & Television Reviews, Opinions. Tagged: 30 for 30, andres escobar, archival footage, characters, Colombia, documentary, drug lord, ESPN, footage, good versus evil, Jeff Zimbalist, machismo, Michael Zimbalist, morality, national team, pablo escobar, review, soccer, story telling, The Two Escobars, world cup. Leave a Comment
A not-so-funny joke is repeated every World Cup season since 1994 about players who made mistakes during games by people who only read sports headlines. “That guy better be careful. He might go home and get killed.” The people making this joke don’t know who it was that was murdered (Andrés Escobar) or what country he was from (Colombia). They were questions that I, myself, kept forgetting to ask.
A relative new comer to international soccer competitions, I recently asked my husband “whatever happened to the Colombian national team?” I remember footage of their bright uniforms, colorful play and wild hair. My questions were soon answered by the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary called The Two Escobars directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist.
The Two Escobars follows the rapid rise and demise of the Colombian national soccer team in the 80’s and 90’s through the lives of its hero – Andrés Escobar and its patron – Pablo Escobar. This documentary has all the elements of classic story telling: complex characters, rags to riches stardom and good versus evil. The interviews with former players, family members and politicians are compelling in both content and composition. The archival footage is vast. It almost seems as if the past footage was shot with the knowledge that this documentary would one day be produced. Not once did I think “they don’t have anything to cover this with.”
Pablo Escobar is depicted as a modern day Robin Hood – a poor boy that made riches by becoming a drug lord but sharing his ill-begotten wealth with poor citizens from Colombia. He reconstructed homes in a fire ravaged barrio and built soccer fields for neighborhoods and schools. It was his sponsorship of one of the national teams that allowed them to jettisons them to the top ranks of world soccer. While watching this film, I was rooting for him as much as I was rooting against him.
Andrés Escobar was a member of that team. He was uncomfortable with the drug connections but relished being a role model for young people. He became the team captain and used his money and position to help at-risk youth. At a time when Colombia was suffering from the highest murder rate in the world, he became a symbol of hope and achievement. It was easy to root for Andrés.
When the demise of both Escobars unfolds, we understand why. For Pablo, it wasn’t just the Colombian government with the help of the Americans that finally got the best of him. He was killed by the only person who could kill him, a former friend and rival drug lord. And it wasn’t just an angry fan that killed Andrés after his own-goal that knocked the Colombian team out of the world cup. It was a thug from the same rival gang that killed Pablo – a thug with a mammoth machismo attitude and perhaps too much to drink. With the death of the two Escobars, Colombian soccer sunk back into oblivion even more quickly than it had risen.
In the end, The Two Escobars not only taught me about Colombian soccer and history but reminded me that there are at least three sides to every story, that good is not always all good and that evil is not always without morality. It is ultimately a sad story and supremely human. Mostly, it pointed out that any death, but especially that of someone who held the hopes and dreams of his country, is just not good fodder for a joke.
2
Feb
Posted by docsandtv in Documentary & Television Reviews, Opinions. Tagged: breeding facility, capitalism, chicken, corn fed, corporate contributions, documentary, E Coli, environment, farmers, feeding family, film, food inc., food industry, food labels, genetically modified, healthy food, lives stock, mafia, nutrition, Oprah, political campaigns, producers, review, sharecropping, soybean, Stoneyfield, subsidized, supreme court, undercover seeds, yogurt. Leave a Comment
I watched Food Inc. in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to strike restrictions of corporate contribution to political campaigns. Already feeling that the hand of corporate American had too much control on my personal life, I almost abandoned the film early and to let my husband finish watching it alone. I’m glad that I didn’t.
Food Inc. is a good example of a documentary that takes sides without ramming an agenda down the viewers’ throats. It set out to show how the food industry is controlled by a small amount of corporations who have sacrificed nutrition, safety and ethics when it comes to animals, workers, products, consumers and environment. Food Inc. refrained from using fringe examples to make an extreme point. Instead, the producers were able to find several people with the same story to support a stance. For example, there were several different chicken and soybean farmers to who were being squeezed by their one corporate client by sharecropping and mafia tactics. “You want to sell chickens to us? Then you must borrow money from us every year to make technical upgrades that you will never be able to pay off.” The soybean farmers were routinely followed by undercover seed agents to make sure they were not “cleaning their own seeds.”
Food Inc. had its fair share of scary yet revealing moments. I knew that live stock is often herded together in quarters that are inhumanely close. But I was surprised to learn that cows are fed corn because it is cheap even though they can’t digest corn very well. The results of undigested food can lead to E Coli. The cows are fed corn because the crops are subsidized to such a low level that it costs pennies to feed the cows thereby allowing the beef corporations to make the biggest profits possible. If you follow the trail of corn, it will take you to chicken breeding facilities, genetically modified foods and thug-like control over criticism of the industry and its products. Remember the beef industry lawsuit against Oprah Winfrey?
An hour into the movie and I was feeling enlightened but was on my way to complete depression about the times in which we live. That’s when Food Inc. threw me a glimmer of hope by way of the Stoneyfield Farm yogurt company. I eat Stoneyfield. I feed it to my kids. What a relief to know that I have been supporting a company whose mandate it is to produce healthy food, ethically, that is good for the environment and is a capitalism success story.
When the film ended, I was feeling that the very bumpy journey had been worth it. I admit that I have a soft spot for socially conscious documentaries that invite the viewer to join the struggle with specific suggestions. Food Inc. did not disappoint me. After the images faded to black, a list of simple tips were offered. Easy things like “read food labels” and “cook with your family” are simple but can have big affects on families as well as the food industry. The next morning, my husband and I spent ten extra minutes in the grocery store attentively labels while conscientiously choosing our food.
18
Jan
Posted by docsandtv in How To's, Opinions, Television Freelancing, Television Production, Writing for Television. Tagged: cliche, copy, creative process, dance, deadline, documentary, draft, film, freelance, interview, jet lag, producer, San Francisco, script, Television Production, word flow, writer, writer's block, writing tips. Leave a Comment
I am currently on a shoot in San Francisco. I’m primarily here to conduct interviews and tape B-roll for a series of short videos. In an effort to complete another project due at the end of the week, I am writing scripts in my “downtime.”
I have nothing against San Francisco, but I am jet lagged, miss my family, had to change rooms at 2:30 in the morning because of water dripping from the ceiling onto my bed and, if I may be blunt, my gastronomic system is a little backed up. None of this has put me in the mood to come up with pithy and energetic host script copy. So what to do?
I’ve devised a few tactics over the years to help me continue writing even when I really don’t want to. A deadline is a deadline. So it’s handy to have a cadre of tricks to help bust through that block when necessary.
- Dance to fast music – This is my number one, go-to block buster. I put on one song with a driving beat, sing loudly and dance passionately. For me, this is a shortcut to meeting my muse because I totally leave the writing behind for 5-minutes and come back refreshed and energized.
- Take a chore break – If I am at home, I find it helpful to work on rhythmic activities like washing dishes or folding clothes while my sub-conscious works on the work. I almost always come up with an exciting breakthrough this way. If I am in an office, I might clean my desk or do some filing, anything to keep my hands busy but my mind free.
- Walk away from the writing – Get out and take a walk. This is another way to get the blood pumping and the words flowing.
- Go over the top – Write wild and crazy, over the top stuff. Try alliterations or some rapping and rhyming. It’s fun and you just might come up with ideas that make the final draft.
- Check out a list of clichés – If I am having difficulty with a subject matter, I often look up a list of clichés on the internet. Yes they are staid but they can also be entertaining. And even better yet, they can help me get a grasp on concepts in a focused and fun way.
- Get help – I have a couple of producer friends that I can call or email with a problem section and they help me work it out with a fresh eye. I do the same for them. It’s kind of like having a writing elf. And let’s face it, two heads are better than one.
In this particular San Francisco block, I’ve elected to write something else, something that I know would flow – this blog. It’s been fun and I’m feeling ramped up to continue the writing-for-hire. If you have any other tricks let me know. I’ll post them and maybe try them next time. Happy writing!
12
Nov
Posted by docsandtv in How To's, Opinions, Television Freelancing. Tagged: balance, blog, blogging, busy moms, career, career development, children, contract, daddy, daughter, daycare, demands, dinner, editor, enbironment, family, family friend companies, freelance, friends, gig, goal group, guilt, hand-me-downs, high school, home life, hometown, industry, job, job sharing, kids, media, mentor, mom, motherhood, mothers, nanny, play date, potty training, producer, production, resume, son, stress, super mom, support system, television, TV moms, wife, WIFV, women in film and video, work experience, working, working from home, young. Leave a Comment
As my own mother puts it, “Motherhood is more than a notion.” The demands, intensity and rewards are talked about, blogged about and dramatized in fiction. With the non-stop schedules and sometime infantile personalities, television production work can be just as challenging. Put the two together, and you may have a recipe of serious stress.
How can TV Moms balance the demands of the family they love with the career they love (or at least find themselves in)? I recently took part as a panelist in a discussion about motherhood and production hosted by the Washington, DC area Woman in Television and Film association to discuss that very question. We shared some tips to help juggle it all.
- Give up the notion of Super Mom. There is no such thing. We are all Super Moms if we are loving and attentive to the needs of our family. But this does not mean we are perfect. I once sent my daughter to daycare in two left shoes. It’s a long story. The point is, she survived and doesn’t even remember it. At the time of writing this article, I am feeling pretty good about my children’s development and my career development. Just don’t look in my car – it’s disgustingly dirty. And it’s not because of me that our floors are fit to eat off of. Thank God for Daddy!
- Join a TV Mom’s support group or start your own. An editor friend and I decided to have TV Moms play date. We invite other mothers in the industry to bring their kids, hand-me-downs and resumes. It’s fun and rejuvenating. Plus I may have just gotten a gig because of one. I also started a Goal Group with some Super Mom friends of mine. We get together once a week, sometime via telephone, to set goals and hold each other accountable. That’s how I finally got this blog site off the ground!
- Get a mentor. No matter how far along you are in your career, there is always someone who has had more experience. Perhaps it is in production or perhaps it is in being a working mom. Perhaps it is in an area of production that you’ve never explored. It doesn’t matter if they are younger or older, man or woman. It is just nice to have a “go to” person who can help you navigate your career. My mentor is a single mom and an industry heavy-hitter. She has given me helpful advice over the years and priceless job recommendations that have resulted in gigs.
- Research family friendly companies. If you are working in a situation that is not compatible with your family life, research other options. It may take awhile but it is possible to change your job environment.
- Craft a support system. I am lucky to leave in my hometown with a number of family and friends that I can call on if I have to work late or travel. If you can afford in-home help, consider getting a nanny while the children are young. As the saying goes, “what all working women need is a wife.”
- Search out flexible opportunities. Perhaps job sharing or working from home is an option for you. If not, perhaps you can work through your lunch break Monday thought Thursday and work a half day on Fridays. For two years, I searched for a work from home situation. I didn’t give up and have been working from home for the last 6 months. This round of working from home may not last forever but I’ll keep searching for something permanent.
Don’t forget that you are not alone. All TV Mom have moments when they feel that they are not doing a good job at home or at work. The trick is to keep these moments to a minimum and not let them get you down. Every once in awhile, that guilt monster tries to jump up on me. But when I look at my children, I see that they are doing well, growing strong and enjoying life. It’s okay if we miss our swim play date this time. No one will fail to graduate high school if we put off potty training a couple of weeks until Mommy finishes shooting that news special. And it’s okay if the kids have oatmeal and broccoli for dinner once in awhile. In fact, they like it. Just keep doing the best that you can and believe it or not, your best is good enough.
