by World Moms Blog | Nov 12, 2011 | Health, Motherhood, Saturday Sidebar, World Moms Blog
Pneumonia is the biggest most solvable global health problem affecting children. And every 20 seconds a child in the world dies from pneumonia, according to Dr. Orin Levine of the International Vaccine Access Center of Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Levine also says that the most cost effective way to prevent death by pneumonia for the world’s children is by vaccination programs such as the ones that the administers in developing countries.
So, in honor of World Pneumonia Day today, the World Moms Blog writers are discussing their personal experiences with vaccinations in today’s Saturday Sidebar.
How do you feel about vaccinating your children?
Twin Mom in Pennsylvania, USA says:
“At 8 weeks old, my daughter spent 10 days in the hospital because of Rotavirus (Rotavirus along with pneumonia is a leading cause of death of children under 5 years old in the world according to the GAVI Alliance)…I am also curious if any efforts are spent educating parents that truly feel vaccinations cause more harm than good – I was approached by a mom when my kids were very little … She was attempting to convince me not to vaccinate my girls…. Didn’t go over well!”
Kirsten Kolb in Switzerland explains:
“My blood pressure rises each time the topic of vaccinations comes up, (more…)
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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by Ruth | Nov 10, 2011 | Education, Motherhood, Ruth Wong, Singapore, Working Mother, World Interviews, World Moms Blog Writer Interview
Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?
I was born and raised in Singapore, a tiny island 137 kilometres north of the equator. I’ve lived here all my life. The only time I’ve stayed abroad for an extended period was when I worked in China.
What language(s) do you speak?
I speak English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
When did you first become a mother?
I became a mom in January 2010 and I’m so blessed that my son and I share the same birthday!
Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you work?
I’m a work-at-home mom (WAHM). I was previously a human resource professional. Even before I got pregnant, I already knew I wanted to be a WAHM. I also wanted to pursue something that I love doing. So I quit my job and started freelance writing and translation. I became a mom about two years later. In Singapore, most women continue working full-time after having a child, part of the reason is the high cost of living. So I feel very blessed to have a (more…)
Ruth lives in Singapore, a tiny island 137 kilometres north of the equator. After graduating from university, she worked as a medical social worker for a few years before making a switch to HR and worked in various industries such as retail, banking and manufacturing. In spite of the invaluable skills and experiences she had gained during those years, she never felt truly happy or satisfied. It was only when she embarked on a journey to rediscover her strengths and passion that this part of her life was transformed. Today, Ruth is living her dreams as a writer. Ironically, she loves what she does so much that at one point, she even thought that becoming a mom would hinder her career. Thanks to her husband’s gentle persuasions, she now realises what joy she would have missed out had she not changed her mind. She is now a happy WAHM. Ruth launched MomME Circle, a resource site to support and inspire moms to create a life and business they love. She has a personal blog Mommy Café where she writes about her son's growing up and shares her interests such as food and photography.
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by Jennifer Burden | Nov 9, 2011 | Being Thankful, Motherhood, Social Good, World Moms Blog, World Voice
Who are the three people closest to you whom you can count on? The people who would at the drop of a dime help you out?
Like, you’re calling from an international prison, and they don’t even ask what you did before they are already trying to bail you out? THOSE kind of THREE.
The people you can count on. The ones that in a bind will watch your kids. The ones that will lend you a half cup of sugar when you really need it.
Maybe it’s your husband, your sister and your college roommate. Maybe it’s your grown daughter, your best friend or the lady who knows you so well at the library from all of those book holds you place.
Maybe it’s your ex-lover (ooh, scandalous!), (more…)
Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India.
She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls.
Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.
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by Kristen | Nov 8, 2011 | Family Travel, Motherhood, Parenting, Switzerland, Travel, World Interviews, World Moms Blog Writer Interview, Writing
Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?
I currently live in Bern, Switzerland. I am originally from the United States. I was born in New York, hopped around to Ohio, Thailand, Malaysia, Michigan and then landed in Texas where I now say I’m “from”. As my family settled down in Texas I married a man, who is on a mission to see the world. Our adventures have taken us to Washington, D.C., Bogotá, Colombia and now on to Bern, Switzerland.
What language(s) do you speak?
I speak English. And also “survival Spanish”…you know the kind with really bad grammar that gets you through the grocery store and across town in a taxi but won’t earn you the respect of linguists! I must admit, though, that while living in Bogota my survival Spanish got us faster service sometimes than my (more…)
Kristen is a stay-at-home to two little boys, Jackson (4 yrs) and Owen (nearly 2 yrs). She was born in New York, but eventually made her way down to Texas. She and her husband, Seth, met in Dallas and were married in December 2005. Nine months into their marriage Seth received a call that he had landed his dream job, one catch, it involved world wide assignment. The adventure took them from Texas to Washington, D.C., on to Bogotá, Colombia and then back to Washington, D.C before bringing them to Bern, Switzerland! Kristen and her family have currently lived in Bern for more than 1 year, where her husband works for the US Department of State. Four moves and 2 children in nearly 6 years of marriage have made for quite the adventure in motherhood! Kristen finds motherhood to be one of the most humbling and character building things she has ever experienced. The responsibility of raising boys with integrity and respect at times feels daunting, but she couldn’t imagine doing anything else!
Kristen is a Speech Language Pathologist but has taken time away from working to focus on her family. Although she enjoys the travel and adventure involved in her husband’s career, she often finds herself feeling far from home and working to make the most of time abroad!
On her blog, Seasons Worth Savoring, Kristen writes about daily life with two little boys, including her experiences as she navigates a foreign culture and walks by faith. In her free time, or rather in her busy time with two boys attached to her legs, Kristen enjoys cooking, photography, antique and thrift store shopping, working on crafts, and blogging.
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by World Moms Blog | Nov 6, 2011 | Canada, Oceania, Ruth Wong, Singapore, Switzerland, Tara B., USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary
Did you enjoy reading about different cultures of parenting in our Link-up last week? Thanks to everyone who participated! Now, let’s get ready for another exciting week!
On Monday, we will be in Arkansas, welcoming back Margie Bryant, who had to take a break for a while. Margie tells us about her mother, who has overcome many hardships in her life and sounds like a pretty amazing person!
On Tuesday we head out to California to hear from Angela Y. In a post that reminds us why moms really are super-heroes, she gives an account of a day in the life of a mom – all before 9:00 a.m.!
On Wednesday, we will be in Washington talking about religion! Tara B. talks about the role religion plays in her life, and what influence she sees it having on her children as they grow up.
On Thursday, grab your passport, because we’re off to Australia! Fiona at Inspiration To Dream ponders the question of whether we sometimes over-parent our kids? Are we equipping them to fight their battles and deal with some of life’s less pleasant aspects? Or are we wrapping them in cotton wool to their detriment?
And on Friday, we will be traveling to Canada to hear from Kirsten Doyle, who writes a special post for Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in the United States). Kirsten takes the role of veterans in our society very seriously, and talks about the importance of preserving history for our children.
We have lots of extras this week! On Monday, World Moms Blog founder Jennifer Burden will post a link to a post on By Word Of Mouth Musings, and on Wednesday evening she will share with us a social good post for the Million Moms Challenge.
In writer interviews this week, we will hear from Kristen Kolb of Switzerland on Tuesday, and Ruth Wong from Singapore on Thursday.
This week, we will have a special edition of the Saturday Sidebar dedicated to World Pneumonia Day.
In other news this week, scheduling editor Kirsten Doyle’s blog has been nominated as one of the Top 25 Canadian Mom Blogs! To help her win a place in the top 25, you can vote for her once every 24 hours until November 17th.
— World Moms Blog
Our World Moms Blog logo was designed by the creative Erica Joyner Designs in Virginia, USA.
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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by World Moms Blog | Nov 5, 2011 | Babies, Blogiversary, Breastfeeding, Eva Fannon, Family, Friday Question, India, Kids, Motherhood, Norway, Parenting, Saturday Sidebar, Tara B., The Alchemist, World Moms Blog
Since we celebrated World Moms Blog’s 1st Blogiversary this week, Jen Burden, our founder, asked,
“What has been your favorite moment so far on World Moms Blog?”
The Alchemist of India writes:
“I got my first paid writers’ job after my employer read my first post at World Moms Blog. It was India: In the eyeglasses of the beholder.
I have come a long way from there. I got two editing offers after someone checked out my posts at WMB and another site (Awesome Cuisine). These have been some “Awww, is it me?” moments. The power of affirmations, like Jen mentioned in the Blogiversary post.
I have especially liked Dr. Jeanelle’s post on taking time out for oneself as a mom, and about the emotions when the child leaves the nest. That is one great post and mothers have to always be cautious about their individual identity. I always had that in mind and her post reinstated the same.” (more…)
World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
World Moms Blog was listed by Forbes Woman as one of the "Best 100 Websites for Women 2012 & 2013" and also called a "must read" by the NY Times Motherlode in 2013. Our Senior Editor in India, Purnima Ramakrishnan, was awarded the BlogHer International Activist Award in 2013.
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Pneumonia is the biggest most solvable global health problem affecting children. And every 20 seconds a child in the world dies from pneumonia, according to Dr. Orin Levine of the International Vaccine Access Center of Johns Hopkins University.
