Mothers & More Members attend National Conference Mothers from across the Nation gather to proclaim "Motherhood is Powerful" The Gazette-Mail Metro of Charleston, West Virginia, Monday November 5, 2001

Lori Dubrawka and Laura Pullin, both of Charleston and members of the Charleston Chapter of Mothers & More, participated in the first Mothers & More National Conference, held October 19-21 at the Hyatt Regency Woodfield in Chicago.

Hundreds of mothers from all over the US gathered as Mothers & More hosted its first national conference. The event, with the theme, "Motherhood is Powerful: Celebrating Our Selves, Our Families and Our Future," provided women from across the country the opportunity to attend valuable workshops, network with peers, and discover new ways to enrich the mothering experience.

Dubrawka found the event validating in many ways. "I have attended many professional reading specialist conferences before I had my son. Since I interrupted that career five years ago, there has not been a conference that recognized motherhood as a relevant topic for a national conference until this year. It was an opportunity to discuss public policy

that affects women and children with women from across the country."

Featured speakers at the conference included authors Anne Crittenden and Joan Williams. Nationally renowned, Crittendon discussed the power of motherhood and other themes from her book, The Price of Motherhood: Why The Most Important Job In The World Is Still The Least Valued. Williams addressed the conflicts facing mothers regarding family work and paid work and shared her ideas for expanding the choices mothers have in combining paid work and caring for children. She is the author of Unbending Gender: Why Family and Work Conflict and What To Do About It.

A highlight of the conference was a performance by internationally acclaimed Mom’s The Word. This group of six moms performed a series of laugh-filled and tearful anecdotes and confessions of motherhood. In addition, Mothers & More founder Joanne Brundage addressed the group in her talk, "We Hold The Future In Our Hands".

Participants chose from over 30 workshops geared toward the challenges and lifestyle changes that come during the active parent years. Topics included financial planning, helping children to succeed in school, positive discipline techniques, and tips for successful re-entry into the workforce such as fashion tips and resume polishing.

Dubrawka said, "One advocacy breakout session compared universal preschool systems in Europe with our current system here in the US, discussing accessibility issues and others. Another workshop compared duration and compensation for childbirth related leave policies in the US and 10 other developed countries. Being able to look at these issues with one another was invigorating and refreshing. This conference recognized that sequencing, or stay-at-home mothers, crave an opportunity to talk about substantive issues that affect women and families."

On Saturday night conference participants went to downtown Chicago to relax, unwind, and experience some of the nightlife that the "Windy City" has to offer.

"This weekend found me sharing the universal humor, joy, tears and fears of motherhood validating my work and encouraging me to serve as an advocate in the value and power of taking time out from the "work force" to raise my children," said Pullin.

Mothers & More is a national, not for profit support and advocacy organization for sequencing women–mothers who have left the full-time paid workforce to raise their children at home. The group was created to support all women dealing with transitions between paid employment and at-home motherhood. Members respect, support, and advocate flexibility and choice in combining parenting and work. Founded in the Chicago area in 1987, the organization has more than 6,000 members nationwide.

For more information about Mothers & More, visit our website at http://www.mothersandmore.org or contact Amy Weintraub at 343-9027 or via email at amyw@charter.net.