Stay at Home vs Working Mothers Essay Example for Free

Stay at Home vs Working Mothers Essay I have been fortunate enough to experience being both a stay at home mom and a work away from home mom. Currently there is a societal debate on which approach raises a healthier and better adjusted child. On that I cannot comment as I have not yet raised a child to adulthood, but having my own mixed feelings on this topic I can clearly see the vast differences to each method. Does working away from home make a more secure and adaptable child? Does staying home form a stronger bond? Does working away from home leave a child to be raised by a daycare provider with different values than your own? Does staying at home compromise social skills and personality? These are the questions that most parents face when they are trying to balance raising a happy and healthy family with paying bills and providing adequate food and shelter. Is one choice really better than the other? I will attempt to use my humble experience to compare these two approaches, not in an effort to decide which the ideal is, but simply to point out what I see to be the differences between each. Each morning as I headed to work, I stopped off along the way to drop my child off at a carefully chosen home daycare facility. From day one, I was fortunate enough to have a child that was easy going enough to leave me for a few hours each day to learn and grow in an environment where learning was first and foremost. I’ve never had to deal with the crying and leg-clinging torture sessions that many children and parents go through almost every-single-day. As a new parent I agonized over the decision to go back to work and send my baby to daycare or stay home and live in poverty because I couldn’t bear the separation. I thought that I was doing my child a disservice by leaving her and creating an insecure environment. On the contrary, I felt that leaving her in the care of someone that I have carefully screened and interviewed has made her a more secure little being. She was secure knowing that mommy leaves her in the morning for a fun filled day of activities and story time and will come back every evening like clockwork to pick her up. She knows that I will always come back. Being a stay at home mom, with all its merits, doesn’t give a child the opportunity to experience his parents leaving and coming back. The routine is not a routine, mommy is always home and there s never a need to worry because she is there to immediately respond to every irrational need and desire. In this scenario a young child never has to experience separation or getting used to a different style of care. Sometimes while at work I get emotional; am I missing out on my little ones formative years? Is she missing out on a mommy that should be there with her at this crucial time? I am! She is! It is me who should be taking her to the park, teaching her to go down the slide and to not let go on the swing. Is she forming a stronger bond with her provider than with his own mommy? Is she feeling so comfortable at daycare that she is not comfortable at home?. Those stay at home moms no doubt have a different kind of bond that working moms don’t have. They are home all day every day to attend to each bump and scrape; to sleep train and potty train on their own terms with a consistency that will foster a strong, unbreakable bond. Oh, don’t get me wrong, working moms have strong bonds with their children too, but they are just following the instructions that someone else is leaving for them. There are six things to consider when deciding whether or not to go back to work or to stay at home with your child or children. They are as follows: 1. Money- Consulting with a financial planner would help you to make a responsible decision because it is important that you are able to afford to stay home if that is your decision. 2. Personal Preference-It is crucial that you understand your own feelings concerning staying at home vs. going back to work because these feelings will affect your children’s lives. 3. Your Significant Other-Your partner’s support in your decision is important and crucial. 4. Social Network- Find a group of friends who are doing the same thing you are doing.  This will be a circle of friends who will provide you with a huge amount of support. 5. Career Workplace-How family friendly is your workplace and your boss? 6. Culture- Think about how your family has raised all the children in the past. How will you let family tradition influence your decision? Above all, it is important to remember that Mother is not spelled p-e-r-f-e-c-t-i-o-n. All our children ask us to do is love them and take care of them. Working vs. staying at home is a decision that you have to make for your whole family keeping everything above in mind. For now, from my stand point there is no right or wrong answer, responsible parents do what they need to do to take care of their children. In this day and this economy being able to stay at home is a luxury and it may not always be the best option. And while being a working mom has definite emotional drawbacks it has strong arguments for being a healthy alternative. In any event there is no reason for one side to bash the other. Either can work if you allow it to . If parents provide love, comfort and security and plenty of quality time, we can be sure that this generation will be just fine.

College Costs :: essays research papers

Beyond Sticker Shock - Extracurricular College Costs You've probably already calculated tuition bills and costs for room and board. Yet the hidden costs of college — from pizza to airfare, from library fines to laundry money — can easily add up to another $2,000 per year. To get a handle on those extras, you'll want to put together a monthly budget that estimates your costs. Be sure to include: Books: Book costs vary widely, depending on your courses. Call your bookstore to get early warning of book prices for your various classes. Transportation and travel: If you commute, figure in car insurance, gas and parking fees. Some colleges offer free parking, while others may charge up to $100 for a permit. Don't forget to include the cost of holiday travel. Often you can cut these costs by carpooling or shopping around for special saver or student rates on airfare. General food: Dorm dwellers may have a pre-paid college cafeteria plan, while students living off-campus will pay their food bills on a weekly basis. Either way, it's good to figure out how much you'll spend at the grocery store and in restaurants. Appliances and utilities: Apartment dwellers usually have utility bills: gas, electric, heat and water. On-campus students face different charges: mini-refrigerator rental fees, for example, can range from $35 to $120. To limit phone bills, consider getting a pre-paid phone card with a set amount of calling time to limit long-winded and expensive phone calls. For staying in touch on the cheap, see if your school offers free Internet access and e-mail. Personal supplies: Remember when things like soap, toilet paper, makeup and laundry detergent were just there? It's easy to forget these when you're planning your budget, but they add up. Washing your clothes at a coin laundromat, for example, will run you $1 to $2 per load per week. Fraternity or sorority dues: Charges vary widely, depending on the school and chapter. Budget $30 per month minimum, although $50 fees and more are likely. However, Greek life can have an upside; if you live in a house, the dues sometimes cover extras like laundry, social activities and access to a computer lab. Printing, copy and computer costs: Stock up on printer paper and floppy discs at a discount store before the school year starts (on-campus supply stores often charge many times the going rate). You'll not only save money, you'll avoid last-minute exam week supply crises.

Public Speaking Essay

PUBLIC SPEAKING INTRODUCTION When we heard the word, ‘public speaking’, what came to mind is standing in front of a crowded room packed with people and talking to them. The image alone sometimes create an enormous effect on most people, causing nervousness, and maybe even fear. Before we jump to that, let’s look at the definition of the word itself. According to Merriam Webster online dictionary, the words Public Speaking has a meaning of â€Å"the act or process of making speeches in public,† or â€Å"the art of effective oral communication with an audience.† Next, what is an audience? An audience is defined as â€Å"a group of listeners or spectators.† From the definitions, we can draw a conclusion that in public speaking, there is an act of both speaking and listening. So what differentiates public speaking from a conversation? While both public speaking and conversation involves a direct and face-to-face encounter, usually public speaking is more of a ‘one-wayâ €™ talking. Although nowadays most speakers claim that they want an interactive session, but usually the audience is given a specific time to do so. Next, in terms of language, public speaking uses a formal language. Because they are speaking in front of a group of people, speakers need to adress their audience in a more formal way. Third, and most importantly, public speaking needs to be structured. They need to have a tight grasp on their topic and do their research thoroughly. The reason the topic ‘Public Speaking’ is chosen is because it is something that everyone needs to do at some point of their lives. It is also based on the In conclusion, public speaking can be defined as the act of making a speech in front of a group of listeners, and is different from conversation in terms of approach, language, and structure. TYPES OF PUBLIC SPEAKING Naomi Rockler-Gladen, a former professor at Colorado State University, wrote on the website suite101 that there are three types of public speaking; informative, persuasive, and ceremonial. These types also defines the purposes, or the reasons the speech is made. More details on the three types of public speaking will be explained below. The first type, informative. Informative has the meaning of giving information, to inform. An informative speech has a purpose to inform, or give knowlegde to its audience about  something that they probably did not know of before. The end goal of an informative speech would be to equip the audience with a brand new knowledge that they can apply to a particular aspect of their lives. The important thing to watch about giving an informative speech is to not put in too much information. Imagine an empty bucket being filled with water. If being filled with too much water then the water will leak out for sure. The same thing applies to the audience. The ‘leaking’ must be avoided at all costs, so the information has to be kept simple, yet useful. The second type is persuasive speech. A speaker giving a persuasive speech needs to be able to persuade the audience to do, or believe in something. Usually, the speaker would try to change the mindset, perception, or behavior of the audience for their own good. Giving an informative speech is not an easy thing to do. The speaker needs to be really passionate about the cause they’re giving, in order to convince and persuade the audience to follow suit. The second thing that can be done is to look for common ground with the audience, try to relate to what they might agree on. Third, try to aim for a smaller scope of issue for a start. As mentioned before, a speaker is given a time limit to deliver his or her speech, and it will not be easy to change one’s mind in such a short time. Third, and last type is a ceremonial speech. There are so many ceremonies in our li ves, starting from graduation, engagement, wedding, to funeral. Usually this kind of speech is given to congratulate, or in the case of a funeral, remembering the dearly departed. Thus, the given speech tends to be less formal and more personal than the other types of speeches. The important thing to watch about giving a ceremonial speech is to be appropriate. No matter how well you know the person you are giving speech about, try to not say bad things about them, even if it is meant to be a joke. The point here is to make them feel special, not to bring them down, especially in front of a large group of people. From the three types of speeches mentioned above, we can draw a conclusion that all kinds of speeches will have have to cause some kind of an effect for the audience. Informative speech needs to result in the audience understanding or knowing something they did not know before. Persuasive speech is aimed to change someone’s perspective about something or to ask them t o do something, and ceremonial speech should be more personal, and make someone feel special and included in a certain ceremony. PREPARING The key of perfecting anything is through practice, and public speaking is no exception. However, merely practicing will not be sufficient to have a successful public speaking. Aside from practicing, there are also several things that can be done to prepare oneself for the often-dreaded experience. The first thing is to know who the audience will be. Try to get as much information as possible regarding this particular area. Age, gender, cultural brackground, sexual orientation, and religious views are among the most crucial things that a speaker needs to know. These informations will be very helpful to the speakers to determine their style of speaking, the approach that they are going to use, and to avoid offending a particular group. There are three questions that needs to be kept in mind when working on the speech: To whom am I speaking? What do I want them to know, believe, or do as a result of my speech? What is the most effective way to composing and presenting my speech to acco mplish that aim? (Lucas, 2004). The next thing that can be identified is the venue. Knowing the ‘battlefield’ in advance will give the speakers a huge advantage. They would be able to plan beforehand, for example, where they want to stand, and if they wish to walk around, what pattern would be best so the audience will not get too distracted, and how they are going to face the audience. Every speakers need to have a tight grasp on their topics. Therefore, they need to do a thorough research before they present their topic to their audience, especially if they are giving an informative speech. Speakers can acquire their materials from many different resources, whether it be the books from the library, the internet, or even their own knowledge and experiences. At the end of every session, usually the audience are given the time to ask questions regarding the topic, and the speaker needs to be able to answer them. There are two words that most speakers always have with the m during their seminar or presentation; visual aids. They are usually in the form of a Power Point presentation, which can include texts, audios, and videos. The essence of having a visual aid, aside from making the presentation more interesing, is so that the audience can have a better understanding of the topic. Speakers can include the main points of each of their ideas instead of the whole sentence in their slides, to keep the audience from getting bored. Last, as  mentioned above, practice is necessary. Sparing some time to practice will help build confidence, which is an important thing to have in delivering a speech or presentation in public. It will also help determine the length of the presentation, whether it is too long or too short from the given time. From the explanations above, it can be concluded that there are five things that needs to be prepared in public speaking, which are; knowing the audience, identifying the venue, doing a thorough research on the topic, ha ving a visual aid, and practicing. These five elements of preparation could be the key to ensuring the success of public speaking. PRESENTING When all the preparation has been done, comes the real challege; presenting. There are a few aspects speakers need to pay attention to while giving their speech. Language is the main aspect a speaker needs to pay attention to while giving a speech. Whether their purpose is to inform or persuade, language is their tool, their weapon. Therefore, how the use the language is crucial to the success of their speech. Language needs to be used clearly. Words are not limited to a universal meaning, which means that not everyone interprets a word in the same meaning or understanding. A speaker needs to choose their words carefully and make it clear to the audience what they mean of it. Language also needs to be used appropriately. When giving a speech, audience looks up to the speaker to give them something new, something useful. Thus, the speaker needs to know how to deliver their speech to fulfill the audiences’ expectation. Audience tends to prefer if their speaker can deliver their speech without any form of notes or texts. Speaking from the memory shows a great deal of confidence, and that will gain more respect from the audience. However, there is no harm from getting help from notes or flashcards. This can help the speaker remember and focus on their main points, and also keep their speech organized. Language and delivery alone will not be sufficient if the speaker does not have the right body language. Body language includes personal appearance, movement, gesture, and eye contact. The phrase â€Å"don’t judge a book by its cover† is often heard but rarely practiced. First impression will always matter in the way one person looks at another, so a speaker needs to dress appropriately. The movement and gesture of a speaker also affects the audience, for  example, if the speaker keeps pacing around the room, it willl distract the audience from the topic and confuses them. Sometimes, when a speaker is feeling nervous, he or she will tend to make move their hands around or play with their hair, etc. This should be avoided at all costs, as mentioned above, to avoid making the audience feels distracted. Eye contact needs to be maintained to hold the audience. Lucas explained in his book that when speaking in front of a small audience, you can look briefly from one person to another, but in a larger audience, it is better to just scan through the audience rather than look at each person directly. It has been mentioned above that it is best if the speaker could prepare visual aids beforehand. While presenting a visual aid, the speaker needs to be clear, but by doing so, they also need to still be connected to the audience, and not be too immersed in their own visual aids. The visual aid itself should be made as large and as intersting as possible. While closing the speech or presentation, speakers can restate their main points, just to remind the audience of the important things that has been said. They can also end it with a s pecial message and encourage the audience to ask questions. Speaking in public is all about confidence. Wearing the right clothes, movements, gesture, maintaining eye contact, and having visual aids can enhance the speakers’ confidence, and in return, will gain the respect and trust from the audience. BBIBLIOGRAPHY Lucas, Stephen. The Art of Public Speaking. 8th ed. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill, 2004. Print. Osborn, Michael, and Suzanne Osborn. Public Speaking. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. Print. Rockler-Gladen, Naomi. â€Å"Public Speaking Class Tips: Writing Great Speeches for Your Speech Course | Suite101.com.† Naomi Rockler-Gladen | Suite101.com. 13 Jan. 2007. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. .

Humanities. Title What role does social class play in Pride Prejudice and Room at the Top Free Essay Example, 3000 words

Pride and Prejudice, in keeping with the society of its times, is set amidst the middle and upper classes of the English countryside. Most of the characters in the novel belong to the land owning class, who do not work and rely solely on their inherited property for their income and sustenance. However, among the landed classes also there are certain fine distinctions in terms of the volume of wealth owned by the members. For instance, the Bennetts are not as wealthy as the Bingleys or the Hursts, though they all belong to the landed class. The middle class Bennetts may be hanging out with the Bingleys and the Darrcys and the Hursts who belong to the upper class. But the former are clearly treated as inferiors by the latter and this is evident in their behavior and conversations. The novel gives a picture of the changing social setting of Britain in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century. It emulates the society of the prevailing times through its depiction of the characters’ concerns regarding wealth, status and property. Almost all of Austen’s novels illustrate the lives of the aristocrat section of the then-existing society which included both the landed gentry who owned vast stretches of land and the working professionals such as the clergy, lawyers and doctors who did not own any land. We will write a custom essay sample on Humanities. Title: What role does social class play in 'Pride & Prejudice' and 'Room at the Top' or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now By the end of the eighteenth century, industrialization and urbanization had set in. Despite this the influence of the landed gentry remained undeterred. The landed sections of the society, though few, continued to stick to their lands and further extend them through consolidation owing to traditional system of stringent laws of inheritance. The ownership rights of the lands in Britain thus remained concentrated in the hands of a few powerful members of the landed aristocratic class. Such enormous power and wealth of the landed class in England is represented in the novel through pictures of the huge countryside estates of Bingley and Darcy. Another feature that saw prevalence in the eighteenth and nineteenth-century in England was the practice of passing on one’s family property to sons or, in the absence of sons, to male relatives, instead of distributing it equally amongst all members of the family. This was a practice aimed at concentrat ing one’s wealth and expanding one’s assets, as opposed to the influence of approaching industrialization. An instance of this can be seen in the novel when Mr. Bennett passes on his land to Mr. Collins, a distant male relative of their family, thus disinheriting his own daughters of their rightful share but making sure that the asset remains in the family line1.