Finding joy in the everyday

Australians spend more than $11 billion every year on guilty habits they keep to themselves. Clothes, gambling, guilt foods, adult entertainment and cigarettes came in at the top of secret purchases made, with women more than twice as likely to hide clothing purchases than men. The survey found, on average, that Australian men spent $4,596 on purchases they did not reveal to their partners, while women spent $1,476. Generation Y, aged 18-35, held the largest debt from secret spending at $2054, topping Generation X with $1173, and Baby Boomers with a mere $318. ( Source ) Who buys things but doesn't tell their husband?  Do you think your husband need to know about ALL your purchases? Do you think your husband hides purchases from you? USA Money Magazine survey (2012) ( source ) 71 % of married Americans acknowledged keeping secrets about their spending from their spouses 44 % said keeping secrets about money is acceptable under certain circumst...

A recent study published in the Psychology of Women Quarterly found that while females of Generation Y are more accepting of working mothers, there is an increased desire among them to stay at home, compared to the generation before. Thirty-two per cent of millennials in the US believe men are best suited to be the breadwinners and women the homemakers. This figure is up from 27 per cent in the 1990s. Women have choices and that is excellent — families can make decisions that best suit them and change their arrangements as children get older. Women are no longer tied to the home as they were in the 1950's (when they were not allow to work once married) and the sigma of staying home is lessening so women are much freer in making chooses that suit their families. Women can move in and out of the workforce as it suits them and I am all for this flexibility.  This is how it should be and women (along with their husbands) should be able to make these choices without the wo...

She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. (Proverbs 31:20) **I know this is a tough topic and one most want to avoid - but as Christians, we are expected to be aware and do something about those in need, those less well off than ourselves and are about the interests of others. So do stop and have a read — think about incorporating these issues into your homeschooling and think about ways you can make a differences maybe through your church. Jesus didn't walk past those in need, He stopped and did something. We too need to follow in His foot steps. ** I n a city with over eight million residents, accurately determining the number of homeless people is a daunting task. Each year, the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) rallies 3000 volunteers, who disperse throughout the five boroughs of New York City to do a headcount — a system that is often criticised by social service groups as inaccurate. But the federal ...

According to an article titled " Where are the dads? Parental leave for men remains low" (March 4th 2016):  J ust one in fifty Australian men takes parental leave, according to a new research paper from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development that looks at the issue across member countries. Australia's result compares with 40 per cent or more of men taking parental leave in some Nordic countries, and also Portugal. It's important to distinguish between father or partner leave - leave a father or same-sex partner takes when a newborn arrives - with parental leave; a longer period of job-protected leave. Fathers, or partners, who care for their kids are more likely to stay engaged in that relationship as their children grow, the OECD research shows.  And children with dads who participate more in family life also have better emotional outcomes and mental health. Dads benefit too: they have greater satisfaction with their lives, and b...

I found this very interesting article the other day: “ T he Wall Street Journal : How men value independences in wives and daughters ” (April 23, 2015) very interesting:  Data from Hart Research Associates polling on men and their attitudes toward daughters and wives or female partners.   Eighty-five percent of men say they are clear in their role in society today, but 45% say it is harder to be a man today compared to their father’s generation, while just 20% say it is easier to be a man today (35% say it is no easier or harder).    For those who say it is harder to be a man, a number of the most common reasons stem from changes in relationships with women, including that women are in a stronger position in the workplace and financially; men are taking on a greater share of household responsibilities; and more demands are being placed on men.   63% percent of men say they are very comfortable living with or being married to a woman who works out...

According to a recent news story (source: January 3rd, 2016 — Canberra Times ): Sixteen per cent of Australian couples now live in a de facto relationship, according to the latest census, up from 10 per cent fifteen years ago. The proportion of cohabiting couples who are unmarried and have children has risen from 4 per cent to 11 per cent. . . . it's actually women who are driving this massive social change. They're not hardline feminazis raging against a patriarchal institution but bright, practical, independent women who can't see what difference a wedding would make to the security and stability of their partnership. Educated, making their own money and enjoying sexual freedom, these women are proud their social status is no longer tied to their marital status.   The liberation of women includes the idea that women are free to make choices about everything – including fertility and cohabitation – that their own mothers did not feel free to make,...

Something new for 2016, "Stories from the news "— things I find in the newspaper which I think you might fine interesting or worth chatting about.   Todays story is called " ‘ Need a Mom’ founder Nina Keneally offers New Yorkers maternal services for $55 an hour "  AN AMERICAN woman has launched a ‘rent-a-mum’ business to provide a ‘maternal touch’ to the lives of those who need it most — as long as they have the cash to pay for it.  She is available to rent — for about US$40 ($55) per hour dependent on the services — and offers motherly advice on everything from work-related matters and personal relationships to maintaining a home.  “Some people just want some conversation, some feedback about what’s going on in their life,” Ms Keneally told People. “Some of them have lost their parents or are estranged from their parents. “I’ve been asked to help iron and clean out closets. “One mother called me because her daughter had surgery and she wants...