baby - So, Boomers are Turning 60- What's All the Hype?

People should know age has never meant anything to baby boomers. We don't care about the years creeping up on us. We simply care about feeling good and making a difference no matter how old we are. Especially baby boomer women. There are 38 million of us turning ages 42 to 60. The sheer number of us is changing the image of midlife women like no other generation before. Middle age finds us pondering how we've lived the first half of our lives and what to do about the second. Some of us are in the grips of a midlife crisis, going through menopause or even considering cosmetic makeovers. Many are caring for elderly parents while parenting our children and working full time. But don't let that concern you. Boomer women are reinventing themselves at midlife by choosing to follow their passions. As little girls we lived the simple life. Moms were at home caring for their children and husbands; dads worked nine to five and dinner was on the table at six. We jumped rope, played hop-scotch, married off Barbie and Ken, and played with our Hula Hoops and Slinkies. Violence in school meant the few boys who threw eggs at the windows of their least favorite teacher. We practiced duck-and-cover drills and wore silver bracelets with our POW's name and birth date. The first wave of boomer women came of age during the women's movement and civil right's era. We protested Vietnam while losing boyfriends in battle. Some of us burned our bras and helped spark a sexual revolution in the 1960s and early '70s. The second wave of boomer women benefited from the women's movement. We had greater access to legal abortions and the pill. We led a metamorphosis from housewives to career women. This group came of age in the late 1970s and early '80s. We created the diet and fitness craze, but were also responsible for ushering in a society that is more global in its thinking while becoming more conscious of individual rights and our environment. In the 1960s, when some boomers were in diapers and others entered adulthood, society-shaping events took place: the assassinations of JFK, MLK, Malcolm X, and RFK; racial riots; Roe v. Wade; the moon landing; and The Beatles. Woodstock, the celebration of peace, love, and rock and roll, codified a generational divide once and for all. As young women we were told the world was our oyster. We should DO something with our lives. We should never become dependent on a man. We were the generation that could have it all, do it all, and be it all. Education, Prince Charming, families, careers'you name it and we could have it. We chose diverse paths. Some of us aborted our babies while others gave birth. Some chose the corporate ladder while others chose to stay home. Some lived together while friends married. Some of us divorced and became single moms while others chose to stay in loveless marriages. We chose to challenge ideas and reinvent lifestyles. We altered the traditional role of the sexes as we played tug-of-war with work and home. Believing the voices we heard, we attacked life with a vengeance, entering the workforce while exchanging our roller skates for pumps, candy necklaces for pearls, and wax lips for lip gloss. We returned to the workplace three months after giving birth, pumping our breasts at lunchtime. The societal expectation was for us to work. Our self worth was questioned when we chose to stay home like our mothers before us. Staying home meant we didn't get a pay check and chanced missing the next rung on that corporate ladder. We felt guilty leaving our children in child care while our friends who stayed home felt guilty for not working. At midlife the 40s and 50s are no longer as old as we once thought. We are more educated, spiritual, wealthy, and healthier than any generation of women to precede us. We've changed society's expectation and continue to redefine womanhood. We will be the biggest and richest market segment by the year 2010. At midlife we're transforming and influencing every segment of society. With children leaving the nest, we have time to reflect. We're going inward, hiring life coaches, exploring, and finding new direction. We're seeking spiritual guidance and questioning if we've been true to ourselves or society's expectations. We're searching for peace, solace, and direction for the rest of our days on earth and the afterlife. We're seeking balance and pursuing our passions. We're no longer obsessed with being who others want us to be. We're finding contentment in who we are being called to be. We've had more choices than our mother's generation and have lived and continue to navigate uncharted courses. We are pioneers in our own right. We're faithful, loving, and hard-working women who multi-task to survive. We continue to better ourselves so we can help those who need us. We come from various backgrounds carrying different baggage. We love our country. We're trying to be all that we can be. At midlife we're celebrating and reflecting while experiencing midlife epiphanies. We are wise women who have lived, loved, and enjoyed making a difference. And will continue to do so. Dotsie Bregel is Executive Founder the National Association of Baby Boomer Women, http://www.nabbw.com, which encourages women to find their passions and live life to the fullest. She is also the Founder of Boomer Women Speak, http://www.boomerwomenspeak.com, the # 1 site on the Web for baby boomer women. She is passionate about women encouraging, connecting, and supporting one another. She may be reached through her sites. Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dotsie_Bregel baby - Transitioning From Bassinet to Crib If your baby has been sleeping in your room in a bassinet, you may have some concerns about moving her to her own room and her crib. But, don't worry; you will probably both sleep better once the transition is complete. Most babies are ready to move to the crib at around six to eight weeks of age, or whenever he is sleeping for longer periods during the night. Be prepared that the crib might feel a bit large to the baby who has been accustomed to a bassinet, but the transition will be much easier when the baby is older than it would have been with a newborn. If your baby seems bothered by the size of the crib, try putting a pillow at his feet to give the illusion of a smaller space. However, if your baby is turning over on his own, or scooting about the crib, leave the pillow out, as it can be dangerous. To make the transition easier, have the baby take naps in the crib for a few weeks before you move him in there for the whole night. Ideally, have baby take naps in his crib from the very beginning, so that when you move him there permanently, the surroundings will be familiar. If you're worried that you won't hear the baby with him in another room, use a monitor to alleviate your worries. But, what you'll likely find is that you hear him when he really needs you, but you don't wake up at every little gurgle, which means better rest for both of you. Many first time moms are very fearful of sleeping through their child's cries, but it is rarely a real concern. In spite of the fact that you are likely very sleep deprived, you will hear your baby. Finally, it is common to worry about your child feeling isolated. But, studies show that children are much more likely to be comfortable sleeping alone in their room if they begin this routine early in life. The two year old who has always slept in Mom and Dad's room would definitely feel isolated when put into his own room, the two month old will not. It is probably a bigger adjustment for you than the baby. Your baby is getting more independent, and that might be making you a bit sad, which is perfectly normal. But, there are many more days of this ahead, and each step toward independence is a sign that you're giving your child the skills he needs to develop.