Happy Mothers Day!

Ah mothers day. A day where many people celebrate who has cared or looked after them. Or it's a day you think is a capitalist money making day. Or you don't care. As Stuff share: "The concept of celebrating motherhood dates to the ancient Greeks, who paid tribute to Rhea (the mother of the gods) and motherhood in springtime, which was considered the most fertile time of the year. We owe the modern celebratory day to an American woman called Anna Jarvis, who campaigned to make it official in remembrance of her mother. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared Mother's Day a national holiday. Ironically, Jarvis later tried to stop Mother's Day after it became commercialised and more than just a day of sentiment."

This mothers day Statistics New Zealand have some excellent facts to share. In New Zealand the average baby weight over the pass decade was 3.5 kg. Considering a normal baby weight is 2.7-4 kg, this is excellent. In 2008, 87 percent of all women also thought their health was generally good, very good, or excellent.

Unfortunately many mothers still feel overworked. According to a independent AMP research report, while fathers are doing more house work than they use to mothers still feel they aren't doing their fair share. As for solo mothers who happen to be beneficiaries, they're facing discrimination from their own government. What's also startling is that they face it from someone who's been a beneficiary herself. Paula Bennett also plans to force mothers into work that may not be appropriate for them. Many mothers want to work and get good pay so they can provide for their families. Cutting the benefit to mothers who wont comply puts them and their childs lives in jeopardy.

There is still discrimination against gay couples who can't adopt. Considering there are already gay couples in New Zealand raising children and many who'd make great parents it's a shame they still face discrimination. Discrimination from groups like familyfirst who believe in only putting married heterosexual parent families first. We also have real problems with child poverty and child abuse in this country which are both interconnected.

The good thing is that these problems are solvable. As a society New Zealand does not have to be this way. It can support our parents, mothers, fathers, maori, european, gay, straight, disabled and everything in between. The children of Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world do not have to suffer the problems of our past.

I hope you'll have a good Mothers day, everyday.

"Mother's love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved." - Erich Fromm

Telling it like it is

In Social Work the Social Worker must make use of rapport. Rapport is about creating understanding and trust. It's the key to building relationships, which is what social work is all about. How can you help society if you can't build a connection with it? Rapport is a topic that people have written big books on. How to Win Friends and Influence People, Flirting For Success: The Art of Building Rapport, Talk to Anyone, blahblahblah General Self-Help book title about relationship building here.

Unfortunately Social Work is also about getting things done. This can mean upsetting the wonderful harmonious rapport you have with somebody. Or rocking the boat. How can you do this without tipping anyone or yourself overboard? How can you tell someone a fact that's hard for them to swallow but they need to hear it? It's a hard act and one even Social Workers on the job still learn about.

One way is to be upfront with them after you've shown to them that you have empathy. Being empathetic means being respectful, even if you disagree with them. It also means trying to understand where they're coming from, even if you think they've gone down the wrong path. But back to being upfront. You can tell the person that you have something important to say which could really bother them. Then lay it down and say why you think whatever you're thinking. Explain how it'll affect them and whatever or whoever they care about. You want to explain the truth clearly. You don't want it to be distorted by anybody's gossip.

This isn't counselling 101 and that method might not always work. But sometimes time is short and you might have something really impotant to say. I hope this post gave you some insight into dealing with tricky situations. Tricky situations sometimes require a trick themselves.

"Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you -- tripping on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as Leif the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and as I may say, the whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness." - William Shakespeare

Peace, Tranquility and Total Harmony

Just felt like sharing some soothing trance with you readers. Trance music is one of my interests you know. =) Where ever you are it could pay to have a listen and let yourself relax. No I'm not on drugs. You don't have to take drugs to enjoy music.