Extravaganza Guest Blogger:: Ally Loprete

Welcome to the New Parent Society

This is an exciting time. Don’t believe me? Look around at all the possibilities that have been presenting themselves on a daily basis. Often its easy to confuse change with fear- but you won’t do that, because you are not the same as you once were. Becoming a parent has transformed you into something else. You are not afraid to take risks, not afraid to fail, not afraid of what people will think of you. You are a parent now, and the bottom line on what is ultimately important has become much more simple.

You aren’t the only thing that has changed about the world. Parents everywhere are “born” each day. Like you, they learn that they are capable of a selfless and raw love multiplied by what was ever comprehended in the past. They are realizing the true priority of their lives. For the first time, parent everywhere are resolving to create their own rules, not give the best of themselves to a cold corporation incapable of loyalty.

Out of this trend has emerged the birth of millions of new businesses. But don’t let that number scare you. If you are one of the millions that have started working for yourself in the last three years, you probably already know that you are only able to handle a certain workload, so there is no reason for you to feel competitive. There is plenty to go around. In fact, the explosion of small business brings with it even more good news.

A brand new society...built with new rules, principles and standards...has become the real competition for corporate America. Now that we are our own bosses, parents have a created a new business society that works to enhance our family’s lifestyles, not detract from them.
So what are these new rules?

The basic principle is this: Family first. Business second. As parents, it’s a creed that all of us appreciate and none of us will dispute. To get more specific, this means that we will never again apologize for our children. If you’ve scheduled a conference call at a time other than when the kids are napping or at school, you are going to have to accept that there will be interruptions without apology. Where else would you get away with saying, “I won’t get to that until later. My son has a t-ball game”? Not only is this behavior acceptable, it is well respected.

In the new parent society, bartering is accepted and encouraged. How else are we expected to survive when our income is less than our outcome? We can barter just about everything, and that is because as a nation who is used to being over indulged, we sure do have a lot of stuff. We can swap clothes books, toys, even food. I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine. I’ll wash your car if you unclog my sink. A couple of loads of laundry for a mowed lawn. A night of babysitting for a piano lesson. The possibilities are endless.

Everybody does their part, and don’t look now, but we are surviving the big bad recession together. It’s all part of how this new society is rebuilding itself, and the social order of our culture. The world, just like us when we eat too much fast food, needed a good cleanse. Simplifying isn’t always an easy process, but once you de-clutter, decontaminate and de-burden, you’ll appreciate the luxury of less is more.

You can’t have a rainbow without first having a storm. Welcome to the new parent society. Aren’t the colors beautiful in here?

Ally Loprete is a stay-at-home mother of two boys, a former television, theatre and film actress, singer, performer, storyteller, and teacher. A true parent enthusiast, Ally founded OurMilkMoney.com, an online business directory that lists only self-employed parents and encourages us to utilize our power as consumer to make purchases from one another. Ally is the host of This Little Parent Stayed Home, a live weekly radio show, dedicated to supporting parents who wish to leave their corporate day jobs and find an alternative way to earn a supplemental family income, affording more opportunities for parents to stay at home with their children. Ally’s passion to help others transition from full time working parent to successful entrepreneur has grown from her own experiences. She has declared that she will BRING HOME 1 MILLION PARENTS, and is determined to help other’s deal with the sometimes overwhelming prospect of starting a new business while still running a household, and is resolute about creating a haven in which we can continue to thrive and support each other in our personal journeys.