New Year, Same You 💥

By now you’ve already been bombarded with hundreds (if not thousands) of advertisements to help get you “back in gear” now that the holidays are over.

But our take? You’re doing just fine as you are.

Maybe you have professional goals, or want to improve certain aspects of your life? More power to you!

But a “new you”? No thanks.

This week, we give you some good news on the parental leave front, essential tools for empowering yourself (NOT reinventing yourself), and even a quick checklist to help make the transition to 2025 easier. Plus, we’ve got your January Must Reads locked + loaded. 📚

Here’s to a wonderful new year, and whatever version of yourself you’d like to be in 2025.

-Paula (Founder, CARRY™ Media)

 This week in The CARRY™ ALL, we’re talking about:

• ☕️ A Huge Win for Paid Parental Leave

• 📔 Empowerment Journal for the New Year 

• ✅ Knock These Items Off Your Checklist

THE BIG 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣

1️⃣  ☕️ A Win for Paid Parental Leave

When it comes to the need for better paid parental leave, at least one CEO is listening. Starbucks recently announced that it would increase its paid leave from 6 weeks to 18 weeks for birthing parents, and up to 12 weeks for other parents – all at 100% pay. The best part? This change was prompted by an employee email to the brand’s new CEO, Brian Niccol. Niccol, it seems, is open to hearing suggestions from those working at the company on everything from paid leave to reintroducing the coffee condiment bar. The takeaway? Maybe our collective voices can make a difference. If you’re at a company with a less-than-desirable parental leave situation, why not make your thoughts heard? Better yet, encourage your colleagues to do the same!

2️⃣  📔 Empowerment Journal for the New Year 

Want to smash 2025 but aren’t sure where to start? Have big dreams and hopes but don’t know how to harness them? Life is short, friend, and there’s no time like the present to create the life you’ve always envisioned for yourself. Maybe the work all day / pick up the kids / do laundry / make dinner grind on repeat isn’t all there is. 🤷🏻‍♀️ We love this Empowerment Journal created by Peloton head instructor, Robin Arzón. It’ll really help set the mood for the new year.

3️⃣ ✅ Knock These Items Off Your Checklist 

With the new year comes a whole host of new responsibilities to add to our to-dos. Here we list some items you might want to pay attention to sooner, rather than later so that the transition into 2025 is as smooth as possible.

• Review your new insurance policy documents and update your info with your providers.

• Start planning for summer camp. We wish we were kidding – but many summer camps begin enrollment as early as January and can book up fast. The sooner you plan, the easier your summer will be.

• Stock up on deeply discounted holiday sale items like wrapping paper and bows for next year.

• Change out those smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries.

• Begin gathering 2024 tax information so that you’re not blindsided in April.

• Start the year off with a new approach to budgeting.

• Declutter your home for a fresh start.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT 🤎

for working moms with older children

• If you’re a boy mom, this one’s for you. When our boys hit 9 or 10 years of age, they really start feeling ALL the things. But oftentimes all their fear, sadness and confusion can manifest as anger. Totally normal. But that’s when this therapist says we need to be careful about how we’re talking to our sons. Because the norm has always been to tell boys that it’s OK to be angry, but not OK to feel other feelings or ask for help. So no more “man up” talk, or “be a real man” and instead, let’s acknowledge big feelings and working through them together. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!

• Conflict is a completely normal aspect of life. And in some ways, it can even be healthy, as it teaches us to grow. Teens are not in any way immune from conflict – from dealing with bullies to peer pressure, they’re exposed to it on the daily. But conflict resolution? That’s not as intuitive as we may want it to be. This article dives deep into helping teens learn skills to resolve conflicts, including helping them to recognize what their triggers are.