Staying up-to-date on current events can seem hard when you are a mom. Those little humans take up a lot of time and effort and in my case, I feel like they have sucked the intelligence right out of me.
It was a few years ago when I was in the throes of life with two toddlers, at a neighborhood dinner party. I got caught in a conversation about something political that I knew nothing about. Luckily I could throw jokes out there about how the only thing I currently knew was the poop schedule of my kids, but inside I was DYING. I hate feeling dumb and uninformed and after that moment, I realized the importance of staying up to date on current issues.
I’m not saying you need to read medical journals front to cover or sit down and watch the nightly news every night. We are moms, who has time for that!? I’ve found quick and easy ways to stay on top of current events and avoid those cringe-worthy moments of not knowing what someone is talking about. Plus it gives us moms something else to talk about other than our kids!
The Skimm
This is the perfect news source for those who want a layman’s rundown of what is going on in the world. Started by two 28-year-old women, you subscribe to their daily (Monday- Thursday) newsletters that deliver the day’s news in a quick, humorous and easy to understand email.
Perfect for someone who wants to know what’s going on, but doesn’t care for too many details, statistics, or quotes to back the stories. It’s a quick summary and perfect for busy moms!
For me, this is the most up to date, breaking news you can get. When I’m looking for breaking news, I head to my Twitter feed. I follow many new sources such as The New York Times, CNN, FoxNews, The Washington Post, and West Wing Reports. But the great thing about Twitter is you can follow people who are breaking the stories that these news sources are carrying. White House press and new media reporters tweet things from their personal Twitter accounts. Just so everyone knows, I follow all sorts of celebrities and gossip magazines too. Staying informed doesn’t just mean the serious news, Perez Hilton and Bravo housewives round out my following.
News Apps
Another easy way to check the daily news is on a news dedicated app. For example, CNN is the news app I check most frequently on my phone. I also have the app set up to send me push notifications of breaking news alerts so that even when I am not online or looking at the app, if something important is happening in the world, it sends me a notification. Honestly, CNN sends breaking updates A LOT and often on things that aren’t really that breaking. It can be kind of funny too, check out this Saturday Night Live spoof of CNN breaking news alerts “CNN Pregnancy Alerts.” But all in all, its a good quick source for daily news.
NPR
I can’t even tell you how much I love NPR. It offers amazing programming that is so much more than just the news. Fantastic interviews with celebrities, authors, scientists, politicians, musicians, and other newsmakers and awesome stories on subjects I would never know anything about if it weren’t for NPR. Plus, I make the kids listen to it in hope that they catch bits and pieces of it now and have a love for it later. I promise if you don’t listen to NPR you are missing out. Here is a link to a fabulous “State of the Re:Union” episode on Jacksonville created by local Al Letson.
How do you stay on top of what’s going on in the world? Do you have a favorite source?
