The Fixes.

Every Tuesday, The Times publishes a column called The Fixes, which looks "... at solutions to social problems and why they work". The column is written by a different person each week, someone with a unique perspective on the issue and the solution being put to work. On Saturday, the Author addresses the comments, questions and criticism posted by readers; I love this feature because it provides a wealth of perspectives on complex issues. I feature the column here each week- feel free to look back 'here' for last week's installment.

This week's column is about a national texting initiative aimed at providing helpful tips for mothers, primarily low income mothers. I have seen those signs, text yadda yadda to 12345 to get free advice about whatever, and have always wondered who in God's name was using these services, but apparently, much to my surprise, a program of this nature is helping mothers across the states. Who knew. The mother texts her due date, or child's birthday,  to the service, and she gets texts that pertain to the development stage that she and her baby are in.  The texts also link to where mothers can get free services for prenatal care, help quitting smoking, get a crib or find a doctor. These sorts of services are all out there, but if you do not know how or where to look, you could potentially miss out. The important thing to realize here is that most people want to do the best for their children, but they are uneducated about how to do so. I think frequently the perception is that low income mothers do not care, or a lazy or whatever other crap people beleive, when in point of fact, they are exactly the opposite, working twice as hard with half as much. Maybe a program like this is just easy and direct enough to really inform!  Read the article 'here'.