Even if we can't stay off all year -- the holidays are a great time to practice jumping off the consumer hamster wheel. To shut it all off and down and look at our blessings, right in the face.
This week in Parenthesis, a former bully comes clean, a "free-range" parent stands her ground and a blogger describes the harsh realities of postpartu...
One of the myriad problems with this parenting gig is that they save the hardest part for last. BEDTIME. Bedtime should be in the morning -- when we're fresh and kind and sweet -- and decent parenting still seems like a very real possibility.
Craig and I have a steadfast rule -- no bragging to anyone except each other or the grandparents. Basically, our rule means that we keep our mouths shut in public and then we talk in bed about how our kids are better than anyone else's kids in the whole entire world.
As Heather Armstrong noted on the Today Show this morning, the parenting blogosphere is a powerful source of shared wisdom and experience for thousand...
In short, I get to be somebody else for a while, a dental nerd in a cardigan with perfectly groomed children and I really enjoy playing that role for an hour or two. On dental mornings I become my own character foil.
I am walking down the street with my young son. I am approached by three black boys in hoodies. Am I more afraid than I'd be if I were approached by three white boys with Abercrombie rugbies?
And then this brilliant smile broke out on Chase's face that was the smile of a heart recognizing the truth. It was a smile of a promise kept. It was the best smile I have ever seen, on any of my children.
We have to love ourselves if we want our kids to love themselves. We don't necessarily have to love them more, we have to love ourselves more. We have to be gentle with ourselves.
Every time I'm out with my kids -- this seems to happen: An older woman stops us, puts her hand over her heart and says something like, "Oh, Enjoy every moment. This time goes by so fast."