List/Grid Monthly Archives: July 2011
Judgment-Free Parenthood
Parenthood heightens the importance of our decisions in a way we probably never anticipated. Instead of considering the impact of our every action and word on a few adults, we’re now faced with the ramifications of our decisions on a being that relies entirely upon us for survival. The mommy/daddy wars don’t make parenting choices easier. Just try to find an impartial viewpoint on any child-rearing topic. Hold versus put down. Family bed versus crib….
Too Good To Be True? Probably.
Friends, I have been duped. I fell for the glossy copy of a reputable magazine’s Free Gift offer, along with its free extra issues and such. The important part is- and always has been- the Free Gift. Ever since the days of sending in multiple Kix box tops (plus $4.95 shipping and handling) to receive a toy barely worth the cost of postage, I’ve been a fan of the Free Gift. I would send away…
How A Power Outage Can Shed Light On Different Parenting Styles
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters” Epictetus I heard this quote when I was quite young and it really stuck with me. I began to grasp that different people view the world in very different ways, and that this can have a massive impact on how you feel about your life and the way it plays out. Something happened last week that made me take a second…
Business Travel While Pregnant: Part II – 5 Tips
The rest of Day 1 was a blur of phone calls and tests. I peed in a cup. A nurse and what I assume was a doctor came in to the room and both told me in turn, “Everything okay.” The nurse was responding to my urinalysis results and the doctor was responding to the monitoring of the baby’s heart rate. Growing up in the United States’ healthcare system, I was immediately almost as worried…
Just Coming Out Of The Divorce Fog
In my first few blog postings, I told you some stories about being a divorced single mom. I have decided that I may be able to help other divorced single parents by blogging about my story vs. just parenting singlet stories. I hope some of my story will help you through yours. Right now I am coming out of the “Divorce Fog.” I recently heard this term for the first time from a hairdresser. She…
Dad’s Most Important Relationship (It’s Not What You Think It Is)
Fatherhood is an initiation into life-altering relationship. No matter how much parents and grandparents warn us about the changes to come, we don’t truly understand the impact of becoming a dad until it happens. It’s as if we’re looking up at the rope hoisting a grand piano as it fails thinking, “I wonder if that’s going to hurt?” The most important relationship for a new dad, however, isn’t the one with our child. It isn’t…
Birthday Party Anxiety
Why is it that most moms I know have had some kind stress over planning their child’s birthday party? I’m no exception. In a short while, The Littlest E will be turning 2 and it will be his first birthday with us. In my gut I know his birthday party will be fine, but try telling that to my head at 3:30 a.m. when I’ve gotten up to use the bathroom. My latest early morning…
Giving Up Television
Since confessing to friends and family that I put the television away in a dark closet the responses have followed a predictable pattern: “You are brave.” “My spouse/kids would never let me!” “I couldn’t do that. I need the break.” “How do you keep them busy?” “What about movies?” “But I’d miss [insert favorite TV show here].” “My kids only watch [insert number of hours or minutes here] a day.” There is also the whispered…
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