Not our Mother’s Motherhood: Why Today’s Moms Need Each Other’s Encouragement More than Ever
Last night, as the children snuggled in bed with their Daddy, I took ten minutes to complete a survey for Motherly, an online parenting hub which I subscribe to and have written for. While many of the questions were about personal demographics and situation, a few touched on our outlook on motherhood. For example: “Do you feel that society does a good job of understanding and supporting mothers?” I pursed my lips together and clicked quickly. No. Then: “How is today’s generation of moms different from your mother’s generation?” Are we generally more optimistic about motherhood than our mothers’ generation? More pessimistic? I’m wasn’t certain. I could have checked…
How to Research a Controversial Topic
We’ve all seen those articles…the polarizing ones which, once shared, evoke intense feelings, passionate words, and judgment. I’ve seen and experienced how these sorts of articles — which are hallmarked by strong emotions, not strong evidence — can wreak havoc. From politics to parenting, controversial topics can spark a damaging fire, and the fire is fueled by deeply opinionated sources. As parents, there are endless polarizing topics that people are passionate about: birth, circumcision, discipline, gender roles, infant feeding, infant sleep, schooling, screen time, vaccinations, just to name a few. There are articles and podcasts and people’s experiences that argue for and against every single topic, and shame is…
“Actually, we don’t Celebrate Halloween”: Parenting According to Personal Values
“What are you dressing up as for Halloween this year?” the sales-woman asked. Levi looked at her, then me, and walked away. Typically, I gently encourage him to converse with the people talking to him, but in this case, I knew that I would have to answer on his behalf, since he had no idea what she was talking about. In the moment, though, I wasn’t sure how to answer, either. “Actually, we don’t celebrate Halloween. I despise the holiday, actually, and while I think dressing up little kids in various costumes is cute, I wasn’t planning on doing it with my children this year.” I wasn’t sure if I…
Kids Need Nature and Other Take Aways from Last Child in the Woods
When I made the quick decision to homeschool Levi for preschool, I began doing what I do best: compulsive research. I looked into different homeschooling blogs, followed different homeschooling moms on Instagram, and began to understand a few of the various styles of homeschooling out there. One book that kept coming up in my research was Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Many homeschooling moms referred to it while explaining why they placed tremendous importance on having their child outdoors in nature. This was something I identified with. Two years ago, on a near-perfect autumn day, I took Levi to a local park. It…
Fertility Awareness Part 4 – Our Continuing Story
This is the conclusion to a four part article on Fertility Awareness. Part 1 – The Beginning of Our Story Part 2 – Birth Control and its Effects on Reproduction Part 3 – Personal Interviews I believe in fertility awareness and know that it works. There isn’t a day that goes by that I am not grateful for the choice that Kevin and I made. It has brought a depth of respect to our sex life that has resulted from the shared responsibility and consistent communication. It also gave me a peace knowing that when we did have children, whether planned or unplanned, my body would be in its natural,…
