As Yuletide descends like a slow-moving Santa-laden tsunami, you have visions of empty pockets from fruitless shopping, ringing ears from canned jingles, and the trickle of cold sweat down your back as you race toward a new year. As a parent, you want to demonstrate to your kids some moderate enjoyment of the season, while […]
True Parent
Posted inTrue Parent
The Indoorsy Type
Fun Ways to Endure the Endless Winter Break
Everyone talks about how great it is to get fresh air, and the importance of taking kids outside every day—even in the off-season. But you know what? It’s cold and icky out, and I don’t want to. There, I said it. The problem is, your kid is out of school. Again. So many days off […]
Posted inTrue Parent
I Was a Crunchy Parenting Reject
I guess my first clue I would fail at this “crunchy mom” thing was when the midwife asked what I wanted to do with the placenta. I’d just spent 12 hours grunting out a ten-pound baby, prone on a table with my feet in stirrups and a fetal monitor strapped to my midsection—so naturally I […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Ask the Parent!
“Get Out of Our Bed!”
Our only child is nine, and has been sneaking into our bed at various times (as early as 10 pm, as late as 5 am) for years. He rarely spends an entire night in his own bed. I love being close to him, but I’m a light sleeper and my partner is a large man […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Advice for Raising Two Teenage Boys
1. Take them to the woods. Boys do a lot less damage in the Gorge than in your house, or someone else’s. 2. Consider every surface in the bathroom contaminated with urine. (Or something.) 3. Expect noise. If other parents seem completely horrified at your kids’ loud, raucous, impulsive behavior—they probably have girls. 4. You […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Build A Better Parent
Making Parent Friends
When I first became a parent, I was struck by how alone I suddenly felt. I needed to make new mom friends, and fast. It was kind of desperate, actually—I found myself stalking new mothers at the park, the grocery store, or even public transportation. While not every parent shares my blind desperation, having the […]
Posted inTrue Parent
If You Feed Them, They Will Eat
Don’t Let Picky Eaters Drive You Nuts
Parents worry so much about what their kids eat, and don’t eat. In most places in the world, kids eat what they are given. Certainly, some are pickier than others, but those of us lucky enough to have choices in what we eat, and how we feed our children, tend to overthink the process. Just […]
Posted inTrue Parent
The Good News
On Being Gay Parents in a World That Needs to Meet More Gay Parents
My family was legally recognized in Mississippi the day the Mormons came to our door. They were two teens in starched white shirts, with name tags and holy books, wanting to talk about religion. I smiled at the irony (and their perfect timing), and said, “Boys, have you heard the good news?” It reminded me […]
Posted inTrue Parent
The Mean Mom Olympics
Adventures with Moms Who Bully, Hate, and Compete
“Michael, how much is 10 plus 12?” my sister-in-law asked my 6-year-old during a recent family reunion. She turned to her 5-year-old and asked the same question, clearly trying to demonstrate that her son was a better mathematician. When she launched this competition, I felt a stab of fear—and confusion. The moment took me back […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Cracking The Code
The Steep Price of Public School Dress Codes
“It’s teaching girls that their bodies are more sexual than boys’ and they don’t deserve respect if their skin is showing. It’s sending a message to boys it’s acceptable to misbehave or disrespect a girl if they can see her skin.”—Irvington K-8 seventh grader: public comment to PPS School Board 5/26/2015 School dress codes are […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Playtime (With Just a Touch of Pot)
When my first child was on the way, I had no shortage of advice at my disposal. Books and websites and YouTube videos gave me answers to all sorts of questions, from “What’s the best swaddling technique?” to “Oh dear god! Why is tar coming out of my baby’s butt?” What I was not prepared […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Ask the Parent!
What’s the proper response to unwanted/unhelpful advice on how to raise your child? Recently, a stranger loudly chastised me in the store after my son slipped off a shopping cart. Then my mom-in-law (a real Bible pounder) said my 13-year-old daughter’s shorts and tank tops were “sexually inappropriate.” These buttinskies drive me crazy and ruin […]