If you’re just joining us here at True Parent… hi! How’s it going? Wait… what’s that? You’re super stressed about this whole “parenting” gig, you never signed on for all the crap you have to put up with, and if you have to pick up one more pair of filthy underpants you’re going to scream? […]
True Parent
Posted inTrue Parent
Dancing on the Edge
The Everyday Struggle of Middle Class Parents
When their son, August, was a baby, Kate Holly and her husband Joel started renting out rooms in their four bedroom house—located in the Lents neighborhood—in order to increase their income and cover childcare costs. “The first time we did it, I was sleeping with one eye open, thinking of all the things that could […]
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 […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Sanity-Saving Air Travel Tips!
Air travel with kids can be a slight inconvenience or one of Dante’s circles of hell. Here are some essential sanity-saving tips! 1) ARRIVE EARLY. No more screeching up to the gate at the last second! Allow plenty of time to arrive and for things to go wrong (which they will). Check the airport’s website […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Why Talk About God?
Secular Parenting for a Less-Jerkish Future
In our current age of information and globalization, it’s easy for secular people to see the connections between tragedy, ignorance, and religious zealotry. Conversely, the devout may see our global crises as the consequences of the growing distance away from religion. Cynicism (or worse, contempt) can pervade the way we view those with beliefs different […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Parent to Parent
“Don’t Judge, Judy!”
Raise your hand if you sort of despised kids before having one of your own. Oh, please. You can admit it. I certainly did. I didn’t despise individual kids—it was more like I despised them as a concept. I saw children as selfish little aliens who were stealing away my drinking buddies, overrunning the city’s […]
Posted inTrue Parent
The Time We Need
Parents Desperately Need Paid Sick Leave. Will Oregon Step Up?
Susan Lund worked off and on at Fred Meyer for about 16 years, and had access to full benefits—at least in theory. But if she wanted a day off to take care of one of her children, or to recuperate from illness herself, she paid a price. Sick days weren’t excused until employees had missed […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Raising the Perfect Supervillain
A confession: I have not actually read the full text of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations on screen time for children. I’ve never felt the need, because from the moment my son could lift his head, I’ve received enough dire caution from doctors, teachers, and urbanMamas posts (read aloud to me by my loving […]
Posted inTrue Parent
Ask the Parent!
“I Hate My Teen’s Boyfriend!”
My daughter is 13 years old, and just got her first boyfriend (he’s 14). I’m not a jealous dad by nature, but I am very close to her, and I’ll be honest… I hate her boyfriend’s guts. I checked him out on social media, and monitor all her texts (don’t judge, she knows I’m snooping), […]
Posted inTrue Parent
The “Go Bag”
Being prepared isn’t just for Scouts! Smart parents have a “go bag” stashed by the door, jam-packed with all the necessities needed to keep kids busy and sane during excursions. Note: Don’t go nuts. Pack LIGHT, and only the necessities. Find a bag about the size of a football with lots of pockets, and a […]
Posted inTrue Parent
You Worry Too Much!
The Vaccine Every Teenager Needs
Odds are, you or someone you know has been infected with human papillomavirus, or HPV. It’s so common that most sexually active men and women will catch at least one type of HPV at some point in their lives. You also probably know that 70 percent of cervical cancer diagnoses are caused by HPV, which […]