As a mother I know my every move is being carefully recorded and dissected by my daughter; my mini-me, my living, breathing shadow. Whereas when she was younger, and more easily distracted by shiny objects; i.e. her attention could be diverted by a candy necklace or a new video, I wasn't as concerned that my every action would become a finely etched memory in her consciousness. But as she's … [Read more...]
Your kid will be happy with a glass of chocolate milk
I really have tried hard not to succumb to the parenting pressures evidenced all around me-- this need in our culture to shower our kids with stuff and experiences. My husband ever the grumpy pessimist has on one too many occasions uttered the statements, "Kids will be happy with whatever you give them- even if it's just a cardboard box." Of course my husband, who admits he's from a generation … [Read more...]
Tiger Mothers and Background Fathers
BY Carolyn Edgar After reading Amy Chua's Wall Street Journal article, "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior," excerpted from her new book, "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," I planned to write a post not unlike many of the posts I've read about Chua. I was going to talk about suicide rates among Asian students as evidence that parental demands for perfection can be destructive. I was going to talk … [Read more...]
It’s only been one day (and night) and this single mother bit is kicking my ass
I have several friends who are single parents and I honestly don't think there is a more challenging job on the planet. I am amazed at the sheer resilience of my friends who work full-time jobs, rush to get their kids from the baby sitter and then, "single-handedly" juggle dinner, homework, baths, millions of inquisitive questions without another adult to play pass the kid with or to comfort … [Read more...]