FINALLY: scientists have decided tantrums are worth studying
Annie recently shared an NPR article called What’s Behind A Temper Tantrum? Scientists Deconstruct The Screams. The title immediately caught my eye, as I’m always on the lookout for anything that will help us cope with our son’s tantrums.
Here’s something you can pull out the next time someone says you’re not parenting the way “people used to”
You know what I’ve learned since becoming a parent? Everyone just loooooves to talk to you about how you’re parenting your kid. This can be good, sometimes, when a stranger pauses to comment on how well-behaved your child is. It can be bad, sometimes, when a stranger pauses to obviously roll their eyes at you while you insist on counting backwards from ten before addressing your screaming toddler, or you insist on not using cups and utensils that aren’t BPA-free (because yes, those still exist), or maybe your kid is watching a third episode of Curious George because you need those twelve minutes for yourself.
Two lesbians raised a baby and this is what they got
Several of you have sent in this video of nineteen-year-old Zach Wahls, who was raised by two women alongside his biological sister (they share the same donor). Zach addressed the Iowa House of Representatives in February 2011. While we linked to the video last May, it’s definitely worth a repeat mention.
Oops: I’ve totally accidentally abandoned my partner in favor of my child
Joanna Goddard recently posited an interesting question on her blog A Cup of Jo: Who gets the best kisses? She just finished reading Esther Perel’s Mating in Captivity, a book about sex and marriage (before and after having kids).
Why punk rock dudes can make great dads
In case you haven’t heard yet, there’s a movie rolling through theaters called The Other F Word. In this case, “F” stands for family, and this documentary is all about punks who have become parents. The tag line: “What happens when a generation’s ultimate anti-authoritarians — punk rockers — become society’s ultimate authorities — dads?” pretty much sums it up nicely. The father-focused film follows Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath, and Pennywise’s Jim Lindberg on their punk dad journey, which you can preview here.
How my favorite Banned Book shaped my adolescence and adulthood
My point is that I love to read, and there’s something slightly extra delicious about knowing you’re reading a book that has been, or is currently being, challenged in some way. Since I know we’re nearly all bookworms in some form or fashion around the Empire, I thought it’d be fun if a few staffers picked our favorite Banned Book and talked about why it’s important to us. Without further ado… dig in!
Cycling with contractions — would you ride your bike to the hospital while in labor?
So, you thought labor was hard when you had to DRIVE to the hospital during contractions, right? What if you were RIDING YOUR BIKE?
Let’s ditch the “one size fits all” model of parenting
Like life, parenting is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Maybe it’s the idealist in me, but on this front I’m pretty much middle of the road on the stuff that seems to make parents pull out knives on each other. I don’t understand the obsession we seem to have, or at least that the media thrusts upon us, with tar and feathering one another. My motto is: make sure you’re educated, informed, evaluate your life and circumstances, and then get to the business of doing what works best for you and yours.