Stop letting your kid’s freedom of speech be taken away
As parents, I think we should teach our kids all due caution, but there should be outrage here, too. Outrage that their childhoods — their ability to make bad choices and act stupid and be young — is actively being taken from them. Our kids have to live in constant fear and under a constant scrutiny that no other generation has suffered beneath (and no generation should) to the point that, even in their youth they must act with either the constant maturity of adults, or at least under a constant curtain of paranoia.
My education at a cooperative pre-school
Then I discovered my dream come true: a cooperative pre-school. A co-op cuts costs by hiring only the teachers; parents perform all other work and take turns as teacher aide. This innovative solution would give the boys the benefits of school and allow me to be involved in my children’s education while also having personal time.
How do you feel about being Facebook friends with kids?
My first encounter with kids on Facebook happened a year ago when one of the boys in my daughter’s class sent me a “friend” request on Facebook. He was nine years old. I’m Facebook “friends” with one of his dads, so I accepted the request. This has me wondering: do you think it’s ok to be friends with a minor on Facebook?
How can I safely use the internet to update my family members about our kid?
What’s the best way to digitally share news about your kid with family members? We have a few privacy concerns (primarily about keeping our work lives and private lives separate). Should we start an “old-fashioned” blog? Email updates? Flickr with privacy settings? Facebook friend lists? Tumblr for photo updates? There are so many choices!
What scrapbooking is teaching me about my two-year-old son
When I started my blog, I considered calling it “Seven Cars and a Kitten” because the first time Tom ever made a collage, that’s what it contained. I loved the odd juxtaposition of things he liked. Several months later, the pictures that he chooses to cut out and stick in his scrapbook remain a lovely insight into what makes him tick.
The Offbeat Mama’s pregnancy and birthin’ checklist
So… you’re having a baby? No two pregnancies and deliveries are the same, which means no two experiences will be. What you’ll find here is a handy checklist of a few things any Offbeat Mama may want to consider while pregnant.
A guide to making your family videos even more awesome
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably realised that, while you’re great at capturing all those special moments, you have no idea what you’re going to do with the gigabytes and gigabytes of memories you have piling up on your hard drives. Let’s face it — you’re almost matching a second childhood just in digital files!
How I’m preparing myself for my daughter’s future sex life
I am painfully aware that M is quickly approaching the age where she won’t be able to resist the primal urge of her loins, and she will either pursue a sexual relationship or will give into pressure from a boy that she likes. I know this is normal and we all go through it but I want to try and make sure she is prepared to do it safely, and on her terms.