An empowering home birth turned hospital delivery
I had already been experiencing pre-labour contractions for three weeks before my labour started. They had been strong and regular, seven minutes apart, for literally days at a time. Then they’d stop… and then start up again. By the time my due date came I was emotionally and physically exhausted, and thoroughly pissed off.
My wife and I didn’t pick names for our son to call us — and now I’m “Other Mommy”
After hearing his whole life us saying versions of, “This mommy is cooking — ask other mommy to put your shoes on,” or, “This mommy will read you one more book, and then your other mommy will take you upstairs for bed,” he now calls us — quite sensibly — “This Mommy” and “Other Mommy.”
What are your family’s holiday traditions?
This morning my child Jasper woke up at 6 AM, shook my husband and I awake, and sped off to the living room where our alien head-adorned Christmas tree is sitting. There were a handful of presents underneath it that we had to put out the night before so our kid wouldn’t spend every day leading up to Christmas trying to rip the presents apart.
Make these three low-budget toys (and then get into some open-ended play!)
One of the things I love most about this time of year is how excited so many people get to spend time with their families and friends over the holidays. In all the excitement, though, there are always some unexpected lulls. Whether you’re their awesome uncle or their godmother from another state, here are some new ideas to help you have fun and connect with the children in your life. Make them in 30 minutes or less, toss them in your bag, and you’ll be prepared no matter how unexpected the lull.
My son found my Barbie, said she was pretty, and turned her into a space explorer
I don’t want my son to find a Barbie doll pretty. I want him to understand, even at three, that she is not an accurate representation of a woman’s body. This is ridiculous, I know, but it’s not stopping from getting all excited about this teachable moment we’re having.
How can I raise freethinking children in a religious community without seeming like an angry atheist?
I want my daughters to be able to enjoy the holidays, but I don’t want them involved in the religious dogma that is so apparent everywhere. On the other hand, I don’t want to be too obviously anti-religion around my kids — then I’ll be no different than the opposite side of the coin I grew up on. How do I manage to accomplish this without also coming across as a raving anti-religion monster?
Deciding whether or not they wanted kids led this couple to break up (and they wrote a song about it)
Musician Jonathan Mann and his girlfriend Ivory recently decided to end their relationship — and one factor in the decision was whether or not to have kids. Rather than tell friends one by one, the pair wrote a song about the end of the relationship. As the song says, “There are just some things no relationship can survive.”
A very photo-heavy guide to sewing a faux gDiaper cover from an upcycled shirt
Today I’m going to show you how I make my upcycled mock gDiaper cover. This tutorial features a size medium diaper.
For this project you will need:
*A large knit shirt (or knit/cotton interlock fabric)
*One 1-1/4″ sport knit elastic for waistbands
*3/8″ knit elastic for leg elastics
*Snap tape — these are compatible with the brand name liners and can be purchased here (the evenly spaced tape with 1 1/8″ between each snap)
*11″ of hook and 5″ of loop touch tape or Velcro