How can I get a packrat to stop giving me stuff?
My mother saves everything. I have spent the last decade trying to fight my own packrat tendencies. But I’m pregnant with the first grandchild, and now am receiving lots of stuff from her. Is there any graceful way to communicate that I don’t want to take on curation of a family museum? Or do I have to store it for another 30 years, until she won’t notice that I threw it out/donated it?
I hate being pregnant and it’s totally okay
I hate being pregnant.
There. I said it.
Does it mean that I’m going to hate motherhood? Absolutely NOT! Since the moment I found out I was pregnant, I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my child. I just haven’t enjoyed the journey of pregnancy.
Let’s face it, pregnancy isn’t all about “glowing” and the occasional bout of heartburn. Well, maybe it is for some people but it definitely hasn’t been for me.
What unexpected things did you want when you were new parents?
I understand how useful those are (I intend to help buy a duffle bag and stuff it full of diapers!) but I wanted to know if there were any items or helpful suggestions that would be useful for me to give or do for new parents. What “strange” or “unusual” items will be useful for the new parents? What unexpected items did you not have that you wish you did have when you were new parents?
How do you keep the peace at joint family gatherings?
Our families are pretty different — liberal vs republican, generational differences, religious vs atheist — and once the drinks start flowing, it’s hard to manage the interactions. The whole thing makes me super anxious, and I don’t even want to have a birthday party for our kid because it will mean bringing the families together.
How do you manage different families? How do you keep the peace and still enjoy yourself at joint gatherings?
Are there any magical alternatives to a baby showers?
I am knocked up for the first time, and my friends are all asking when they can throw me a baby shower. The thing is, I’m excited about my growing foetus, but I really, really hate baby showers. Do you have any magical alternatives to a baby shower that would allow my friends to celebrate, but wouldn’t have the term “baby shower” in the title?
3 ways to teach kids to be body-positive
Teaching kids to be body positive is one of the most radical things we can do to further the Body Acceptance cause. By raising a generation to be critical of diet culture, body policing, and body discrimination; by raising them to love their bodies as the amazing tools they are, and to spread that love and acceptance wherever they go, we have the ability to change our culture, one beautiful child at a time.
These tips can be incredibly useful in all your dealings with young people in your life. Here are my top three tips on how to teach kids to be body-positive…
I will not teach my daughter how to avoid being raped
I cannot teach her this lesson for a simple reason — my daughter cannot avoid being raped, because being raped is not something the victim holds any control over. To teach her that she can avoid being raped, makes a fraction of the responsibility of being raped owned by her. My daughter owns none of this risk. Instead, will teach her this…
Teaching my kid about God as an ex-fundamentalist
“But Mama, what IS God?” Shit. I’m really not prepared for this conversation. For the majority of my life, I envisioned a future where this conversation with my kid would be welcome, and the answer given would be clear and certain. But the last half-decade has changed all that…