Seeking gender-neutral kids books
Despite knowing the importance of diversity in our kids’ lives, we live in a mostly white, hetero-normative neighbourhood. So we have to use books to introduce them to a wide variety of people of all shapes, sizes, colours, and lifestyles. Are there any kids’ books with a diverse set of characters that do fun things while just happening to be gender-neutral or gender-bending?
12 cute but not eye-roll-cutesy baby shower thank you notes
Here’s the question: “My little guy is due in July, but I’m already starting to get shower gifts. I want to be prompt with the Thank You notes, but pretty much all “baby” notes are cutesy — which is fine, but not me. Do you have any recommendations for notes that are still baby-based but not so saccharine?”
Here’s the solution…
How do you know if you’re child-neutral or child-free?
My husband definitely wants kids in a real, much more immediate sense than I do. I’ve never dealt with pangs of baby crack, but I do enjoy the company of children in certain doses. I have a toddler niece and nephews whom I love a lot, but I’ve never felt gooey for babies. I realize that just about everyone who thinks about becoming a parent questions the decision. But is there a point when you know that being child-free is truly what you want, and it’s not just cold feet?
How do you have adult time when living in a small space with a kid?
My partner and I just moved into a 600-square-foot cottage with our one-year-old. Although there’s technically a separate bedroom, the wall doesn’t go all the way to the ceiling. So it may as we’ll be a studio for sound purposes. Is there a magic equation for living in a small space with a kid? Will we ever have sex again? And what can I do when I just really, really need some personal space?
How do I navigate the murky waters of family-of-origin stories?
I loveloveloooove my big wonderful blended family, but I get weary of the conclusions people jump to looking at us. That’s a whole lot to explain, but sometimes people jump to conclusions that downright offend me — sometimes they feel like micro aggressions. Anyone else out there with wild and wonderful families that have found a way to navigate the murky waters of introductions/family-of-origin stories?
Breast pumps & messy rooms: The newborn photos I wish I had taken
When my son was born I was already a photographer. I knew I wanted and needed to capture these first few precious weeks. So, apart from arranging for a photographer to come and take a few, I also prepared all my gear and resolved to practice taking the most perfect newborn pictures.
What I didn’t know then was those “cute-baby-on-a-white-blanket-curled-up-in-a-perfect-pose” pictures would not be the ones I will treasure in five years time.
Postpartum anxiety, devastating prenatal diagnosis: What to expect when parenthood isn’t what you expected
The thing is, no one really knows what you should expect, when you’re expecting. More often than not, the things you experience as a parent are not what you expected. Sometimes they’re beautiful. Sometimes things are not so wonderful — Postpartum Anxiety. A devastating prenatal diagnosis. An abortion… So, what do you do when pregnancy or parenthood isn’t what you expected?
Becoming a wife and mother: What’s going to happen to my identity?
The kind of questions my husband and I get are totally different. People ask him, “Are you ready to lose your freedom?” while people ask me, “Are you ready to be a mother?” Maybe it’s just the way these jokes and comments and questions stacked up, but it doesn’t feel like I can just “lighten up.” Any confidence I had in myself to ignore what people were saying quickly dissipated, and one of my newest and biggest worries was born.
As I grow in my relationship with my husband and future family, what’s going to happen to my identity?