What kind of gifts can atheist godparents give at a christening?
My husband’s sister has just had her first baby, and they’ve asked him to be godfather; they understand that he’s a staunch atheist and will not be part of his niece’s religious education. All of the complexities there aside for a moment, here’s my question: what do my husband and I give her as a christening gift?
They really say just about anything: readers share their favorite kid quotes
Kids are notorious for saying all kinds of random shit — the phrase “kids say the darndest things” doesn’t exist for no reason. My own son had us literally LOLing recently, so I shared what he said on the Offbeat Mama Facebook page.
5 suggestions for playing safely when your “yard” is a parking lot
We moved into an apartment last year and I noticed something odd: two of the buildings have smushed patches behind them that could count as yards — one unit inexplicably has a back door, even — but it’s not in a place where the kids can really play safely and supervised. What’s the alternative? The parking lot? With cars?!
Breastfeeding moms rejoice: drinking coffee isn’t going to mess up your baby’s sleep
I remember spending HOURS Googling many variations of “If I drink coffee will my breastfed baby be hopped up on caffeinie?” when my son was an infant. I’m not even exaggerating — hours and hours and hours. I was worried that my son would turn into a coffee-addicted person before his time (because face it: in our family, it’s bound to happen) and convinced that his less-than-stellar sleeping skills were because I drank coffee 8 hours before I nursed him.
How do you maintain career momentum after parenthood?
Kids are definitely in the cards for my partner and I, but so is having a career. My mother worked all through my childhood, and I think it had a great influence on my sister and I, so I know working parents are good parents. But my mother worked for the government and I work in the creative industries, putting in 14 hour days and having maybe one or two weekends off a month. I see almost no women in the more senior positions in my industry, and those that do don’t have kids.
DIY jersey maternity dress: an easy way to deal with summer heat during pregnancy
If you’re pregnant this time of the year, especially in the early stages, you probably are wondering what you can wear during the summer. When I was pregnant last year, jersey dresses sounded like the best way to deal with heat — they’re cool, comfy around the waist, and stretchy enough to last until late pregnancy. However, I had a weirdly hard time finding the jersey dresses I envisioned in stores — most dresses had waists that were a little too low, or they were long and heavy maxi dresses, or their fabric wasn’t stretchy enough.
Oh shit: I really am old enough to have a teenager
When you’re in the mix of diapers and tantrums and first grade plays and Toothfairy charades, you really can’t envision your children as teenagers. We get caught up in the thick of life in the moment — as it should be — and it seems impossible to envision our kids as these independent, intellectually expressive beings.
7 tips for helping your child focus on their health — not the number on the scale
Throughout my elementary years I was a pudgy kid. By the time my lingering baby fat had fallen off I had learned to think of myself as overweight, unattractive, and lazy. I wore layers to hide my body, never went swimming in a group, and was a chronic dieter until my early twenties when I essentially stopped eating altogether. I eventually climbed out of that hole but here I am at twenty-six and I find myself feeling like that fat kid all too easily.