Balance for working parents in emotionally demanding jobs
After a particularly difficult day at work, I snapped at my 3-year-old over something minor that totally didn’t warrant such an overreaction. As I registered the hurt in her eyes, I realized what had happened — I had given so much of my patience to my students that day, there was none left for my own child when she needed it. After a good long cry and some consolation ice cream (for both of us), I knew I needed to start being more intentional about my work/life balance if I didn’t want my psyche to implode like a dying star of stress and guilt.
These are a few of the strategies I’ve put in place to preserve my sanity and ensure that everyone in my life—myself included—gets the care they deserve.
Learning to cope with a parent in prison
My mom went to prison for drugs, the first time, when I was seven years old. When my mom was arrested again, five weeks before my wedding, everything came crashing down on me.
I feel like it’s something that’s so taboo to talk about, even though (according to the US Bureau of Justice) over 2.2 million people were incarcerated in 2013. That’s a big, big number for something that isn’t regularly being talked about…
Mama, why are you fat?: Teaching kids about different bodies
Growing up, I was teased all the time about my weight, and it affected me profoundly. I was almost 30 before I reached a place where I could just inhabit my body without seeing it as a problem. I decided that I didn’t want to view my own skin as an enemy. And I certainly don’t want my children growing up thinking that everyone should look like people in magazines, or that we should all just be miserable with our physical bodies because they aren’t “perfect.”
We all fight this fight, and we probably all want a better world for our children to have bodies in. How do we make that happen?
It’s scary to actually like someone again: Dating after divorce
I’m a young person who likes the company of other persons for kissing and such, so I didn’t waste a lot of time finding people to do that with, once I submitted my divorce paperwork.
It was actually thanks to my ex’s suggestion, that I ended up getting on a free dating site for humans…
How young is too young to teach kids about sexual objectification?
Recently, some situations have come up which make me, as an intersectional feminist, question how to speak to my sister, let alone my nieces, about sexual objectification. How young is too young to teach kids about sexual objectification? Beyond that, has anyone got any ideas on how to break down sexual objectification for young people to understand?
My partner’s a catch, why don’t I feel relationship satisfaction?
When I was proposed to, I questioned it before ultimately saying “yes.” When what I thought about saying was “I guess.” He is an excellent catch, so why do I not feel confident in my decision to be with him?
Is this something that happens when you get married? Does every couple experience this?
How to move on when I’m still living with my ex
My partner and I split up a few months ago. Unfortunately, since then I have had a difficult time finding work, we are still living in the same house. I have felt incredibly alone and it has been difficult for me to separate from this relationship because he was my best friend. On top of that, we had moved out of state, away from home 2.5 years earlier, and my pool of friends/support here is a single digit. How do I move on when I’m still living with my ex?
Is my offbeat lifestyle hurting my child?
In my town, like so many small towns, perception is everything. Thankfully over the years I’ve developed a thick skin. It didn’t matter to me what these people thought… until my daughter came into the picture. Then the fears ran rampant: Will she be invited to playdates? Will she be ashamed of me at parent-teacher meetings? Will she get in trouble for her inherited penchant for dark artwork? Is my outward appearance going to ruin her life? Will she hate me and wish I was a little more June Cleaver and a little less Morticia Addams?