People

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?

I became a disabled housewife, right after the wedding

I became a disabled housewife, without any warning, so quickly after we married that I’d felt as if I’d tricked him, or pulled the ol’ bait-and-switch. And while my husband has a great job, that can easily, comfortably support both of us and our rescue dogs, but I still deal with feelings of guilt for not being able to financially contribute to our partnership.

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…

How much should I sacrifice self-expression for a relationship?

Since my husband and I have been together my appearance has changed. But I noticed that somewhere along the way, I started dressing in a way to please him, more than myself. Now I can’t help wondering… How can I express myself and maintain peace in my relationship?

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…