Thoughts about how urban parents are changing the face of homeschooling
Education is always a big topic on parenting sites — we’ve chatted about those who opt for public, private, home, and unschooling throughout this site’s existence. Michelle recently shared a piece that resonated with me: Linda Perlstein’s Why Urban, Educated Parents are Turning to DIY Education.
Lainie and Miro: one mom, her son, and their adventures around the globe
It was clear that Miro was no ordinary kid and his mum was no ordinary parent. Mother and son had left their home in LA back in 2009 in order to travel the world for eight years. They had left behind all the traditional models for parenting and education in search of a nomadic existence. They were currently staying in a hostel in Manizales, Colombia. They were my first introduction to the concept of world schooling and I was fascinated to learn more of their story.
Does my special needs daughter really eat lunch alone every day?
It began with a simple question at the grocery store last night. We were choosing all the pieces for Schuyler’s lunch and were trying to change things up a little. We wanted to get her some new drinks but were unsure if she would be able to open the bottles. Schuyler’s polymicrogyria has some big features and some small ones, and one of its less frightening but still annoying impairments involves her fine motor skills. We asked her if she thought she would be able to open the bottle. She said she thought so, but still seemed a little unsure.
How can I talk to my tween sister about breasts and other body parts?
I’m not a mom, but I’m getting lots of practice while helping raise my nieces and cousins and by living with my twelve-year-old sister, Angela. Angela is on the cusp of puberty and doesn’t really have a parent to talk to — my mom sent her to live with us, and my dad isn’t much use for gender-specific troubles. I’m stepping up to the plate, but am being confronted with some sticky situations.
Turning five is all the sweeter with a homemade Ms. Pac-Man cake
When my friend invited us to her daughter’s fifth birthday and I found out that it was partially Ms. Pac-Man-themed I soon thereafter asked if I could snap a few shots of the day. The birthday was held at a local pizza shop, which was awesome for the kids and adults in attendance — kids snacked on pizza and adults had coffee and beer. Birthday party win!
The Incident: my son was bullied for having gay parents
A few months back, I wrote that my son had never been bullied at his Texas public school. Perhaps it was inevitable, given that Waylon is in third grade now, but a week or two later there was an incident. The story unfolded over dinner at our favorite neighborhood Texmex restaurant. Waylon was well into his second bean and cheese taco when he broached the subject. “Mom, B– said that being gay is bad.”
What do you do when your kid is inadvertently rude to strangers?
I’m a server at a restaurant that has a unisex uniform that includes a button-down white oxford and tie. I’m a woman who has a very short pixie haircut. Recently, a young girl loudly proclaimed to me, “YOU LOOK LIKE A BOY!”
“Mom, why do the kids at school call me poor?”
A few months ago my three children and I moved from a not-so-great suburb of Detroit to a more affluent part of the city. I was thrilled by the idea of them attending a school in at top-notched district that also seemed to have a close-knit and more liberal leaning community. Up until a few days ago everything was going as smooth a skein of fair trade silk. Now that the ripples of a new move and a new school have dissipated, that “new community smell” is starting to get a little rank.