A rainbow bedroom for an eight-year-old in Norway
You guys will have to bear with me — this kid’s bedroom is featured on his mom’s blog, which is written in Norwegian. LUCKILY the room itself is a fantastic mash-up of all things bright and cheery so I don’t need words to know that. Here are a few of my favorite spots — more at the source!
5 back to school lessons learned by a LGBTQ family
We are mere weeks away from our little one returning to school. Back-to-school supply ads and lists are dominating our dining table. Conversation about which backpack to use for school, which past classmates will be in this year’s class and how we prioritize homework and soccer are taking place daily. For our family, back to school also means that our family has another opportunity to come out, be seen and expand our circle of friends. Our little man is a remarkable soon-to-be second grader. He’s curious and friendly. He’s independent and playful. And he’s proud to his two mamas.
An adoptive family welcomes their newest addition with a Red Thread Session
Today we get to share a flawless family session with you guys that’s straight outta California. East coast photographers Val and Sarah hooked with Harmony and her family through Red Thread Sessions, a service that connects adoptive families with photographers interested in documenting their growing families.
The 25 most adorable cosplayers at Comic-Con
EEEEP! I am loving this round-up of 25 adorable cosplayers at Comic-Con — it’s the perfect antidote for those of us nursing our “I can’t go to Comic-Con” blues. How can you feel sad when such a cute version of Iron Man exists?! Here are a few more of my faves!
The importance of teaching kids about their bodies to protect them
I still remember the conversation, in the coat room of a restaurant for my eighth birthday where my parents tried to explain to me that I had done nothing wrong and why I needed to tell them when an adult acted in a way that made me uncomfortable. They also reiterated that while respecting adults is important that, my body belonged to me and that no one should yell at me, bully or ever touch me without my permission.
How I used physical sensations when explaining colours to a blind child
How do you explain the concept of colours to a small child who had never seen anything but black? When we got told that there was to be a blind child at our kindergarten class, we got sent to a course in how to best stimulate such a child. The number one thing we learned was to play with her other senses, which is often more developed than in people with normal eye sight.
Talking about being safe online freaked out my kid
We started with a basic conversation on how not everyone online is who they seem, and that she shouldn’t give out personal information. I kept it light, like “In your game you’re a wizard with purple skin, and we know you’re not really a wizard and you have peach skin, so the person you meet who say’s they’re an 11 year old boy with a Mohawk could really be an eight-year-old girl with a ponytail”, etc. Through the course of our conversation, she asked why safety is an issue online, and I let her know, in generic terms, that sometimes people use online personas to manipulate or bully or hurt other people, and that sometimes it can spill over into offline life.
When you’re not your biological child’s “first” parents
Even though our story is somewhat unique, the idea of bringing a child into your home years after they’re born isn’t a new one. So often folks are hesitant to bring older children through their home, through adoption or other means, because of a fear that it’ll be more difficult to bond with a child you don’t receive as an infant. Through my limited experience (my own family experience!), I understand where this fear is coming from, but want to say that children bond with people who take care of them. Even without a genetic connection, a child, regardless of age, wants to feel love and likes the idea of being part of a family.