How can I explain scary events and tragedies to my toddler?
My family and I live in Colorado — right in the middle of the Waldo Canyon fire that’s been in the news recently. We’re safe and so are most of our friends, but we’re facing impending evacuation and have no idea what’s going to happen next. How can we explain what’s going on to our two-year-old?
You’ll seeeeee: parental fear-mongering predictions that didn’t come true
It seems as though we tell each other a lot of scary stories about parenthood. I mean, of course people want to share their experiences with each other. But all too often this storytelling slips into fear mongering. It’s sort of a pre-emptive commiseration — an anticipatory sing-song of Oh, you’ll seeeee….
Becoming a mom motivated me to learn to ride a bike
I wouldn’t say bike riding was a phobia, but I was 22 and I didn’t know how to ride. There was definitely a psychological part to it, but mostly I was just embarrassed. When you’re five, you’re fearless! When you’re 22, not so much.
How we’re handling our surprise pregnancy
We were in what many people would consider a “dream” situation for a first child. My husband and I had been married for over two years, we own the place where we live and we both have reasonably stable jobs. Despite all of this, I was devastated to find myself pregnant. I felt totally unprepared for this major life change — like I had been cheated out of the second half of my twenties, like I hadn’t gotten enough time alone with my husband. I was numb for about 36 hours after we found out.
A year of sleeping dangerously
We started tracking Tavi’s sleep the day after he was born, using a tool called Trixie Tracker. I knew I couldn’t control Tavi’s newborn sleep habits, but somehow keeping track of the awfulness was going to help me.
Interview with Eden & Alice of Let’s Panic About Babies
Eden Kennedy and Alice Bradley have both been mommybloggers since before the term existed. The two co-founded the hilarious Let’s Panic About Babies! in 2008, and have been mocking fear-based baby culture ever since.
The terrorism of health recommendations for mothers
“It seems like every time I turn around there is another warning about BPA, VOCs or phthalates in products. Just how terrified should I be?”
Dealing with fears while roadtripping with a baby
Taking a road trip with a baby was a great experience. In part because it felt like it set a good precedent for family adventures — and in part because at times I was terrified.