In case you forget: the rest of the world keeps on going even after you have a kid
My husband and I were THOSE super-liberal kids: we brazenly (and somewhat immaturely) ranted and raved about The State of The World, felt smug about the fact that we only watched independent media, and derided anyone who didn’t agree that of course social programs should be available for anyone who needs them, and of course the food we eat is loaded up with a thousand things that are killing us, and of course we were right. About everything.
What can we call ourselves besides aunt and uncle?
What do you call yourself if you are an “Aunt” or an “Uncle,” or what do you call your relatives who fit this role, but not this name?
Some people get things and some people don’t: how do you explain privilege to your kids?
I’m curious: how do various offbeat parents explain privilege to your kids? Not the “you’ve lost your computer privileges for the day, young lady!” kind of privilege, but the kind of privilege we talk about in social justice work: advantages our society hands to people based on their (perceived or actual) identities and experiences.
My experience being pregnant while serving in the US Navy
Being a woman in a male hyper-sexual environment is difficult enough, but being pregnant is a whole new story. I was serving on board a US Navy command ship in Yoosuka, Japan, as an electronics technician when I found out I was pregnant. The field I worked in put me with an all-male workforce — it took me almost a year to be seen as a hard worker and as an equal. I pretty much dominated my job. I was the best of the best.
We Are The Face of Equality: a project created for and by LGBT families
A few weeks ago we were introduced to a really cool project called We Are the Face of Equality. The video-based project was started by Stephanie, a twenty-five-year-old lesbian in Indiana. Her goal is to collect videos and photos of LGBT people around the world and compile them into one slideshow and/or book. I asked her a few questions about the project, so get ready to read those and find out how you can participate.
Why punk rock dudes can make great dads
In case you haven’t heard yet, there’s a movie rolling through theaters called The Other F Word. In this case, “F” stands for family, and this documentary is all about punks who have become parents. The tag line: “What happens when a generation’s ultimate anti-authoritarians — punk rockers — become society’s ultimate authorities — dads?” pretty much sums it up nicely. The father-focused film follows Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath, and Pennywise’s Jim Lindberg on their punk dad journey, which you can preview here.
How taking daily mini-hikes helps me deal with The Baby Stuff
One day, after they had been sitting next to the back door for nearly six months without being used, I felt like my hiking boots were… looking at me. With an expression. I looked back at them and thought about all the reasons why not. My boots stayed where they were, and I made heartfelt explanations as to why I felt we couldn’t be together.
Celebrating mama sneaker fiends
So what exactly are the highs and lows of combining an obsession for kicks with the responsibilities of parenthood? One of the sweetest highlights is sharing a passion with your kids. As Annie explains it, “It’s great to see my girls find their own love and joy for sneakers. Their reactions to new sneakers are really the true embodiment of how happy I feel with a dope pair of sneakers, and they don’t hold back!”