What’s the deal with gender-neutral parenting?
In recent years, however, we’ve seen a trend come about: parents are now choosing to raise their kids in “gender neutral” ways, eliminating any preconceptions about what a child should like or not like based on the sex they’re assigned at birth, in varying degrees.
My family is changing, I don’t know what to do about it, and that’s okay
Through single motherhood, relocation from the continent back to Hawaii, custody battles, family drama, building a new relationship and creating our family, job changes, graduate school, and career readjustments, I’ve had very few moments in which I’ve questioned what or how I was doing as a parent. Parenthood has taught me not to expect the status quo — every day is different. Every day brings a new challenge or change, and every day you stretch a little bit more to be the parent you need to be.
6 valuable life (and parenting) lessons that I learned from Disney’s Frozen
Our house, like so many others, has been inundated with the Disney phenomenon that is the movie Frozen. However, after many viewings and even more sing-a-longs, rather than tire of it, I feel like I’m finally seeing it for the deep and powerful parable that it is. Because, like any truly powerful storytelling, the magic comes in hearing these message again and again…
How do you announce your adoption plans?
My husband and I just decided and made the first step to adopt a child. This is a super exciting time in our life, and I’d like to share it with people. But I feel like a simple Facebook post just isn’t the right way or doesn’t do the announcement justice. I’m wondering if any offbeat readers have any suggestions/feedback/or advice on announcing you’re adopting a child?
Kids need to see parents living their passions
“My daughter is so much more fearless than I was at her age. She knows how to lean into her fears, because she’s watched me do it. I think that’s the ultimate story of me starting a company: my daughter is more fearless because she’s seen her mom lean into the hard stuff of pursuing her passion. I want to see that be true for more moms and kids.”
The single mom stigma
I’ve never — not even once — been late on the rent in all my adult life. I have a stable job at a world-class University. I make a decent income. I’m not rich, but I can pay the bills and live comfortably. So why, then, am I seen as a “liability” to landlords? Oh, right. The single mom stigma.
On being a heavily-tattooed parent in the “white picket fence” suburbs
Tattooing has been around for thousands of years. It is one of the oldest forms of art, laden with as many different meanings as there are global cultures. And they’re all fun and games when you are young and carefree — society is more likely to accept your tattoos and move on with their lives. But I have found that the rules change when you become parents.
Different last names: How do I make our family sound more coherent?
I am a divorced woman who will be getting re-married soon. Part of me wants my daughter and I to have the same name, but I also don’t want to be stuck with the name that is associated with such a crap time in my life. Since I can’t change our child’s last name to that of my husband, is there anything that I can do to make our new family sound more coherent?