What yoga is teaching me about raising spiritual kids
My husband Ivan and I do not happen to follow the practices of any organized religion, and before we had kids that seemed to be working just fine. We come from different backgrounds (mine agnostic with varying degrees of Christianity in my heritage, his a mix between Jewish and agnostic), but had generally landed in the same spot in adulthood: we believe in a Higher Power, and He or She may or may not be bearded (which does not necessarily designate gender; perhaps just a divine aversion to wax).
They really say just about anything: readers share their favorite kid quotes
Kids are notorious for saying all kinds of random shit — the phrase “kids say the darndest things” doesn’t exist for no reason. My own son had us literally LOLing recently, so I shared what he said on the Offbeat Mama Facebook page.
A handmade rainbow-and-clover-themed birthday party for a one-year-old
What do you do when your kidlet is born on St. Patrick’s day? Throw a rainbow-and-clover themed party! Complete with a unicorn piñata that’s about to get its head whacked off.
Offbeat Mama Kid’s Mix Vol 1: songs for and about the road
Since pregnancy, and possibly even before, I’ve been determined that my child wouldn’t listen to those CDs of kids singing covers of pop songs in kid voices. There’s nothing inherently WRONG with those CDs, but I have zero interest, possibly even less than zero interest, in ever playing one in my home or my car. While I was pregnant and putting together for my never-used labor and birth playlist, I wondered if it’d be easy to get my son to like whatever we like — and now that I have a three-year-old, I have learned that it is. I know this won’t last forever (and god only knows what the 2020s hold for his teenage-hood), but for now? TOTALLY WORKS.
Zoo animals and kids: they’re basically the same thing
My partner and I don’t have kids yet, but we’re trying. As more of my friends squeeze out little bundles of joy, I’m struck by how similar zookeepers and parents really are. For one, we’re both obsessed with poop. Moreover, we take our jobs as caregivers very, very seriously. When you have another life depending on you, it’s time to step up your game. Here are five ways that being a zookeeper will make me a better parent.
A Very Hungry Caterpillar birthday party you can totally pull off
Oooh how I love the birthday party that Elle recently threw for her now one-year-old daughter, Penelope. The decor, food, and attire were inspired by Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and unlike a lot of birthdays you’ll see, this one is TOTALLY pull-offable. You basically need cardboard, yarn, paper streamers, and some fruit and you have a insta-caterpillar birthday success.
How did you find a baby-sitter you can trust?
I have been working more lately and as a result we have had to call on friends and family to help with the kids. Luckily we have a very tight support group around us and usually getting help isn’t too hard. It’s usually more reasonable to send the children to their grandparents’ and let them pass the kids between the two houses.
How can we celebrate our kid’s birthday without a cake?
My son’s first birthday is fast approaching, and I am debating whether or not to make him a cake. He hasn’t eaten anything with sugar (other than the sugars naturally found in fruit and breastmilk) and I would like to keep it that way as long as possible.