She’s the quintessential matriarch… the wisest old owl… the strongest of guardians… And with about four and a half billion years of relevant experience under her belt, I’d say she’s worth our attention. Mother Nature—the ultimate teacher. We’d be foolish not to acknowledge (and apply) her lessons. In fact, it’s probably one of the most beneficial things we can do […]
Parenting
Posted inCulture
Whatever, Mom
Just Take Those Old Records
I don’t consider myself a very opinionated individual, but I’d rather chew on bleach-soaked glass shards while wrestling a rabid porcupine than listen to modern-day radio’s pathetic excuse for music. That said, you can probably imagine the amount of exposure my 5-year-old son has had to the mainstream tunes of his generation… It’s simply one […]
Posted inCulture
Whatever, Mom
Preschool Teaching
From the writers and designers to the travel agents and assistants, stay-at-home careers seem to be quite the norm these days. Even for the preschool teacher. Personally, I couldn’t imagine any pursuit requiring bigger cajones than the latter. Which is why I give mad props to local mama Mindy Noe for transforming her home into […]
Posted inCulture
Whatever, Mom
Mommieotyping
We’ve all done it—in the grocery aisle, at the park, in our cars, at our kids’ schools… It’s called mommieotyping—the observation, judgment and categorization of mothers. You can refute it all you want, but you can’t hide those criticizing eyes in the checkout line at Walmart. Don’t worry, no one’s judging you for it. Oh, […]
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Whatever, Mom
Mommy’s little secret
For decades, child psychologists have been analyzing the effects of parental separation—or more specifically, maternal deprivation. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I’ll sum it up for you: Children need their mommies. And why wouldn’t they? Sure, there’s the whole nine-months-of-bonding-in-the-womb factor, but it goes far beyond that… We feed and nurture […]
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Whatever, Mom
Finding the niche
If you’re a mother, you’ve likely referred to the infancy stage as “the era of eat-shit-sleep.” But if you’re a breastfeeding mother, it’s very possible that the primary word was just eat. I understand. It’s quite shocking how much those tiny creatures can consume—not to mention how proficient they are when it comes to demanding […]
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Whatever, Mom
Mom to Mom II
Yes, interviewing your own mother takes at least two parts (not to mention a whole lot of gratitude for her willingness to participate). So here’s mine… And thanks, Mom. I (literally) don’t know where I’d be without you. Which was (or has been) more challenging—the earlier years or post-teens? “Definitely post-teens. It’s harder to listen […]
Posted inCulture
Whatever, Mom
Mom to Mom
There’s one woman in my life that tops all the rest. One calm, wise woman that knows a thing or two about patience. One woman that embodies the qualities of an incredible mother in ways I can only hope to mimic for my sweet Cade. And I owe this woman all the credit in the […]
Posted inCulture
Whatever, Mom
Another “broken family”
Some might say I come from one. And I suppose that by pure definition, they’d be right. My parents did split when I was 15, my immediate family no longer functioned as a whole, and I was definitely a bit grief-stricken. It’s a fitting description, but I still wouldn’t fully agree… For the longest time […]
Posted inCulture
Whatever, Mom
Not Quite Mother Teresa
There’s no such thing as a perfect mother. And as one of the flawed, I know how uncomfortable it can be to own up to those “Oh my god, she did/said what?” childrearing bloopers. Which is why I’d like to commend a few brave mamas for recently agreeing to… well, get pretty damn personal with […]