Tag Archives: parenting

Momversation: When to Give Parenting Advice to Friends?

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Is giving parental advice more tender than any other kind of advice? When Martin Luther King Jr. was told to slow down on integration and the civil rights of people of color, was that welcome advice? One can give advice and thankfully, one can always reject it.

Jessica Gottlieb asked the question. Me, Asha, and Maggie answer.

What do you do ?

Momversation:The Worst Parenting Stories

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Hey, just in case we need to review this… Momversation.com is another site where mom bloggers send in videos to discuss certain topics in parenting. I am one of the panelists on Momversation. Today Alice from finslippy.com leads the discussion with “What is your worst parenting story?” Heather of www.dooce.com, one of the biggest mom sites out there, and I chime in.

The one bit I taped that I would add to this story (but gosh it can’t go on forever is this). We mostly address the trials of having young children, but from observing friends, cousins, and my husband, the worst parenting stories are with your older children who do things or make choices that are not good or productive for them and you cannot effect change.  Lack of sleep and temper tantrums be damned, not being able to connect, reach, or alter what your child is doing on a life choice level, that would be the worst parenting moment.

Right?

Our Upside Down World

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Imagine saying this… “Please don’t load the dishwasher; I’ll do it.”

At 5 a.m.: “No, don’t get up; I’ve got the baby, you sleep.”

These are the kind of things coming through my abnormally kind mouth the last 24 hours as Mark recuperates from his eye surgery. We went back to UCLA this morning at the doctor told him had he not had the surgery it would have been “catastrophic.” Yikes.

Happily Mark is not in any pain. It itches but not super bad. When the nurse took off the patch at the examination he said, “How does it look, honey?”

“You know that last scene in the original Rocky where he is screaming for Adrian? Like that.”

So he can’t leave the house for a week. He can move around, but no lifting, straining, bending over, gardening (there goes that herb garden I was looking forward to).

I was pretty freaked looking at his eye. Our vulnerability can hit us at times and make me shaky. Then you get over your fear and the other self takes over.

We had some nice, mellow moments at home today. Since he has to slow the pace down I said he better be careful ’cause without activity he could blimp up, and I’m not into being married to a big fattie.

He has been watching a lot of TV, and he did make some applesauce for Rex, which he loved. Ahhh.

A FEW HOURS LATER…

Okay, is he better yet?

Yes, he did coach me on how to make a sauce for the petrale sole I was making, but I am so used to him not being here. We just had a fight about the appropriate way to reprimand Vivien, or not at all… which was my vote. And Nosy Nellie decided to update my software thus causing me to lose things I had open on my computer.

I felt like a teenager in a sense saying, “Leave my stuff alone!!” He thinks if the software update thing is bouncing it means immediate action.

Okay, watching “Top Chef: Masters” finale with him was fun. He was really intense. We were both glad that Rick Bayless won. His food is incredible, and we personally really like him.

“I wish I could email him and congratulate him” Mark said.

“You can.” I said without thinking

“But I can’t read.” Oh, right.

I can do it for you. Group hug.

On Momversation: Why Do You Care How I Parent My Child?

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On today’s Momversation, Rebecca from Girl’s Gone Child asks “Why do you care how I parent?” She really had some major buttinskies get in her face as a new mom, so I don’t blame her for being a little peeved. When should we give advice to other parents, or should we at all? And if someone is up in your stuff, how do you handle it?

On Momversation: Where Do Babies Come From?

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In this episode of Momversation, Heather Armstrong from dooce.com has a vexing problem: How do you tell your 4-year-old about how the baby you’re carrying got there in the first place? I know what I’d say – I’m kind of nuts and bolts – but I’m curious to hear what other moms would say. In a pinch, Heather came up with a good cover story you can remember, as well.

On Momversation: Disagreeing With Your Partner’s Parenting

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Today on Momversation we’re talking about how to deal with parenting differences between partners. Alice Bradley of Finslippy asks: What do you do when you disagree with your partner’s parenting decisions? Is it okay to disagree in front of your kids, or should you present a united front and duke it out later? Heather Armstrong of dooce, Maggie Mason of Mighty Girl, and I all weigh in with our experiences.

How do you deal with this issue in your household? Let us know in the comments, and check out the Momversation in our related forums:

Hands-Off Parenting Worked… This Time

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Vivien now wants to do everything by herself and we are in big trouble if we try to help. Getting dressed, putting on pull-ups or panties, getting in the car… these are all things that can make Sybil appear if we get in her way.

Hands-Off Parenting

We were having some battles but last night, instead of getting into it, I calmly said, “Here’s your pull-up. Let me know when you are ready for bed.” And I walked away. God, it was so much nicer than “Come here, get in your PJ’s, wait, don’t take off your pull-ups,” etc.  A few minutes later, sweet as can be, she said, “I’m ready for bed, Mommy.”

Really? Almost surprised when I’m not more ragged out.