Can You Put a Price Tag on Parenting?
If you could put a value on parenting your newborn baby, a dollar amount, for all your hard work, what would that value be? The reason parents are not paid for all of the work that they do for their children is because there isn’t a government agency or corporation large enough to cover the […]
Waves
Sometimes… Parenting feels Like riding a wave In Santa Barbara Sun shining Blue sky brushed with paint strokes of white Water warm like a bath just drawn Waves Smooth, gentle, easy Kissing your ankles and calves Moving toward you and away again In a hypnotic rhythm Sometimes… Parenting feels more Like a “Sneaker Wave” […]
The Opposite of Permanent
My Mom, wise Momma of six, used to tell me on the days when I would call in tears to report that I’d already lost it with my kids ten times before 9:00 in the morning: “The days are long, but the years are short.” I took great comfort in these words, because it helped […]
The Parental Code of Honor
Have you ever heard of “The Honor Code?” It’s something usually found in academic settings or universities and is a set of rules or principles created to govern the behavior of the members within that community. A posted honor code might read something like this: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized […]
Know Your Worth
How much worth do you place on the day to day care-taking that you’re doing for your newborn? This can be a really challenging time for both parents. But it’s something that you should be discussing with one another because one of you will be the primary caregiver of your newborn – either for the […]
I’m Gonna Make You An Offer That You Can’t Refuse…
You must say yes to all offers of help. At least the ones that will actually help you! This is a skill that we’re not particularly good at as expectant or new parents. Maybe it’s our cultural attraction to the DIY model of getting things done: “If we don’t ask anyone for help, that must […]
It Isn’t Easy Being Green
We can all feel super “green” when it comes to parenting – and I’m not talking about being environmentally conscious. Parenting seems so new and foreign. It doesn’t really matter how many books you’ve read or how many classes you’ve taken in preparation for becoming parents (or even how many classes you’ve taught about the […]
Make ‘Em Laugh
One of the things that can be really frustrating for new parents is the lack of positive feedback from their newborns. They are needy little creatures at first and many new parents are hoping for babies who might not be laughing straight out of the womb, but will at least smile every once in a while. […]
Love Gives You Wings
Short and sweet reminder for all new parents: Remember that our partners will care for their babies differently from us. They are unique individuals who come to their role of parenting with their own set of family and life experiences, thoughts, and ideas about how to take care of a baby. Depending on their personal […]
Have a Little Patience
As a Senior in High School, I had this amazing AP English teacher, Ms. Lausch, who encouraged us to keep a notebook at all times. We could doodle in it, write stories, song lyrics or poems, it didn’t matter as long as we did something. She would collect the notebooks every Friday and “grade” them. […]