Posts under ‘parenting’

I Don’t Love You

Image credit: Photo by jessica.garro on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons Most parents hear it at one time or another.  Some variation on the universal theme of parent awfulness: "I hate you. I wish you were dead. I don't like you.  I'm not going to be your child anymore.  I want a new Mommy/Daddy.  You're the [...]

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Sleepy Haikus for My Baby Girl

"Mama, I can't sleep. Can you breathe me to sleep, please?" "Ok, close your eyes..." "Breathe in sleep, out cares. Breathe in soft starlight, out sun. Float on breath to dreams." "Each breath is a gift, a wave lapping slumber's shore, gently lulling you." Dark lashes lie still, small hands unfold like petals, and sleep [...]

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How Austen Convinced Me Torture Doesn’t Work

Image credit: Photo by ...-Wink-... on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons "How did you know?" my son Austen asked. "Know what, buddy?" I asked.  We had been talking about how a particular connector fit into a particular slot.  This, along with batteries and speakers, is a particular fascination of Austen's lately.  When we were watching [...]

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Parenting 101

Image credit: Photo by -Gerol on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons If you have kids, or if you're planning to have kids, or if you know people who have kids and know you'd do it better, you should listen up today, because I am going to do something I rarely do: tell you all how [...]

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Orchid Children

Image credit: Photo by Te55 on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons One thing most addicts have in common is a history of childhood abuse or neglect.  According to research by sex addiction expert Patrick Carnes, 81% of sex addicts were sexually abused as children and 97% were physically and/or emotionally abused or neglected.  But quote [...]

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The Fall of a Sparrow

Image credit: Photo by Ashley Dinges on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons "I don't want to get up and I don't want to go to school!" my daughter Janie yelled when she heard me chime "Time to get up!" this morning.  ("Well, maybe tonight you will go to sleep on time so you won't be [...]

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Asking for Help

Image credit: Photo by Jose Téllez on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons You know why I hate the word codependent?  (And although I have taken on that label, I still truly do.)  It has the word "dependent" right there in the word.  Weak, wussy little "dependent."  It practically whines at you: "I'm so helpless.  I [...]

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Just For Today Challenge: November 24, 2009

Image credit: Photo by catdancing on Flickr Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC 2.0 Last week, I asked you all to join the Just for Today Challenge with me, where we would all change one thing about our lives for just one day. I'll share what I did, and if you did something yourself, either share [...]

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One of Those Days

Image credit: Photo by k a t m Licensed under Creative Commons I sort of want to write a post today, but I sort of want to curl up under a blanket and watch the leaves fall more. Of course, I say that, all romantic, with this great image of myself curled up with a [...]

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My First Sabbath

Image credit: Photo by Saad.Akhtar Licensed under Creative Commons Last week, oddly inspired by the humorous book The Year of Living Biblically, I decided I wanted to try to add a little Sabbath into my own life.  Couldn't I use a day of rest once a week, even if I didn't have an organized religion [...]

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