When Joshua was a baby, I was never more comfortable and confident than when my mom was with me. She had done this, so I could do this too. Even though I had no real idea what this was. This Motherhood thing was confusing. Challenging in ways I didn’t expect. I knew it was feeding, burping,…
motherhood
Thoughts On the First Day of School
In the past I’ve written Joshua a little letter about the first day back to school, some wayward notion that what I’ve been doing online for the past 8 years or so has been for him to look back on and remember fondly when he’s old and I’m dead. That’s…yeah. That’s a thing I’m not…
The Social Media Narrative of Motherhood: How the Internet Responds to Tragedy
[This post may be triggering for some readers. YMMV.] It seems the media has been rife with stories of mothers who have harmed or fatally wounded their children this week. The social media narrative surrounding it all is about to make me crazy. A mom in Texas shot her daughters during a “family meeting” because…
No Means No: Teaching Children About Consent
We were walking through Target one afternoon last week, before Brock Turner and his victim’s statement became trending topics. Emma was being kind of rambunctious, chasing her brother in and out of the clothing racks in the children’s department. He wasn’t feeling great. He’d finally had enough of her playing. “No means no, Emma! Stop…
Depression Is…
There’s a Facebook trending news story that was cached in my list that is absolutely breaking my heart. A mother in North Carolina reached the point of taking her own life and her children’s as well. The comments (I know, I know…don’t read them) are breaking my heart. On the one hand we have dozens and…