Single mothers are the fastest growing student demographic in the United States. As a new semester begins and college professors polish their syllabi, I would like to take this opportunity to ask them to also consider the climate of their courses—that is, do the syllabus requirements and course activities take into account that some of […]
Breastfeeding was a war zone and we were both casualties. It was my friend who finally made me see sense. She’s a doctor so her opinion cut through in a way my other friends couldn’t, even if they’d told me the same thing. “Mia, you’ve been on antibiotics for 70 days in the past six […]
What drives young men who commit horrific crimes? It may be a simple lack of basic morality. Lately, when I see a scowling teenage boy walking through my suburban town, skateboard clutched under one arm, a starscape of acne across his forehead, I experience a quiver of anxiety. The same apprehension clutches me when a […]
I tried—really tried—to shield her from corporate culture and feminine stereotypes. As a post-modern feminist progressive liberal parent, I was supposed to be the kind of woman who spawned a gender-neutral, omni-racial child. When I was pregnant, my prevailing philosophy was that gender was a construct created by social convention, and I was convinced my […]
Many adult children of abusers continue to deal with ongoing abuse long after we have reached the age of maturity. The first time I became aware of adult children being abused by their parents was when I went on my fifth date with Ken, a guy I met when I was in Bible college. I […]
If you’re looking for feminist and gender-inclusive gifts for an expectant friend (and her baby), here are some suggestions. I recently had the honor of helping organize a baby shower registry for a friend. Except there was one tiny problem: She already had all the basic baby stuff covered. So I turned this potential glitch into […]
I promised myself I would be the opposite of everything my mother had been. It was 7am on a Saturday. I was standing in the bathroom, holding a stick and waiting for a word to appear. A little suspicion in the back of my mind had grown into a giant bubble of hope, and so […]
Is my only child some kind of personal statement or a selfish reflection of my desire for more free time? Hell no. It’s just…what happened. It’s life. My wife and I have one kid. I’m not sure if we’re going to have another one. There’s a very decent chance that my daughter will be an […]
