It might seem frivolous to those who feel right at home being called “mom” or “dad,” but many queer parents agonize over what their children will call them. At my partner’s choir concert, my daughter is disruptive. She wants to sing; she wants to dance; she wants to be held by her dad. The choir […]
Dear Dana is a bi-weekly advice column for humans who engage in romantic relationships. Please send your dilemmas, issues, conundrums, assumptions, conflicts, anxieties, worriments, obstacles, complications, predicaments, queries, questions, and any other synonyms for “problems” to deardana@rolereboot.org. Dear Dana, I don’t know what to do and could really use your help. I have two young kids, […]
The idea that young men need to learn about consent in high school or college goes hand-in-hand with the idea that sex education shouldn’t be taught before then, either. The second week of first grade, my 6-year-old son came home and told me, very seriously, “Mama, I have a girlfriend and I love her.” I […]
Who would have thought that being a failure would be so useful? If at first you don’t succeed, lay on your bathroom floor in the fetal position and weep until sunrise. No? Oh. Just me then? Apparently the saying is something more along the lines of, “get up and keep trying. MY GOD what is […]
In 2018 I resolve to spend less time obsessing about the chasm between my own life and the fantasy of idealized motherhood, and more time enjoying what I already have. Last month I was hanging out with a friend – another mom – while our daughters played together. “Are you making New Year’s resolutions?” I […]
There are times in our lives when we just need the emotional band-aid of booze to soften the razor-sharp view of reality. Oh, the Holigays. The super-sweet, oh-so-lovely, super-cozy time of year that we lezzies adore with every fiber of our lez beings. It’s the gayest time of year, after all. All those sparkly, twinkly […]
As a parent, I’ve always hoped to raise kids who are better than me. It never occurred to me that raising kids who think for themselves would mean their ideas of success — and how to get there — would be very different from mine. I’ve struggled with many things as a mother but I’ve […]
“Parenting” has become a competitive sport. But it’s kids who are losing. When my daughters were little, we did a lot of time at our neighborhood playgrounds. I’d park myself on a bench with a book, or chat with my friends while the kids played. Sometimes, I’d push them on a swing, or spot them […]
