When will people stop treating Lyla Cicero’s husband like a saint just for doing his job as a dad? When my husband goes out alone with our children—diaper bag and double stroller in tow—the seas part for him as onlookers pause to gawk at the adorable twins, and their brave, laudable father “giving mom a […]
Is parental oversharing on social media a cry for empathy, and for connection with other parents? What is it about kids’ crying and misbehavior that provoke such a reaction in us? It’s visceral. Whether your child is 2 weeks old or 2 years old, a child’s screams and weird behavior can rip at your inner […]
Rather than dealing with an issue upfront, Sydne Didier wrote about it here, and in the process, the problem only escalated. Last week, I wrote something for Role/Reboot—about the parent cliques at my son’s school—that struck a cord. And I’ve been on the verge of tears ever since. Nauseous. Sad. Worried. Anxious. And at the […]
The idea that a woman can love her own child and passionately support abortion rights should not be a provocative one. But it still is. I tried for almost a year to become pregnant. I was 33, then 34; not old by any measure, except the very particular one involving fertility. One month before I […]
Lyla Cicero was subconsciously structuring her life around motherhood before she even knew if she wanted kids. After working his ass off to land a job in “big law,” my husband left his firm after less than two years. He explained to a dumbfounded male partner that he felt he could not avail himself of […]
The Daily Mail recently published a piece by a woman who says she wishes she’d never had her two children. Chanel Dubofsky defends her bravery for admitting what few would. On Wednesday, I posted Isabella Dutton’s piece on wishing she had never had children to Facebook, with the statement, “I am really, really, really grateful […]
Children “belong” to no one, says Lynn Beisner, but it’s a parent’s role to shape them and society’s job to provide parents with the resources to do that. In the year 2013, this should go without saying, but apparently some people have not gotten the memo: No human being is entitled to own another human […]
Plenty of men feel depressed and isolated because they’re unable to conceive, but there are few outlets for support, says Paige Lucas-Stannard. The language we use tells a powerful story about a woman’s overriding need to be a mother. Our culture talks about the “maternal clock,” going “baby crazy,” and having a “maternal instinct.” For […]
Until cultural standards for parenting shift, the absent conversation about what we expect of working dads will never happen, says Jessica Smock. When was the last time that you were in a doctor’s office and saw “Working Dad” magazine? Does your family subscribe to it? Probably not. Since it doesn’t exist. Sure, some dads—understandably annoyed […]
It’s time to start including dads in the work/life balance discussion. Working Dads Risk Damaging Their Child’s Prospects Working Dads Are Healthier, Study Finds Working Dads: Don’t Feel Guilty The 10 Commandments For Working Fatherhood 5 Comments To Avoid Saying To A Working Dad The Myth Of The Rich, Selfish Working Dad Have you seen […]
Is one goal of parenting to raise your children to become better parents than you are? My brothers and I sometimes talk about what it was like coming up in our family. Among ourselves, we say it was like being raised by wolves. We learned to say our prayers, marinate a steak, and tell a […]
Raising a healthy child does not require parents to sacrifice their own mental, emotional, and physical well-being, says Jessica Smock. As we mark the 50th anniversary of Betty Freidan’s The Feminine Mystique, I feel both grateful for the last decades’ progress in women’s labor force participation, educational accomplishments, and gender role attitudes, but also discouraged […]
