November 2014 - Motherlode - The Network of Care

Three Girls? ‘I Feel Sorry for Their Father’

Almost everywhere we go— a hike on a mountain trail, a restaurant, an art museum-- unsolicited comments about the same sex of my children follow. Read More...

Published Wed, Nov 19 2014 9:17 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: gender, parenting, Women and Girls, Highlights

H Is for Helicopter, G Is For Guilt — What’s Your Modern Parent Letter?

If Q is for Quinoa, E is for Equipped (for Everything) and M is for Meltdown, what's your nominee for the modern parent's alphabet? Read More...

Published Thu, Nov 20 2014 11:47 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Highlights

How Will You Talk With Your Sons About Tamir Rice, Shot in the Park After Waving a Toy Gun?

When my son asked why it mattered what color the boy was, I told him. It matters because many, many people see something different, when they look at a boy who looks like Tamar Rice, than when they look at a boy who looks like you. Read More...

Published Mon, Nov 24 2014 12:43 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: Highlights

The Giving Tree: ‘Take What You Want, Leave What You Can’

Stocking the branches of the Giving Tree with candy, gloves and small gifts kept us busy, and grateful, all season long. Read More...

Published Wed, Nov 26 2014 3:35 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Christmas, Thanksgiving Day, Highlights

While Some Parents Volunteer Too Much, Others Feel Excluded

Language barriers and perceived race and class barriers can mean that when it comes to volunteering, some parents stay home—and feel unable to help their children achieve. Read More...

Published Wed, Nov 05 2014 12:36 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Education (K-12), Race and Ethnicity, Highlights, Parent-Teacher Associations, Graduation Rates

When Library Time Means Screen Time

I was hoping my 4-year-old would see the library as I once did, as a hushed building full of endless promise. Instead, it's become an arcade. Read More...

Published Fri, Nov 07 2014 9:24 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Computer and Video Games, Computers and the Internet, Highlights, Brooklyn (NYC), Libraries and Librarians, Brooklyn Public Library

Our ‘Mommy’ Problem and Mine

As a new mother, newly laid off, it quickly become painfully clear that the life I’d imagined for myself once upon a time—as a professional, wife, and mother—had been a modern-day fairy tale. Read More...

Published Mon, Nov 10 2014 8:29 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Women and Girls, Highlights, Havrilesky, Heather

This Veterans Day, Read (and Listen to) Family Stories

Military experience was once common. Many of us grew up surrounded by parents and family who had served. Now, military life seems removed from the everyday for many of us. Here, for Veteran's Day, stories of military family. Read More...

Published Tue, Nov 11 2014 10:13 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Highlights, Veterans Day (US), Defense and Military Forces, Veterans, Reserves (Military)

Adoptees Like Me ‘Flip the Script’ on the Pro-Adoption Narrative

I don’t know how to solve the broader problems with adoption, or even my own. But I’m relieved that more adoptees are finding a way to talk about all of our adoption experiences and the reality that not all adoptions end in rainbows and bubbly baby smiles...

Published Thu, Nov 13 2014 11:19 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Children and Childhood, Adoptions, Depression (Mental), Highlights

When the Message on Marijuana is Still ‘Just Say No’

While some families may approach it differently, there remain excellent reasons for taking a 'Just Say No' stance on marijuana use and teens — without expecting that to end the conversation. Read More...

Published Mon, Nov 03 2014 10:13 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Marijuana, Drug Abuse and Traffic, Highlights

‘What You Sign Up For’ When You Marry Into the Military

As we prepare for my husband's deployment, the first since the birth of our two children, a not-so-sympathetic friend asks, “But you had to know what you signed up for, right?” Read More...

Published Tue, Nov 04 2014 7:26 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, United States Defense and Military Forces, Deployment Diary

Kindle Versus Ipad: Which Tablet Is Best for Kids?

When choosing a child's tablet, remember that you are making a down payment toward a content library that will last for years. Making a hasty decision based on price may backfire. Read More...

Published Thu, Nov 27 2014 5:06 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, iPad, Mobile Applications, Highlights, Tablet Computers, E-Books and Readers, Nintendo DS (Video Game System), Amazon Kindle

Dear Dr. Psych Mom: I’m Almost a Parent Myself, and My Parents Are Smothering Me

I am 30 years old, married and pregnant with our first child. My parents’ overprotectiveness worries me a lot, especially now that I’m going to be a mom. Read More...

Published Fri, Nov 14 2014 10:41 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Highlights

Even the Democratic Caucus Can Fail to Accommodate Pregnancy

Primarily Democrats and President Obama continue to push for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, but a Democratic representative who is pregnant cannot get an exception on voting rules. Read More...

Published Mon, Nov 17 2014 1:48 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: discrimination, Pregnancy and Childbirth, House of Representatives, Highlights, Democratic Party, Duckworth, L Tammy

Pregnant With a Boy? Even in 2014, Some Call That ‘Lucky’

I was pregnant: I didn’t want to engage people in a discussion on gender. I wanted to take a nap. Still, I was alarmed to hear repeatedly that it was somehow preferable to have a boy instead of a girl. Read More...

Published Wed, Nov 19 2014 9:16 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: gender, parenting, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Women and Girls, Highlights

November 2014 - Motherlode

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