Motherlode

‘Mama, Let Me Do Your Scarf So You Can Look Muslim’

One morning, my daughter found a scarf in my purse and declared, “Mama, let me do your scarf so you can look Muslim.” She said this in the same way you might say, “Let me do your hair so you can look beautiful.” Read More...

Published Fri, Dec 05 2014 9:33 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Religion and Belief, Highlights, Muslims and Islam, Muslim Veiling

I Can’t Explain

If the goal is to explain the news in a way that helps children understand the world they live in, this morning, I failed. Read More...

Published Thu, Dec 04 2014 8:55 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Highlights

The Smart Nursery Offers More Information, Not More Sleep

It's easy for older parents to mock the new generation of wearable devices available to parents of infants—but the prospect of all that information must be tempting, if parents can get the gadgets to work. Read More...

Published Thu, Dec 04 2014 10:32 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Babies and Infants, Highlights, Wearable Computing, Wood, Molly

A Week of Waiting in Nebraska, for a Baby and a Change

My first appointment at the midwives' office in Omaha was awash in comfort, even so close to delivery. Read More...

Published Tue, Oct 21 2014 8:29 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Babies and Infants, Midwives, Omaha (Neb), Destination: Delivery

Career Re-entry for the At-Home Parent

Getting back to work is proving so challenging for one at-home parent that she's regretting her choice to stay home, and many readers relate. Read More...

Published Thu, Oct 18 2012 6:04 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, Child Care, parenting, Children and Childhood, Women and Girls, Careers and Professions

The Surprising Value of Journaling an Ordinary Day

If you keep a journal, it's not the record of the momentous events that will bring you the most pleasure later. It's the little things. Read More...

Published Tue, Oct 07 2014 11:26 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, Highlights, Diaries

An Only Child, Happy With an Only Child

Lauren Sandler, an only child, chose to have only one child. Here's why. Read More...

Published Wed, Jun 12 2013 2:38 PM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, parenting, Families and Family Life, Sandler, Lauren

How Do You Talk to a 3-Year-Old About a Divorce You Don’t Want?

When one parent is planning to leave a marriage, how can both spouses prepare a preschooler for the change? Read More...

Published Mon, Aug 24 2015 9:14 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, advice

Not Just a 'Feminine Mystique': What Hasn't Changed Enough for Women and Family?

Forty years ago, 10 years after she wrote "The Feminine Mystique," Betty Friedan said "housework and child-rearing will have to be more equally shared by husband, wife and society." How outraged are you that we're still not there...

Published Wed, Feb 13 2013 8:34 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized

Recognizing Signs of Abusive Dating Among Teenagers

Domestic abuse among teenagers is not readily understood within an adult framework. And confusing possessiveness with love is among the most common teenage mistakes leading to dating violence. Read More...

Published Fri, Feb 15 2013 8:54 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, parenting, domestic violence, Teenagers and Adolescence, Dating and Courtship

Raising Children Who Will Speak Up to Prevent Rape, Not Defend It

Though there is a verdict in the Steubenville case, we're a long way from the end of the culture that allowed it to happen. Read More...

Published Tue, Mar 19 2013 10:38 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, parenting, Twitter, Children and Childhood, Sex Crimes, Social Networking (Internet), Steubenville (Ohio), Mays, Trenton, Richmond, Ma'lik

Why We Should Thank Twitter’s Rape Defenders

Once, a rape accuser might have found the word "whore" on a note in her locker and heard accusations about her behavior whispered behind her. Now, this is on social media — and the single good thing about that public ugliness is that it can...

Published Thu, Apr 04 2013 11:13 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, parenting, Sex Crimes, Social Networking (Internet), Steubenville (Ohio), Torrington (Conn), Gonzalez, Edgar A, Toribio, Joan M

A Dad’s Hidden Truth of Parenting: We’re All Clichés

I thought being a blogging dad made me a rare man willing to share his frustrations — until I realized they're frustrations we all share. Read More...

Published Fri, Apr 12 2013 10:44 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: Uncategorized, parenting, Blogs and Blogging (Internet)

Why Your Kids Love Snapchat, and Why You Should Let Them

No perfectly curated lives, no friend counts. no "likes." Snapchat is all about interaction. Read More...

Published Thu, Nov 05 2015 8:42 AM by Motherlode

Filed under: parenting, social media, Teenagers and Adolescence, Mobile Applications, Highlights, Text Messaging, Instant Messaging, Snapchat Inc

Setting a Curfew - or Not - for Your Child

Do you have a curfew for your children? How do you set house rules like these and why? Read More...

Published Fri, Apr 02 2010 10:16 AM by Motherlode