I’ve been busy writing for several other outlets this month, running the gamut from silly to serious. I thought I would do a little round-up of some of my recent articles. I’ve clipped some excerpts below but you can click on the title to read the whole thing. Five Types of Friends Everyone Should Have | Relevant
The problem with defaulting to doppleganger friendships is that shared interests can only take a friendship so far. They can even stop short at companionships of convenience that mask a lack of true intimacy. For intimacy, in fact, has less to do with shared interests and more to do with shared vulnerability, and above all, a commitment to growth. The best friendships are birthed from a desire to engage at a deeper level … to challenge one another, to grow individually and collectively, and to be willing to learn from one another.
How Churches Should Address Sexual Abuse | Washington Post
The problem with SGM’s invocation of the First Amendment is that this protection applies to the separation of church and state, but not freedom from following the law. While it is true that pastors are free to give whatever kind of biblical counsel they see fit, nearly every state has laws that mandate ministers or other clergy members to report sexual abuse. Therapists, school-teachers, and doctors are similarly required to break confidentiality in such cases, and pastors and church leaders are bound by the same rules. There is no client/counselor privilege when it comes to child abuse. It’s one of the few situations where breaking confidentiality is not only accepted but required.
Adoption ads on Craigslist: tacky or tech-savvy? | Babble
Over the past decade, more and more prospective adoptive parents have taken to Craigslist to place listings in search of a prospective birthmom. For many people, Craigslists is associated with apartment listings, sofas for sale, and some questionable adult sections for people looking to hook-up. At first glance, finding an adoption match on Craigslist may seem like a tacky way to go about growing your family. However, as an adoptive parent, I’m not bothered by this trend. In fact, for several reasons, I think it could be a good thing . . .
ASK KRISTEN: What to do about the neighbors with questionable parenting skills? | A Deeper Story 
The point where I have become quite concerned is that I was out doing yard work and smelled rotten egg/sulfur smell coming from their property. I understand this to be a by product of drug production so I called drug enforcement just to educate myself. Lets just say that the police are very familiar with this property. My question is this: we won’t stop interactions with this family but in my opinion interactions between children will have our supervision. (Young children involved) The outstanding issue for me is, with our yards only separated by a cyclone fence can I not send my 4 yr old out anymore to the backyard to play alone? Help!
MAMA SAID: What’s Your Mom Uniform? | Babble
In this episode, Sarah and I are confessing our reliance on the “mom uniform” – the interchangeable outfit that we wear pretty much every day . . . there may be yoga pants involved. I KNOW.
In this episode we discuss the tedious task of packing school lunches.
Which lead to a conversation about our annoying picky eaters.
David Arquette Latest White Celeb To Dress Like A Hip-Hop Rapper | MamaPop
White guys emulating hip-hop culture is nothing new. I can think of a long line of white celebrities, from Justin Bieber to that one guy from the Backstreet Boys, who have tried to earn their street cred by dressing like they were from Compton instead of Ontario and Orlando (respectively). Hip-hop culture has long influenced mainstream fashion, but there is a fine line between inspiration and cultural appropriation. I mean, sure, we all wore homemade MC Hammer pants to our first day of 9th grade. (No? Just me?) David Arquette is the latest celebrity to trample over the line of imitation into unintentional satire territory . . .
The Myth of the Colorblind Kid | Live58
I have a few friends who decided to broach the subject of race with their children, and they were shocked at what they found. One child expressed how glad she was that her skin was light because lighter was prettier. Another child said, point-blank, that he didn’t like kids with brown skin. Another parent decided to just observe her son at their next park outing. She watched her child allow a white child into the circle to share sand toys, but tell a Mexican child he had to play elsewhere. Now, let me point out that these are not bad, abnormal or cruel kids. These are sweet kids from amazing families, just expressing a typical (albeit flawed) developmental preference for similarity. A child who is wary of children who look different is not a racist in the making any more than a child who wants to play with kids of their own gender is a budding sexist. These are normal developmental stages. However, like many “normal” childhood traits (impulsivity, selfishness, etc.), this brand of xenophobia may need some gentle guidance and education from parents.
