The post I wrote last week about little girls in bikinis certainly struck a nerve. While I don’t think any of us should be judge and jury over how others parent, I do think it’s okay to cast a critical gaze on the societal and media influences that are so pervasive in the world today. Sometimes this might create tension, sometimes this might cause us to question ourselves, and sometimes it may mean we make completely difference choices than one another, and that’s okay. Here . . .
what I want you to know: the pain of giving a child away
What I Want You to Know is a series of reader submissions. It is an attempt to allow people to tell their personal stories, in the hopes of bringing greater compassion to the unique issues each of us face. If you would like to submit a story to this series, click here. Today’s post is by an anonymous reader. I want you to know that giving a child away is exponentially more difficult than raising one. I was not a teenager. I believe if I had been a teenager I wouldn't have had the . . .
this time last year
Earlier this week we had an appointment that just happened to be right across the street from the Residence Inn, the hotel where we lived for two months last summer. The kids recognized it immediately as we drove by . . . they had fond memories of our hotel adventure and were yelling and screaming when they saw it, asking excitedly if we could stay there again. For me, though, seeing the hotel brought back a sense memory of pure panic and dread. I wasn’t expecting it, but just . . .
why is there a market for bikinis on little girls?
India and I have been embroiled in a debate for the better part of the summer over her desire to wear a bikini. Or, as she called it, “the kind of bathing suit that is like underwear, but with triangles over your breasts”. Except she’s four. And doesn’t have breasts. This debate is coming quite a bit sooner than I expected. India’s argument? Everyone else is wearing them. And you know? For the most part, she’s right. Everywhere we go, girls her . . .
how to blog from your iphone
I’m not really that tech-savvy, but really I’ve been on a mission to figure out how to write blog posts from my iphone. I’ve been on the iphone for about a year now, and I’ve finally gotten comfortable enough with the touchpad keyboard to write some of my shorter posts from my phone. I’ve also figured out a few hacks for getting pictures uploaded as well. Since I write for several sites and usually have a couple posts in the works each day, it’s nice to be able to multi-task . . .
This week in iPhone photos (And maybe some from last week. I’m a bit behind.)
Every day is costume day at the Howerton house. On this particular morning they were pretending to be a fire-fighting family, with protective eyewear. Free kids meals at IKEA = still not worth going there with children. Karis is not tall enough to go into the kids room, and now suddenly Jafta is too tall. And they are only four years apart. Annoying. Karis is our little homewrecker. During her nap she likes to quietly climb out of bed and empty the . . .
why I’m going to Together For Adoption (and why you should, too)
If you are an adoptive parent, or thinking of adopting, or interested in orphan care, or just curious about social justice issues for children, consider coming to the Together For Adoption conference in Phoenix this October 21-22. I will be leading four sessions on helping children transition from group care into family life, and there is a really great line-up of speakers and breakout sessions. I will confess, I was a little ambivalent about attending last year. . . .
that’s what SHE said: edition crazy/not crazy
So much good stuff on the interwebs this week. Put a show on for the kids and pretend that laundry isn’t there – I’ve got links for you. Some about sanity. Some about crazy. Some about finding the space in between. Mother's little helper | a little pregnant Nothing makes this clearer than something my friend E. told me, about someone she knows who was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. Her friend, E. told me, remembers her childhood primarily as a series of angry faces. I don't . . .
what I want you to know: my son was molested by an older boy
What I Want You to Know is a series of reader submissions. It is an attempt to allow people to tell their personal stories, in the hopes of bringing greater compassion to the unique issues each of us face. If you would like to submit a story to this series, click here. Today’s post is by an anonymous reader. What I want you to know is that my 7 year old little boy was molested by a 13 year old and I did everything I could to prevent it. What I want you to know is that sometimes it . . .
team skater no more, and an update on the help (ours, not the movie)
First of all, might I say a big THANK YOU for all of the advice and feedback you gave me over our childcare issues, and the skateboarding thing. It was tremendously helpful and really did give me a lot of clarity. The boys have finished out their week in skate camp, but I’ve decided that we are going to hold off on skating as a hobby for now. I know, I know. Many of you opined about how kids should be able to choose their own passions and in theory I agree. But at the . . .
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