Love: Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves

Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves is a great book about parenting. The author, Naomi Aldort, stresses the need to validate your children’s feelings and let them work through them on their own,  instead of the more common method of trying to distract them from their feelings. She emphasizes that our children should not have to always act in accordance with our needs. If it is not unsafe or hurting anyone, why not let them climb those rocks and get filthy? Or even go so far as act out their power struggles on you. Additionally, she helps parents consider ways to give their children more autonomy. All of this felt really intuitive to me and I appreciated her advice.  However, there is a catch. Read more »

Only Child

At a baby shower recently, some moms were sitting around discussing how exhausting infants and young toddlers are and how grateful they are to be “done.” They had two, a boy and a girl. When I also expressed that I was “done.” They were shocked and joked that I had to meet the status quo of at least two children. Though it was complimentary (I think) that they felt I “seemed like the type to have more,” they could not quite explain what that meant. Am I too maternal for just one? On the way home, I grew a little upset thinking about it. Read more »

Mama Mentor

You might not realize it, but chances are you have a mama mentor. It may be your mom, but (no offense, mom) most likely your mom’s methods are a little outdated, if she remembers child rearing at all in the first place. I am thinking more of a friend, or a sister, someone whose initiation into motherhood came before yours. This person has introduced you to all methods, products and philosophies that you hold dear in parenting. My mama mentor is my old roommate and dear friend, Leanne.

Leanne’s youngest daughter is about a year older than my daughter, so when I was pregnant, Leanne was eager to help me out. She introduced me to baby legs, cloth diapers, EC and Ina May Gaskin. Once I had my daughter, Leanne sent me books on parenting that she found helpful. Since she is a buddhist, a life philosophy I wholly admire, I knew that her methods and my own would jive.  Now that she has daughter #2, her time is more constricted, but I still look forward to learning from her whenever I can. Thanks, Leanne.

What’s Behind that Organic Label?

When I became a mom, I became a bit more fanatical about buying organic foods, especially dairy. We all know about hormones and antibiotics in dairy. There is always the debate in the food aisle about whether to buy local or buy organic. Generally, I choose organic. Local is great for the environment, but I am thinking of the more immediate effects on my family. Our local co-op does a great job of stocking shelves with local goods that are organic, but not certified organic. That way, I know what I am getting. However, sometimes, in larger stores, we don’t have that extra service and have to choose based solely on labels. In this case, I choose the lesser of the expensive organic. But not today.

After reading this article on alternet, I had to rethink my purchase. Organic is the conscious choice and already a lot more expensive than non-organic. But when I realized that buying the cheaper organic milk, such as Horizon, was actually contributing to larger, less socially responsible, big corporations, those I try to avoid when they are in my face, I chose Organic Valley instead. It cost 70 cents more, but it is a cooperative, not a corporation. That explained the higher price tag. So, now, I am paying even more for organic.

What is truly irritating about this, money aside, is that I spend so much time reading labels on everything from shampoo to juice, and now I have to read even closer to see what corporation I am giving my money too. Even worse, most of the time the product doesn’t even tell you, for fear of losing customers.

Sometimes, we don’t have a choice between organics because there is only one, or sometimes we don’t even have organic at all, but when we do have the choice, we should make it count. This brings us back to buying local as much as possible and supporting small businesses.

Excerpt from article: “What’s important to keep in mind is that these big corporations are getting into organics not because they have doubts about their prior business practices or doubts about chemical, industrial agriculture,” said Ronnie Cummins, national director of the Organic Consumers Association. “They’re getting in because they want to make a lot of money — they want to make it fast.” He said the companies couldn’t care less about “family farmers making the transition to organic farms.”

I Want (Blank) Now.

My daughter’s new favorite words a la 22 month old is, “I want (fill in the blank) now.” She doesn’t say it in an obnoxious manner as you may imagine those words would come out. Instead it is very matter of fact twinged with a bit of sweetness, which of course is greatly emphasized by her cute little face. Regardless, the fact is, she wants something. It is as if she has begun her initiation into consumerism, the constant need to have something. It starts young. Read more »