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lessons from the Duggars
Tuesday, November 25th, 2008I’ve been somewhat fascinated by several episodes of the TV series about Christian homeschooling family the Duggars, 17 Kids and Counting. Whether or not you are already into megafamilies, DIY education, charismatic religion or very long hairstyles, I think there are lessons to be learned about what makes people happy from this show (assuming [...]
thought #3: dynasty-building
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008We live in an individualist society. Lots of us don’t even like, still less spend much time creating things closely with our parents/ extended family. Others just feel a need to strike out on their own then stay there. The Family Business sounds like an out-dated, unwanted tyranny: or maybe a mafia clan, built on [...]
tips on supporting friends going through divorce
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008Oh how I wish I’d had Gretchen Rubin’s excellent list of suggestions a few years back! To give other people who needed it, of course. Ahem.
My favourites are: include divorcing friends in your plans, don’t be judgemental, don’t assume you know who is “right” and who is “wrong”, and don’t insist on being given a [...]
justifying evil
Monday, June 16th, 2008I have a lot of sympathy for divorced fathers with limited access to their children. They’re in the same boat as me. But peacemaking is the answer in any case where your children aren’t in direct danger, and men need to accept that responsibility, despite their lack of oestrogen.
So this statement by British group [...]
Heloise’s kitchen hints, musing about women & family
Wednesday, June 11th, 2008Before putting food in the freezer, put it inside nylon stockings so the bags don’t freeze together. Make a canister set by spraying your collection of large coffee cans. When waxing your floors, also wax the feet of your furniture. Use old washing-machine water for mopping your floor.
Not sure how useful all those tips [...]
the happy future of parenting
Thursday, May 29th, 2008Somewhat interesting and thoughtful Guardian article here about stay-at-home-mothers. They do deal with the usual stupid either/or arguments in a more balanced way, for instance noting that full-time exclusive parenting was never historically either sought by the upper classes or economically available to the working classes, and only really became an option around the mid [...]
not mother’s day
Monday, May 12th, 2008Here’s a heartbreaking article about a British state boarding school for children (aged 6 to 12) who are unable to live with their families due to being extremely emotionally disturbed as a result of being mistreated and abused. What they all need is someone who will stand by them, look after them and love them [...]
from the Sundays: should you take your kids to a music festival?
Sunday, May 11th, 2008Well, how insane are you feeling?
You can’t really enjoy anything with kids unless the kids are enjoying it first, and this article is quite right about the sort of activity tent the very young find enjoyable at an outdoor music festival- specialist kidstuff:
On entering, you were given a passport — “because it was a [...]
questions about full-time fathers
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008Penelope Trunk asks:
Is being a stay-at-home dad any different than the life that Betty Friedan and Sylvia Plath worked so hard to get away from?
Yes, because it’s chosen. A man who doesn’t enjoy it can and almost certainly should give it up.
Is the world really ready for stay-at-home dads? Will the world ever be [...]
what happens when you combine work and parenting: reality
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008Update: after shopping today, decided I am being too nice below about the kind of parents who regard themselves as superstars simply for parenting at all alongside any career. You see these people all the time in the bathrooms of expensive supermarkets, pretending to boss their kids around while the kids totally ignore them and [...]
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