Fearless parenting. I know it isn't really a thing. When I'm panicking on the inside every time my daughter climbs on the back of the couch that sits on very hard concrete floors, I'm anything but fearless. Fearing for the health and welfare of our children is just biology. But at some point, that fear is no longer productive. We are forced to decide, consciously or otherwise, exactly where that point is. We are constantly bombarded by reasons to be afraid. From the news, from social media, from politicians. Some days, when we hear about another tragedy or a freak accident, it takes all we have to keep from holding our babies tightly and never letting go.
I've spent too...
Recently after leaving a gathering of friends and family, the following conversation took place with my five-year-old:
Keilyn: "Mommy, why do all these people in this entire city call you Tiffany?"
Me & Micah: "Because that is my/her name."
Keilyn: "No! Your name is Mommy!! Mommy, it starts with a M like Micah! You’re not Tiffany."
Micah: "Yes, Tiffany is her name."
Keilyn: "Fine! Tiffany is her second nam, but Mommy is her first important name."
After this exchange, I began thinking. What a simple statement from a very independent five-year-old. In her world, I am Mommy. I am the one who provides for her and her brother, the one who loves her daddy and who corrects her when she is wrong. To all of these...
Who thinks an animated movie will help them discuss the most difficult topic in humanity? I didn't. And yet, that's exactly what happened!
I struggled with the word “death” for a while when I talked to my five year-old son. If someone died, I faltered in telling him. I would say that person “is not here anymore” or “passed away” or “went to be with God.” I didn’t have the words to explain death to his little questioning and curious mind. So I did what most parents do. I worked around it. Which for me meant that I totally avoided it. I bristled when I heard someone say the words “death” or “died” around him. I tensed up if I...
I've never been able to get much out of any 'how-to' parenting books. Maybe it's the part of me that hates being told what to do, but they never seem to help. A friend knew my distaste for them and suggested Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman. After reading just the summary I could tell it was my kind of book.
An American journalist, Druckerman is living abroad in France and gives birth to her first child. She quickly begins to notice the differences among French and American parenting styles and subsequently how the children behave. What I enjoy most is that it's simply an observation of some of the differences without saying one is right or wrong. A new perspective...
With the constant hustle that is life these days, quality family time can be quite a challenge. Yet it is essential in order for the family to thrive and bond. Work here, school there, lessons, practices, and recitals make for lots of time in the car and minimal time at home. It seems to be that we’re only home to sleep Monday through Friday, so the weekends are often the only time we have to catch up and spend that quality time together.
Sometimes it takes active planning and an expectation of tradition to ensure quality time is to be had. I’m constantly looking for new adventures to go on and experiences to be had by our family of three, but I also...
Around Baton Rouge
Where to Find the Best King Cakes in Baton Rouge
Where to Find the Best King Cakes in Baton Rouge
Are you a huge fan of those cinnamon-flavored dough rounds covered in sweet green, gold,...
