Just the other day I brought a couple of winter comforters to the laundromat. I needed their extra-large washer, the one for eight bucks a load. When all the kids were around, I had an industrial sized washer that would accommodate stuff like this, but when it died awhile back, I got a normal-sized one. […]
When it comes to the American canon on parenting, separation/individuation is a big deal. It involves the idea that once a child starts walking, the ideal parent’s main focus should be getting out of the way. And it all heats up in adolescence, when it is assumed that a child can only become a competent, […]
In our digital world, you don’t need to consult an expert or even read a book to get parenting advice. It’s everywhere online, especially Mom’s groups on social media. It takes thoughtful consideration, but also courage to trust one’s instincts concerning our children. We had three little girls, and then the last one was a […]
I wish forgiveness weren’t so complicated. It’s hard enough to do, so it shouldn’t be so hard to figure out how to do it, and also when not to do it. Forgiveness is not only misunderstood, it is also misused. Forgiveness comes into play when a person or persons wrongs us in some way. If […]
I most definitely have Covid-on-the-brain. While I might not have the virus – yet – everything is muddled. With so much of my stuff cancelled, having all of this time, you’d think I’d be taking care of tasks I can’t generally get to. Alas, not so much. When everything was upended, so was I. And […]
Having been raised by a psychopath (more about that later), I had no internalized model of decent parenting. Except how not to do things. As clarification, a narcissist lacks empathy and a psychopath lacks both empathy and a conscience. A narcissist can hurt others in a frantic attempt to fill the emptiness inside. A psychopath […]
The concept of boundaries is an important one in human relationships. Infants don’t know where they end and another person starts. Learning this is part of healthy development. It’s part of the “no” stage for 2 year-olds. By saying no, toddlers are beginning to practice the art of individuation, a tiny step in the direction […]