Parenting and family stuff

Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. — C. S. Lewis, “On Stories” https://t.co/wGA8Ixcmye

TO MY MIND, THOUGH, there is a third development that has altered our parenting experience above all others, and that is the wholesale transformation of the child’s role, both in the home and in society. Since the end of World War II, childhood has been completely redefined. Today, we work hard to shield children from life’s hardships. But througho... See more

I imagine some mythic women in floral dresses who simply slide into motherhood, goddesses unbothered by the smell of poop, at home in any damp cave. These are the “naturals”: the mom on a transatlantic flight handling three small children, or the unwashed breastfeeding mom who says she wouldn’t mind “another one.” But then there are others, such as... See more

Sean Fennessey concludes his Letterboxd review of Arrival by saying, “Have kids, it changes you in good ways.” I agree but would add one note. Having kids reveals things about yourself to yourself, some good and some not so good. What matters is the revelation. Never waste a revelation.

I once read in a parenting book that one way to deal with kids’ tantrums is to “parent with awe.” In Hunt, Gather, Parent, Michaeleen Doucleff observes the way some Inuit mothers are able to calm children by encouraging them to turn their attention toward beautiful, worldly things.