Parenting and family stuff

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.

One thing adults conceal about sex they also conceal about drugs: that it can cause great pleasure. That's what makes sex and drugs so dangerous. The desire for them can cloud one's judgement—which is especially frightening when the judgement being clouded is the already wretched judgement of a teenage kid.

Here parents' desires conflict. Older... See more

The best parenting advice i once heard is, ‘If they are crabby, add water.’ This has served me well over the years and believe it or not, with a 2, 7 and 9 year-old. Run a bath, take a shower, water the garden, have a hot drink, have a cold drink… just add water. It works 99% of the time.

It reminds me of the Isak Denisen quote:

“The cure for

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