Category Archives: To Parent

Challenges for Parents

January 5, 2010 By in To Parent, To Play Leave a comment

Don’t think of parenting and homemaking in terms of success, in terms of producing an end product (the perfect child, the most beautiful home).  Think of it as a journey and a process, of which love is the core.  And this is a journey where there is no right way and no wrong way.

Parents and our children face some interesting challenges these days, a couple that come to mind:

  1. Technology plays a huge role for our generation and for our children — especially screens:  TV, iPhone, Wii, computer.  Be conscious of how screen time effects your children.  (You might find this NPR piece interesting: In this Decade, Every Room is a Screening Room).
  2. Playtime:  make sure your children get enough time to play (freely and roughly) and to play outside!  (Here is a very interesting article from Scientific American The Serious need for Play)
  3. Everything is fast and immediate: information is fast.  Cars are fast.  Food is fast.  Slow Down.  A slower pace is healthier for children and for family life.

What are your thoughts about some of the parenting challenges that you face?

Parenting: Trends

November 23, 2009 By in To Parent Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments

The Holidays must be here, because parents are freaking out.  Over the last week, a burst of articles about extreme anxiety inflicting parents and a general confusion about parenting.  First,  a Time Magazine cover article about Over Parenting and the viewing of children as products to be refined and groomed for success.   And, as a backlash response to that kind of fear-based parenting, the article points to a new (old-fashioned)  trend in parenting:  slowing down.  Good advice.  Slowing down and breathing always helps things, in my experience.

In the end, it’s not about enrichment classes,educational videos, multiple school activities.  It’s about creating a calm, healthy and beautiful home for our families.  Such a home is the foundation for happiness and success in the world.  You don’t need money or a lot of things, or an education in design, to make a beautiful home.  You just need love and inspiration and motivation.  And Making a Family Home might help with the inspiration part, with some ideas to spark your imagination.

And over the weekend, another article:  this one in the NY Times, in which parents describe taking tips from the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan.  Seems that firm boundaries give children (and animals) a sense of security. Clear expectations and consequences, and predictable rhythms and routines are very helpful for all of us, including man’s best friend.

I haven’t read the book but I read the book review

October 13, 2009 By in To Parent, To Read Tags: , ,

newborn

The New York Times reviewed the book Nurtureshock a couple of weeks ago.  I haven’t read the book, however I found the review very interesting.  It seems as if it is not just me and all of my mommy friends who are struggling with motherhood and striving to provide a nourishing home for our families.

As described in the review: ““nurture shock” is the panic common to new parents that “the mythical fountain of knowledge is not magically kicking in.” It’s that gut-pummeling doubt that hits the moment you bring your first child home from the hospital— “They let us keep this thing?” — and snowballs from there.”

I remember when I brought my first child home from the hospital, he started crying and my husband and I were at a loss at what to do, we looked at him with sorrow and apology, saying softly “forgive us, we are just beginners.”

Over time I learned more about how to soothe a crying baby, though, truth be told, I still feel like a beginner as my children grow into uncharted territories of their childhood.

Making a Family Home is my book about navigating motherhood, home life and the domestic arts.  Home is the basis for healthy childhood development, and that, of course, leads to world peace.  If we can nourish our children at home, and give them what they need, then there is a lot of hope for our children’s future.  I hope my book can offer a little inspiration for making a family home that is a place where children can thrive and become who they are meant to be.