On many occasions I’ve read, in this blog and in other spaces, about how mothers of fussy or colicky babies often feel like frauds. They fear that they are the cause of their child’s fussiness or that they must be doing something wrong if their baby isn’t sleeping. They feel guilty, embarrassed, like failures. I’ve [...]
Last month my post encouraged mothers (and fathers) to recognize when it was time to come out of the bunker mode, the take it one day at a time – we’ll get through this mode, and start to think once again about other important aspects of their lives. This could include their relationships, their hobbies, [...]
Sooner or later it will be time – perhaps not yet, but one day you’re going to recognize that it’s time to come out of your hole. You’ll step tentatively at first, maybe squint a bit. You might even be surprised to see what your partner looks like by the light of day, not as [...]
It’s been a rough couple of weeks. Emily had a stomach bug, then Chloe had a stomach bug which turned into a cold, which turned into some other flu-like virus. Then Emily got the flu-like virus, and now Julie has it. And throughout all of this, the lack of sleep, the vomiting in the middle [...]
The other day, an acquaintance of Julie’s asked for help with her child’s sleep through a posting on Facebook. Instead of help, she got a link to Dangers of Crying it Out: Damaging children and their relationships for the long term, by Dr. Darcia Narvaez. When Julie told me, I sighed, gritted my teeth, then [...]
We’ve been on vacation in Florida now for about 2 weeks, which is why I haven’t posted lately. (By the way, to any American readers, I am very jealous that you have Florida. Thank you for sharing it with us. The warmest we’ve got is Victoria, and it rains there all winter.) We have travelled [...]
For Chloe, the world has no off switch and no tuner. In my last post I talked about perceptiveness. It’s one of the most impressive traits of a spirited child. They don’t miss anything, and it can be a wonder to watch. But the flip side of seeing everything is being overwhelmed by it all, [...]
As I mentioned in a previous post, fussy babies often make for amazing children. Don’t take my word for it. If you look at the literature out there, you’ll see that you’re in for a real treat. But don’t go supposing amazing means easy. Forgive me for saying, but I liken a spirited child to [...]
I remember quite clearly a discussion I had with Julie before Chloe was born. We were talking about how we’d raise our kids – the attitudes we’d take, our style of parenting. I said to Julie: “Don’t worry. We’re not going to be like those uptight parents who plan everything out, fret over every little [...]
Let’s face it; the bar’s not set that high for fathers of young children. Some score points just for sticking around. Most get nods of approval if they don’t forget to bring the kid’s snacks along to the park or the mall. But if this is the measure for dads, I’m in big trouble (today [...]
