tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47161919893590395122024-03-12T20:07:50.009-07:00Sure Would...Keeping track of good ideas.Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-21915568411762575952014-09-22T09:54:00.000-07:002014-09-22T09:54:15.598-07:00Happy First Birthday to Mom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you want to cry every day, just keep coming back to my blog and I'm sure you'll find something that will help the tears flow. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu3iM1azTj4">Here</a> is another one. Turn on the subtitles and get some kleenex. During my time studying pregnancy as a shifting sense of self, I discovered that for many women, when you give birth, you are no longer the same person you were before. And in that sense, when your first baby is born, you are born too. This video is a celebration of that. So beautiful.</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-68364958792427627092014-09-17T11:28:00.000-07:002014-09-17T11:28:26.294-07:00Don't forget to laugh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Many thanks to <a href="http://www.faithit.com/watch-this-comedian-uncover-the-lighter-side-of-parenting-in-just-minutes-youll-feel-like-a-normal-human-being-again/#.VBmMUYjs3t1.facebook">this video</a> for reminding me to laugh at the insanity of my life-long commitment to my children.</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-3549281830376229762014-08-12T17:55:00.000-07:002014-08-12T17:55:21.716-07:00Making Requests Specific and Doable - for kids AND adults<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I get these "tips" (recommended by my sister a
while back) every week that remind me to approach parenting without
"violence" - that is, without harming my relationship with my child. </div>
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Below is the tip I got this week and it is something I've been thinking about for a while - how to give my
kids specific instructions, rather than the vague catch-phrases we are
used to. Things like "be nice to your sister" and "be more respectful"
are less helpful to a two, three, four year old brain than, for example, "when you
are playing with your baby sister, look at her face to see if she is
enjoying what you're doing" or "when someone asks you a question, you need answer them, rather than ignoring them".
At least that's my understanding of this idea.<br /><br />But for some reason when I read the email, it hit me in a broader way this time. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm in the middle of some intense family time that has brought this into focus, but I just realized that I would really appreciate these types of instructions myself. The example given, where "I want more help around the house" is reworked as "would you spend 20 minutes with me cleaning up the kitchen right now?" makes so much sense to me. I know I do the same thing myself, and often resent the implication that it is MY responsibility to think through the request, rather than giving the other person that job (<i>why doesn't he/she just KNOW what I want?</i>). But I think that even in adult relationships this is a healthier way of interacting. <br />
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One last example - I actually experienced this today when my mom was doing a craft at the dining room table with the four grandkids. I was sitting with the laptop on the couch and she said to me "Rose, I will need you to come and glue things on for the kids right now". For some reason I felt much more willing/able to respond to this request than the "I will probably need some help with this" that had been uttered to the room in general a few minutes earlier...<br />
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A lot to think about...<br /><br />
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"Making requests in clear, positive, concrete action language reveals what we really want."<span><br />
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- Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D.</span><span><br /></span></div>
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Compassionate Parenting Tip -- Week 30</div>
When you express your needs and make requests for something that is
doable now, it increases the likelihood that your child will want to
help you meet your need.<br />
Can you expand with a suggested action here? If you are not getting
the help you want, see if you are asking for something specific and
doable.<br />
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Instead of saying only your need, "I want more help
around the house," ask for something concrete and specific: "Would you
spend twenty minutes with me right now cleaning up the kitchen and see
how clean we can get it by working together?"</div>
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Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-80202520092137677232014-07-24T19:14:00.000-07:002014-07-24T19:14:39.471-07:00Understanding Through Lists?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Making lists is something I find very satisfying, though I don't tend to be an overly organized person. But maybe that's why <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2014/07/pre_pregnancy_contract_signing_on_the_dotted_line_to_avoid_household_conflict.single.html#comments">this article</a> made some sense to me. I really like the idea of itemizing every single thing that I do as a stay-at-home mom. I get a lot of help and the roles in this family are definitely not typical (my husband does what a LOT of husbands don't), but a lot of what she said still rings true. I don't think a list, or agreement, as she mentions, would really solve a lot of problems, but I think for me it might just help to clarify what I'm dealing with and help me to make sense of the life I now have and will have for the foreseeable future (with baby 3 on the way). It's not what I expected, and I think that's a big part of what makes it hard. Perhaps understanding just exactly what it is that I do all day would help me (and maybe my husband) understand how I feel about it...</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-72804968315769626472014-05-25T09:18:00.002-07:002014-05-25T09:18:41.860-07:00Shape-shifting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After seeing a cousin's ten day old baby, I was reminded again of the magic of pregnancy and birth. You look at a woman who has just given birth and you know that there isn't an empty space inside her where the baby used to be. Her uterus has already shrunk back to its previous size and all of the organs have moved back into their normal positions. But really, you can't help wondering how the baby you now hold was ever inside that magical body! A friend just sent me <a href="http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/you/the-exhibit/your-beginning/make-room-for-baby/interactive/">this fabulous video</a>, which shows how a woman's internal geography is dramatically altered as the baby grows and takes up more and more space inside her. All of those organs that used to be comfortably spread out between your hips and your collar bone are now squished up underneath your ribs! Not to mention the fact that in addition to growing a baby, your body is growing an additional organ (the placenta)! It's really just unbelievable!!</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-2641262668816890252014-03-27T19:09:00.000-07:002014-03-27T19:09:21.656-07:00Making the Invisible "Visible"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I think I have always had an enormous capacity for wonder - there are some things that are just so wonderful and incredible and marvelous and (best of all) impossible that my mind just explodes when I think of them. I just love that *gasp* feeling. <br />
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We went to the AGO this weekend, which was completely fabulous. There I saw a series of posters, and fell in love. The artist, Janice Kerbel, works to make visible those things that can not be seen. In this case, it is through words, graphically displayed and mind-bogglingly vivid, that she brings into your imagination, as plain as day, characters that are, quite plainly impossible. <br />
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This is art I would LOVE to have on my walls, although I would have a hard time choosing just one of this series. I think that someday, when my library dreams come true, that would truly be the perfect place to hang something like this - printed as big as possible, of course. Just to remind us that while a picture may be worth a thousand words, a few well chosen words can sometimes do <i>more</i> than even the most talented painter ever could.<br />
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I couldn't find a decent link to the whole series, so I just made <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/surewouldhome/remarkable-by-janice-kerbel/">a pinterest board</a> with the images. Hopefully it works that way. The artist's name is Janice Kerbel and the series is called <i>Remarkable</i>. Truly.<br />
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Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-76298951521947138912014-03-25T11:29:00.000-07:002014-03-25T11:29:50.617-07:00Lego as the Ideal Modern Toy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://thewalrus.ca/block-by-block/">A very interesting article</a> about the history of Lego and the role it has played in modern architecture and indeed the way we see the world as a whole. It really does seem that Lego naturally
expresses the modern philosophy really well. The writer does a really good job of explaining this
perspective in a few different ways and sort of telling the story of
Lego through this lens. <br />
<br />As a post-modern it seems to be my job to critique all things modern
- what do I have to say about Lego? Hm. Perhaps that I was actually
very pulled in to the argument and romanticism presented by this article
- that Lego magically enables children to build without specialized
tools, instructions or training. The only limit is their imagination! The recent photo featured in a Huff
Post article (which I think I mentioned here, but <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/17/lego-ad-1981_n_4617704.html">here</a> is that link) also embodies that idealized view of Lego.
Lego really is fabulous isn't it?</div>
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But I feel that I need to look through that shiny optimism to realize
that that way of thinking isn't going to take us where we need to go, right? I don't
actually believe that the world is there to be recreated, made new, over
and over again according to our personal and very limited ideas of
progress and beauty. I think of a certain oil-rich country, where money seems to be as plentiful as the sand in the desert surrounding it, which really does seem to allow for the realization of dreams. There, you really can "make it new" as much as you want - when a road doesn't suit, or isn't standing up to wear, they just demolish it and build a new one. It is very hard to see - SO much waste. And this type of approach makes our needs, in fact, our whims, the determining factor, rather than any sense of what is actually good. To see the world as a means to our personal ends isn't something I actually agree with.</div>
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I DO believe in the<i> taking apart </i>part of
the Lego process though - that we can look at what we've constructed,
realize that it's something constructed and not something real (and I'm
not just talking about Lego here) and <i>let go</i>. It's not to say
that the construction was a waste of time, or something fake and
therefore useless. I think that as long as I can see it more for what
it is - as an expression of an ideal, as an expression of a way of
seeing the world, I can still appreciate it as that - as something
uniquely beautiful, valuable and an important part of creating meaning
in the world.<br />
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And one last thought. <a href="http://www.womenyoushouldknow.net/little-girl-1981-lego-ad-grown-shes-got-something-say/" target="_blank">Here</a> is a follow up article to the first about the Lego ad with the adorable little girl. In this one they highlight just how much Lego has changed over the years, and it is problematic to me that the writer of the Walrus Lego article doesn't highlight this. That Lego provides a "system of play" where, "equipped with imagination alone, the
would-be builders were empowered to create, recreate, and dismantle
anything", is not true of the Lego marketed towards girls today. Instead, the pink versions of Lego involve very little building and even less creativity, where gender stereotypes are the limits, rather than the child's imagination.<br />
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Anyway, not sure I'm making any sense here, but thought I'd take a stab at it! Probably overthinking it! As usual...</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-85521476807075589172014-03-20T11:28:00.000-07:002014-03-20T11:28:45.849-07:00Our Feminine God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Came across a really interesting article <a href="http://time.com/26318/gods-feminine-side-is-plain-to-see/">here</a> - just a really brief reminder that the bible is SO wide open to interpretation. "<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">God is decidedly not an old man on a throne in the sky". Woo hoo!</span></div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-62688314360486442902014-03-12T07:17:00.000-07:002014-03-12T07:17:14.164-07:00House Spouse - Mom or Dad?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As we continue to struggle through the land of gender roles and parenting, it's not hard to find an endless supply of opinions. But there aren't too many that make me think the way <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304757004579335053525792432">this article</a> did. Last night on Modern Family, the mom is considering running for public office but worries to her husband about "who will take the kids to practice and recitals and keep them from burning down the house?!" His response is golden: "Oh! <i>It must be so hard to live as a single mom...</i> I will take care of it!" Not to make light of being a single mom, or a woman in a marriage with a husband who doesn't contribute to raising their children or maintaining the household, but his comment is exactly like something my husband would say. Let's just remember that I have it pretty good - actually REALLY good. We can't forget that each family is different - hen it comes to day to day life, it's less important what is the case <i>statistically</i>, and more important what is the case <i>in my family</i>. But it's still very interesting, inspiring and indeed sometimes a huge relief to realize that you're not alone, and there is someone out there who is thinking about, and making sense of, the exact situation you find yourself in.</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-78169799374832617252014-03-12T06:57:00.002-07:002014-03-12T06:57:45.953-07:00Paper Dresses Taken to a Whole New Level<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
WOW! That's really all there is to say to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/26/4-year-old-paper-dresses-fashion-by-mayhem_n_4855545.html">this</a>. I find it inspiring in so many ways: a mom spending time with her daughter just for fun, taking a little girl's obsession with fashion and using it in a hands-on way to learn skills, encouraging creativity, craftiness, silliness... Pretty great.</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-12001921398067915662014-03-04T05:14:00.000-08:002014-03-04T05:14:37.243-08:00Pink?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm not sure why, but I can't seem to resist the biiiig sigh that comes every time I look at pictures from Soule Mama's house. <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2014/03/a-room-for-annabel.html">This post</a> is about her baby's new room. Yes, it is PINK, but of course not the hideous pink associated with princess culture these days. But it's still pink. Not something I would choose, but perhaps, when it's your baby (5th of 5) you just throw your ideals out the window and go head-on into the girliness.... It is completely adorable (I mean, I <i>adore</i> it).</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-66645009582691762592014-03-02T12:04:00.001-08:002014-03-02T12:04:54.481-08:00Hitting, Holding and Staylistening<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are a LOT of ways of raising kids and it seems to me that the easiest way to go is the way you were raised - it just comes naturally. But I find that most of the time doing things according to instinct results in inconsistency and unpredictable behaviour from me. And I know this does nothing to help my kids through the stages of exploration they are experiencing. At the same time, it seems mostly futile to try to make myself into someone I'm not. And so I am always keeping my eyes out for ways to refine and solidify what comes naturally to me - ways I can be myself in the best way.<br />
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Although it seems like a LOT of work, I think <a href="http://www.handinhandparenting.org/article/when-your-toddler-hits-you/">this</a> might be one example of something that fits in to what I do naturally (when she hits or has a tantrum, my "ideal" response at this point has been to hold her so that she feels secure enough to let go of that anger), but takes it to the next level. I find I'm always wondering how second and third children fit into these strategies, not to mention circumstances where you simply aren't or can't be your best self. Regardless, I'll take inspiration where I can find it.</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-26925336190406697392013-12-11T16:52:00.000-08:002013-12-11T16:52:37.722-08:00Empathy vs Sympathy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Never realized there was a significant difference between the two. I'm sure they each have their place (...hmm... is there ever a time for sympathy?) but <a href="http://brenebrown.com/2013/12/10/rsabear/">this animated video/talk</a> makes it very clear that empathy is the approach of choice when you want to <i>be with</i> someone. Christmas is a good time for that.</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-54672585648808543842013-12-10T17:44:00.001-08:002013-12-10T17:46:54.128-08:00Magic in the Mundane<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The past three and a half years have involved a serious learning curve - motherhood. I am beginning to realize that I have resisted the major changes that have been going on in and around me and it is a slow process of coming to accept what my life looks like now. I always planned to be a mother, always said that my worst fear was not being able to have children. I have always loved kids and never thought twice about my plans to have "at least five". Oh the bliss of ignorance! It's not that I was particularly wrong - I do love children, I love <i>my</i> children and I do hope to have more of them. It's just that I thought I would be able to just continue living <i>my</i> life. Or that somehow <i>my</i> life would flow seamlessly into <i>their</i> life.<br />
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Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that after a significant breakdown this week, this is what came to me:<br />
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Girls,<br />
You are the <i>gift</i>, and <i>calling</i><br />
given to me<br />
the day I became a mother.<br />
<i>YOU ARE ENOUGH</i>.<br />
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I cried and cried, <i>why can't I accept that being a mother is a legitimate and worthwhile way to spend a life?</i> And so that became my goal for the next year. To put my whole self <i>into</i> mothering. To use my brilliant mind (now that's confidence), my creativity, my problem solving skills, my love for reading and research...all of my gifts, <i>into</i> being a mother. Is it possible? Don't know. Am I going to fail? Probably. Does that mean I shouldn't do it? Definitely not. Who has tried to change the world without knowing that their attempts are almost certainly doomed to failure? I would say very few.<br />
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Well, how's that for a blog post? A little out of the ordinary I guess. What I really wanted to share was <a href="http://vimeo.com/76834417">a most incredible video</a> that expresses all of this in a beautiful and inspiring and, for me, heart-wrenching two-and-a-half minutes. It makes beautiful the mundane work of mothering.<br />
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Thank you, friend, for sharing that with me. Someone remind me to watch this video on a regular basis this year to remind me of the magic of this time of my life. I don't see it now, but I know it's there.</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-51605172066198634052013-11-24T18:35:00.000-08:002013-11-24T18:35:40.157-08:00"Words to the Wise"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was definitely in the perfect mood to read <a href="http://thewalrus.ca/words-to-the-wise/">this article</a> so I did laugh a LOT. If you have had children in the recent past, you will probably laugh too. How can kids be simultaneously so adorable and so infuriating? </div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-89439466387457123732013-11-20T12:13:00.000-08:002013-11-20T12:13:00.145-08:00Dinovember<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As a parent there are always an infinite number of ideas that you wish you could implement for your kids that you know just aren't ever going to happen...<a href="https://medium.com/thoughts-on-creativity/6f4cb1886d41">Dinovember</a> is probably one of them - but it rocks. It reminds me of <a href="http://www.elfontheshelf.com/content/about-us">Elf on the Shelf</a>, which is a fun idea too (though I'm not totally comfortable with the conditional approval it entails). I just love the creativity of Dinovember and the imagination, wonder and curiosity it promotes. Another one to store away for <i>some day</i>.</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-85756071768552624722013-11-12T17:29:00.001-08:002013-11-12T17:29:17.230-08:00Custom Built-In Luxury<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have started to dream of a house where there is tons of storage strategically built in to the house that is perfectly accessible but also HIDES all of our CRAP. I walk around my house and all I see <i>so much stuff</i>! I am being reminded that that's not what I really want in my heart of hearts, but I still find homes like <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/green-tour-matthew-and-emmas-e-84775#_">this</a> very inspiring. Magic closets and beds that fold away seem so dreamy at this point in my life! </div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-76598625981303704952013-11-12T17:17:00.001-08:002013-11-12T17:17:58.336-08:00Love is With Us<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wouldn't usually post this type of thing on here, but I can't let myself forget about this. Brene Brown is a very inspirational person who I first heard about through her TedTalk on vulnerability and another one by her on shame. I was very surprised when someone sent me a link to an interview with her on a religious topic. Knowing she was an academic, I assumed she was <i>not</i> religious. Wow. I was blown away by her simple but incredible thoughts in <a href="http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/jesus-wept">this short interview</a>. <b>God is love</b>, and <b>God is with us</b>, are the two foundational concepts that I have been relying on for the past several years in the midst of major upheaval when it comes to my basic beliefs. To have someone articulate those ideas in a clear, understandable, but also incredibly intelligent way was so meaningful to me. </div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-34043024384652769802013-11-12T17:10:00.000-08:002013-11-12T17:10:23.351-08:00Winter Story Telling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I've mentioned before, I have dreams of a library appearing in my house some day. Before that, a reading nook would be lovely. Before <i>that</i>, a decent book shelf would be great...<br />
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In the meantime, I will collect inspiration. <a href="http://rhythmofthehome.com/2013/10/storytelling-in-the-winter/">This</a> is a post full of great ideas. They require some prep and thought (I think I'm doing well when we get to the library once a month) but the ideas are just so rich and so inviting. Especially for the coming season.</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-3433636939310594482013-10-08T17:38:00.000-07:002013-10-08T17:38:24.438-07:00"Good Job"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As a parent I try to consider very seriously the words I use when I'm talking to my kids. Gender issues and boundary issues are probably at the forefront of my mind most of the time - encouraging them to be themselves, make their own choices. Towards that end, I try to avoid saying "good girl" when I want to affirm their behaviour. I thought "good job" was a better choice since it was less about their identity as an acceptable person and more about the action or behaviour. <a href="http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/article/good-job-alternatives">This article</a> takes that idea to a whole new level and I love it. I think it is a very important reminder to consider what it is, <i>exactly</i>, that you are trying to encourage in your child and then find a way to articulate that in a way they can understand. <br />
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Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-67546006027745430882013-09-30T08:40:00.002-07:002013-09-30T08:40:52.759-07:00disposable culture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It gets really frustrating that when something breaks, it is almost impossible to fix it anymore. Instead you are just supposed to throw it out and get a new one. Cost, convenience, and culture tell us that it is not important to do or make things that last. <a href="http://phonebloks.com/?fb_action_ids=10151782374195980&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map={%2210151782374195980%22%3A211788018970955}&action_type_map={%2210151782374195980%22%3A%22og.likes%22}&action_ref_map=[]">Here</a> is someone, something, that is trying to work against that - a phone that doesn't become out-of-date five minutes after you buy it. How cool?<br />
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Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-42413635223836077302013-09-21T15:16:00.001-07:002013-09-21T15:16:30.626-07:00Growing up with kids<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In our adventures in parenting there has been nothing better than to have people walking the same path beside us. A few people have shared some great resources lately that are good to have on hand when it seems like nothing is working.<br />
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<a href="http://www.janetlansbury.com/2010/04/no-bad-kids-toddler-discipline-without-shame-9-guidelines/">This</a> is a great article on understanding your toddler's behaviour and <a href="http://www.ahaparenting.com/parenting-tools/positive-discipline/Parenting-Strong-Willed-Child">this</a> is a good one for older children - again, reminding us to focus on empathy, trust and discipline (as opposed to punishment). </div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-14939433696063319992013-09-17T09:20:00.000-07:002013-09-17T09:20:31.059-07:00Doing Nothing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My dear friend sent me this quote from <a href="http://mamaseeds.com/blog/baby-sleep-training/new-mamas-get-nothing-done-and-other-untruths/">this amazing blog post</a> and I thought it needed to be shared with every new mom. So I'm storing it here in the hopes that when someone I know has a new baby, I'll remember it and send it to them. If you're a new mom, read the post. Here's the quote:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>So the next time you find yourself wondering how another day is gone and
nothing is done, stop. Hold your baby—feel the way that tiny body
strains to contain this giant soul—complete, and full of potential all
at the same time. Take a deep, slow breath. Close your eyes and measure
your day not as tasks, but as feelings, as sounds, as colors. Exhaustion
is part of it. And it’s true, you will get “nothing” done. But the hard
parts will fade. The intense, burning love is what remains, and it is
yours to keep forever.</i></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-10439424712878705452013-09-08T13:44:00.001-07:002013-09-08T13:44:22.558-07:00Home and Art<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Over at good old Apartment Therapy, I came across <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/jasnas-art-at-home-house-call-194248">this "House Call" </a>and love it. I really like the look of lots of little things nicely organized and each in their place. "So much to look at" as someone once said about our place. For some reason that just feels good to me. Turns out the people who live in that house are artists and have done so many very interesting projects. They state their purpose as <em> creating objects and projects that are discreet invitations to explore, collaborate and play. </em>They are called "<a href="http://www.dearhuman.ca/">Dear Human</a>". This type of thing is right up my ally. In my other life where I'm an artist. ;)</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4716191989359039512.post-84298401930257420892013-08-12T06:00:00.000-07:002013-08-12T06:00:00.076-07:00Forward Facing Book Display<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Let's face it - I have a TON of kids' books. I've been collecting them since I was a kid and now that I have kids of my own, the collection is growing even faster than usual. The thing about books though, is that it seems totally criminal to have them all piled on top of each other, crammed into a bookshelf where you can't even see the beautiful art on each cover. And though I try to avoid judging a book by its cover, I do get sucked in by beautiful artwork. So, it seems inevitable that some day I will have to do <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-book-displayreader-project-105770">this</a>. It looks awesome, doesn't let the beauty of books go to waste on a bookshelf, <i>and</i> it allows kids to see which book they want - hopefully avoiding the same-book-every-stinkin-night syndrome. Now, where to find that much wall space....</div>
Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01312104229571387883noreply@blogger.com0