Zenparenting1
Education. Activism. Peace, Love, and Zen.
I am a mom, wife, breastfeeding and NIP advocate, genital integrity advocate, feminist, gay and human rights activist (all your basic -ivists). I full-term breastfeed, cloth diaper, co-sleep, toddler wear, extend the rear-facing sentence (at least that's how my son sees it), do not vaccinate, gently and lovingly discipline, oppose "crying it out," teach and use sign language, and home/un-school. I believe that the birthing process should not be treated as a medical emergency and am a big fan of home births. I do my best to keep my son and family healthy, safe, and happy by researching the heck out of all my decisions. I am always on the look-out for new things I can make myself that are just as good (if not better than) the store-bought stuff.
Some people have referred to me as "crunchy," "granola," "Earth Mother," "hippie," and even "laughable," "stupid," and "crazy" (but I have to consider those sources). I don't really identify as any of those. I'm just me. I just love my son and think the sun shines out of the cute little butt that I would do anything to protect. I want to raise him in the kind of world he deserves and I feel it is my duty as a human being to do my part to make it so.
MY BLOGS
-
Zen Parenting
http://zenparenting1.blogspot.fr/
Rear-facing in car seats is 500% safer than forward-facing. It's a cold, hard fact. It may not be convenient for you. It may not appear to be comfortable to you. It may seem over-protective to you, but 500% is a pretty big number...
LATEST ARTICLES ( 274 )
-
Tail Docking, Ear Cropping, and Circumcision - A Comparison
What is ...?"... is the intentional removal of a portion of a ....""One method involves putting a ligature around the ..., which cuts off the blood supply and... Read more
Posted on 16 July 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
Memories...
We all remember things based on a bevy of factors such as our pasts, feelings, presence in the moment, even our physical senses. Read more
Posted on 14 July 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
Let Me Count the Ways
(I love thee enough to post a photo with bedhead and puffy sleep eyes)Mama's Sonnet #36How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Read more
Posted on 07 July 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
30 Things Series #21: Describe My Relationship with My Parents
image by Life's ClassroomI continue to write the series, 30 Things My Son Should Know About Me, for him to read someday, but let me tell you, this one and the... Read more
Posted on 04 July 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
30 Things Series #20: 3 Significant Childhood Memories
As part of the 30 Things My Son Should Know About Me series, I (sort of) present three of my most significant childhood memories. Read more
Posted on 04 July 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
The Period Poem
There's a small chance you've not yet run across this thing of beauty. And a thing of beauty it is. My students know I love poetry. I subjected them to weeks... Read more
Posted on 26 June 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
Made By Dad? Uh, No. Not Here.
Dear Fat Brain Toys, Scott Bedford, and Workman Publishing Company,Perhaps your little graph would show more equitable data if, oh, I don't know, you didn't... Read more
Posted on 20 May 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
Godparents: How and Why We Chose Our Son's
I grew up Mormon, so the idea of godparents was completely foreign to me. My husband grew up semi-Catholic (he was Catholic on Easter and Christmas Eve), so... Read more
Posted on 12 May 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
30 Things Series #19: On Becoming a Parent
This series, 30 Things My Son Should Know About Me, never lets me down. It always seems to work out perfectly that the day something special crops up is also th... Read more
Posted on 11 May 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
30 Things Series #18: What My Husband Most Loves About Me
I put this particular post off, writing other posts in the meantime, for a long time, because I simply did not know what I thought your dada loved most about me... Read more
Posted on 07 May 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
Help Childhelp
When I was in elementary school in Beaumont, California, I had a friend named Andrea who happened to be a resident of Childhelp's local residential facility. Read more
Posted on 05 May 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
On Being From a Broken Home
I won't say every child of divorce feels this way. I can't speak for all of us. I do know this is how I feel, even now after 30 years since my parents'... Read more
Posted on 02 May 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
Sharing for That Little Girl Who Was Hurt
A former student of mine messaged me today with the following message and graphic. With her permission and my eyes blurred with a stream of tears, I am sharing... Read more
Posted on 29 April 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
Be Still My Birthday Heart
April 30th is my birthday. This year, I'll be 36. Normally, I don't much care about my birthday. I mean, I like it just fine, but I don't make a big deal out... Read more
Posted on 28 April 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
Assisting with Circumcision is Against the Nurse's Code of Ethics
I have been saying this for years. Who am I,though, right? I'm not a nurse. I don't understand. My little pea-brain can't possibly comprehend. Pfft. Fine. Here'... Read more
Posted on 21 April 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
30 Things Series #17: The Thing at Which I Wish I Were Great
In continuing with the 30 Things My Son Should Know About Me series I'm writing, I present the thing at which I wish I were great. Read more
Posted on 18 April 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
Menstruation a La Disney
This 1946 Disney/Kotex video oscillates between the extremes of uncharacteristically (for Disney) frank and informative to maddening and/or laughable... Read more
Posted on 15 April 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
30 Things Series #16: My Greatest Accomplishments
This was a hard one for me to write. I don't like to boast. I struggled coming up with five, the right five. If you're to really know me, all of me, you need... Read more
Posted on 11 April 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
30 Things Series #15: How I Knew He Was The One
It is the eve of my husband's and my 5th wedding anniversary. We were married alone, just us, the reverend, and the photographer, on a beach in central... Read more
Posted on 07 April 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING -
Let Me Be
The English teacher in me loves poetry and adores National Poetry Month. The friend of Angie Lewis in me loves this woman. The human being with a soul in me... Read more
Posted on 03 April 2014 BODY, MIND, SPIRIT, FAMILY, PARENTING