This Unquiet Mind

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Parenting

A collection of 25 posts

Shit My Inner Child Says

Parents are supposed to be better at rising above it, setting an example for observant children who whine only because they haven't perfected better forms of expression. Unfortunately, setting a good example is only one of many imperatives that I juggle at any given time.

An Object of Affection

My little boy has written me more love notes than all my beaux combined. They end up buried in piles of stuff on my bedside table, or the top of my dresser where I plop half-worn clothes, or the side of the desk where I work. I don't think I've ever discarded one.

A Spring in Our Steps

We've leaned hard into the habit of driving to school; it always felt necessary amid a pattern of rushed mornings, when I don't even have time to make coffee until butts are in classroom seats. But I've realized just how easy a jaunt it is.

All the Wholesome Families

I feel the sting of failure when I see glimpses of other families doing the wholesome stuff that, I’m convinced, leads to healthy, socially responsible children.

Magnetism

"I'm your little magnet," my son said as he stuck himself to my body like static cling.

When Mom Gets Touched Out

The phrase "touched out" originated from mothers' aversion to excessive physical touch, by kids and partners alike, but for me it resonates for all kinds of sensory input.

Climbing the Walls

It’s January in Oregon, and raining relentlessly. The Christmas decorations are gone, the tree and its ornaments boxed and in the attic. At this writing, my son is under the weather with a cough that won’t seem to abate, partly because he is asthmatic. We are treating the

Belief in Magic and Fear of Failure

On cognitive distortions in parenting

Sing-a-Long Mommy

I love to sing. I’ve got a large bank of songs in memory, and every day I come across something that evokes a line or a melody. It’s hard for me not to vocalize what tickles my brain at that moment. My husband uses the phrase “our house”

The Games We Play

In 2017, a girlfriend and I went to visit our mutual bestie in Colorado. We drove through the Rockies, drank microbrews, ambled along the pedestrian mall in Boulder, and visited the Denver Botanical Garden. In downtown Denver, we stopped by a game store to look for a new board game