It’s Not About You: A Mom Reflects on the Difficulty of Co-Parenting With Her Ex
For me, early separation and divorce were messy and complicated.
How do you support your child's relationship with their other parent?
For me, early separation and divorce were messy and complicated.
How do you support your child's relationship with their other parent?
My toddler, Jacob, is now 2 years and 2 months old. He breastfeeds several times a day, especially at naptime or at night.
If you breastfed, how did weaning go for you? What do you feel when you find yourself looking back on breastfeeding? What do you enjoy about your relationship with your child now?
The core of our parenting is responding to our children with sensitivity.
However you chose to feed your baby, how do you respond with sensitivity to your baby?
In front of the wood-burning stove, well into winter, we began our typical summer vacation daydreaming. We settled at last on a cross-country road trip to see family.
What car ride activities do you offer your children?
Summer vacation will have both terrible and wonderful moments. When we know that both will happen, and that we can lead our children by responding thoughtfully to the circumstances that present themselves to us, we can look forward to this season.
When did your child have an opportunity to release his pent-up frustrations? What quick list of expectations can you offer your child the next time you are about to enter a stressful situation?
Summertime can bring a variety of opportunities to connect with our children and enjoy new experiences together.
What are your favorite summertime activities to do with your child? Is there an activity that just isn't jiving with your family that you need to let go of?
Still, planning for summer vacation became much easier once I moved from thinking that my children needed to fit around my schedule and instead began to think of how I could take care of my children's developmental needs, my primary responsibility as a parent.
What part of your morning routine strengthens your relationship with your child? How about later in the day?
I always wanted to be a daddy. I just never knew how much it would change me.
How has becoming a father changed you? What fears about parenthood have you overcome? What goals do you have for your children as they grow? What goals do you have for yourself?
This Father's Day, we meet Thiago Queiroz, a dad who has been absolutely on fire for supporting other fathers in his native Brazil since his oldest of 4 children was born a decade ago. Many dads have been able to "meet" Thiago through his role in the American documentary, Dads.
This morning, it snowed in Seattle. It reminded me of the night Max was born, almost exactly five years ago, when it was sunny and rainy and windy and then, in the middle of the night when we were upside-down with time and date, we looked out the window and saw snow swirling around.
How long has it been since your child's birth? How many times have you shared your birth story with others? How do you continue to celebrate the good and work through the challenges?