Bringing Up Bebe
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Family on Monday, February 06, 2012
First there was the Asian Tiger Mom, now the Superior French Mom.
I confess it took me by surprise that the French have any children to parent.
But a forthcoming book insists it’s so, and the author tells how her French friend helped her change her tone of voice so that her toddler would obey her and play-dates became more enjoyable for parent and child.
Much of what she says strikes me as common... READ MORE
You're Great, They're Awful
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I step up to the cutting counter at the fabric store. My sister’s with me, but she’s grabbing some stuff while I corral our four big kids, aged two, three, five, and five.
The staffer unfolds the first of my bolts and the children are all over the place. I think Camilla’s about to grab the scissors and try to cut the fabric herself. “Everyone please put one hand on the cart,” I tell them, and they... READ MORE
Slow Mama, Fast Toddler
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Wednesday, April 13, 2011
This pregnancy and my activity restrictions have brought a new challenge: disciplining my toddler.
For me, discipline with a two-year-old mainly consists of teaching him that I mean what I say, especially when it comes to hurting others. In theory, it is tedious but fairly simple: if I say “Blaise, don’t do that” and he doesn’t obey, then I grab him and hold him and tell him again, firmly, and he... READ MORE
Tiny-Person Backtalk
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Thursday, March 17, 2011
Have you read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle?
I highly recommend it. It’s delightful, and fun for parents to read.
However, in the first book there’s a child who talks back (the story in that chapter is about how her parents “cured” her behavior) and when her mother or father tells her to do something, she screws up her face and says, “I’ll do it because I want to, but not because you tell me to!”
A few days... READ MORE
Soft, Indulgent Western Moms
Posted by Rebecca Teti in Family on Monday, January 10, 2011
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“Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” is the provocative title of Amy Chua’s essay accounting for the stereotype of the successful Asian student.
I found it a fascinating window into a culture I know little about—and she’s also quite amusing on the culture clash of parenting styles.
... READ MOREDealing with a Bully
Posted by Lisa Hendey in News on Tuesday, October 05, 2010
One of the results of all of the recent media about teenage suicides is a heightened media discussion of the topic of bullying. Last night, I drifted off to sleep praying for all of the families who have been impacted by this situation. Bullying has been going on for years, but the advent of new technology has given bullies old and young new weapons in their arsenals. We hear now about “cyberbullying”... READ MORE
Obey When?
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Thursday, September 09, 2010
Earlier this week I read a fascinating piece about children and discipline, at the blog Like Mother, Like Daughter.
The piece’s attention-grabbing title is “Six-to-eleven year olds need less patience from you,” but at heart it’s about how to raise children to practice true charity, defined by the author (“Mom” blogger Leila) as “simply treating people with that very love you would like to receive.”... READ MORE
Good/Hard
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Every once in a while I go through the archives of my personal blog and look at the pictures of my daughter as an infant, read the words that I wrote about her during those early months. It’s good for me.
We had fertility struggles before Camilla, and once she came along I was overwhelmed by how grateful I was for her. Also by how hard parenting was, of course, but foremost I was aware of how much... READ MORE
Small Ones Who Smack
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Thursday, May 27, 2010
Our daughter Camilla was about fourteen months old when she started hitting us. She’d smack us in the face, almost gleefully, then watch carefully to see how we’d respond.
We thought she was too young for real discipline, so we tried training her instead: when she hit, we’d hold her arms by her sides and count down from ten. She quickly learned that this was the consequence of hitting, and she didn’t... READ MORE
Parental Brightness
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Family on Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Camilla and Blaise are playing together in the next room when I hear him shriek. I come running. They’re sitting on the floor together, he looking outraged and she looking defiant.
She rarely hurts him, but this situation is suspicious, so I ask her: “Camilla, did you do something to your brother?”
Her gaze is remarkably level for a three-year-old’s. “Yes.”
I ask the obvious follow-up question: “What... READ MORE
