I think everybody has the right to do what they want in terms of their birth experience, and I don’t begrudge anybody who decides that they are going to take the risk to do whatever they’re going to do, however much I might disagree with it, think it’s dangerous, etc. Birth is dangerous and scary, and it’s important…

I think they’ll definitely at least consider a total ban.

Also, there aren’t five conservative Catholics on the bench. Roberts, Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh are certainly all Catholics, and conservatives, but while Gorsuch was raised Catholic, he was most recently a member of a pretty liberal/progressive Episcopalian…

100% agree. The goal is to regulate women’s sexuality and reproduction, and I say this as someone who was raised in ultraconservative circles, and had people try to recruit me for harassing women outside of abortion clinics (my parents were ultraconservative but wouldn’t let me because they thought it was too dangerous…

It’s kind of a myth that it’s just scared young women. Most women who have abortions already have children. Half are over 25. 

This is of course designed to go to the Supreme Court. The ultimate goal is to create a fetal personhood standard across the US, outlawing all abortions in the US. And the Supreme Court could make it happen. The very least of our worries is turning over Roe v. Wade, which was a certainty as soon as Trump was elected.

That’s so great to hear! You’ve definitely given her the tools, and she’s making great use of them.

Yeah, I have a European last name and it gets mispronounced all. the. time. And I get lectured on the pronunciation from some people when I correct them! It definitely gives me more empathy for people of color with first and last names that originate outside of Europe who get this bullshit every single day, even from…

Whatever works for your kiddo! And it’s totally age dependent. I’m dealing with a 3-year-old who uses pretty complex sentences and responds better to full conversation, and sometimes we don’t need to say much of anything at all, it’s just something like “do you need a hug? are you feeling scared or are you feeling angr…

That’s awesome! It’s like magic, isn’t it? Honestly the replies I’ve gotten here from parents really gives me hope for a future where adults are more emotionally literate and empathetic, which is better for everybody. I’ve only had to dismiss one troll!

Totally 100% agreed. I think when yelling is saved for really important stuff like safety, it retains its power to alert your kid to things they need to pay attention to.

You should report voting irregularities like this! Full Frontal has an app in the app store where you can report election issues, and that’ll go straight to a nonpartisan voter rights organization that helps investigate that stuff on the ground on election day. There’s other options here: https://www.pewtrusts.org/rese…

My husband and I have voted in every election (purely local ones, too!) since we registered to vote at 18, and today was the first time EVER that I saw young people (18-20) volunteering as poll workers. I thanked them, and told them how wonderful it was to see them there. Whatever happens today, this and the massive…

What I’d love to see is an entirely new organization, made up of former gymnasts. Relatively young ones. 

Alas, I’m sad this was invented too late for Cougar Town to make use of it.

The no interaction, though, is the point of difference. That’s the isolating factor. With small children, they usually need some kind of help finding their way through the big feelings. It’s more of what they call a “time in.” But even that’s not usually necessary as a structured thing. If they want to be left alone…

Oh yeah, we all yell from time to time. Some parents go straight to yelling, though, when their kids are being frustrating or having trouble self-regulating. Sometimes raising your voice can be useful, even. And we all get to the ends of our ropes and just can’t do anything but yell. I have nothing but empathy for…

A time out is when a child is put somewhere by themselves, functionally isolated, and left alone, usually for a given period of time. The key here is that you may be removing them from the immediate situation, but you stay with them, and you stay focused on them. And it may not be to their room, it may be to the next…

Kids often lash out more when they initially receive positive attention or positive discipline, because they’re finally getting the attention they crave and it totally overwhelms them. Or else there’s a bigger issue at play that needs to be addressed. And absolutely we all respond to different things, but the question…

I’m not advocating for no discipline in these scenarios. But if a kid is screaming and hitting and interrupting the family during dinner, then there’s positive ways to address that. The first thing would be to stop what you’re doing, get close to them on eye level (not threateningly or angrily but in a connected way),…

Yes, I used to say this. And I’ve watched Supernanny, I used to watch her show a lot, and her technique is the one that I was convinced was a great technique. But it’s still got the problem of using isolation as punishment, and that’s psychologically damaging, even if it’s wrapped in positive things.