Apparently my mother’s mother did it to her too, and since it was OK for her, it was OK for my brother and I. The only difference (which she failed to take into consideration) is that she grew up in a neighborhood surrounded by her family and always had somewhere to go. My brother and I grew up in the middle of…

Typo in the last sentence notwithstanding, that’s actually a quote from my kid. Not me. My intention was not to be smug. My intention was to talk about the absurdity of needing to entertain kids 24/7 and my gratitude at the fact that I don’t, because I don’t have what it takes. Others got it, some didn’t. As for my…

My brother and his wife have 7 kids between them (my SIL was married once before she married my brother) ranging in age from 22 to 18 months. There is a 12-year gap between the baby and her next oldest sibling (she was a bit of a surprise...) All of my nieces and nephews are so different that it’s like they’re not…

Yes, I certainly am. I never said that my kid was perfectly well-behaved or that anyone else was doing anything wrong. I wrote about my own experience, acknowledged how fortunate I am to have the kid that I do, and then contrasted that with a situation that I would not be well-equipped to handle. If that makes you…

Yeah... except that in the example I cited both of the kid’s parents freely acknowledge that this is a cycle that they set themselves up for (due to a variety of family dynamics that were in play early on) and that they both feel unable to break out of, despite the harm they fear they’re doing. The kid and her parents…

Exactly! There is always something to feel badly about, but unless you’re actively abusive or neglectful, chances are that you’re doing just fine.

Yeah. That too.

There’s nothing wrong with confining a kid to a safe place for a period of time so that you can do whatever it is you need to get done. My own (mentally ill and abusive) mother used to literally drag my brother and I outside after breakfast on days we didn’t have school and then lock the doors until it got dark. Rain,…

A lot.

Thank you, and congratulations!

Do they have any idea of the unique health care needs of mail carriers? No way.

I have an 11 year old. She is an only child, and her other mother and I both work full time (plus at least one of us has been working on an advanced degree pretty-much since she was born). We are not her playmates. Throughout her life she has had toys, books, and an acre of accessible yard with which to entertain…

All of this is the reason I suck it up and spend an average of $10 a pound for meat that is pasture raised on natural diets and are certified humane (for both animals and humans) on farms within 100 miles of my house. No antibiotics, no hormones, no restrictive housing or pens, and with free access to the outdoors and…

Holy crap, that is so awesome!

Here’s a link to a quiz that will help you find out if you can call yourself a feminist or not:

I will donate to help pay your bail if necessary. This is a worthy cause.

I can’t take the day off from work or from school, so I am (begrudgingly) at my desk right now. I discovered last night that I don’t have anything red that is suitable to wear to work, so instead I am channeling Elizabeth Warren and wearing my solid purple suit jacket over solid black. My wife is wearing her red…

I could watch this all day.

I don’t know what this is, but the horse in the background just kind of watching and blinking is cracking me up.

My Dad never chopped wood, but he rented a gas-powered wood splitter once. From then on all the firewood came cut and split.