The other day a friend and I were talking about someone we know and how her very thin mother always pressures her to lose weight. I was being my usual judgmental self and was denouncing that mother with fervor, until it occurred to me that I kind of got it. It would never berate or insult my daughter if her body were not up to my “standards,” but I would be very disappointed … [Read more...] about Building Active Babies
Independence
Last week a friend told me that she was fired from a daycare after only one day. Apparently her son had “too much separation anxiety.” I felt for her. But my own experience has been so different. Sam can’t wait to get me out the door. “Bye mommy,” she calls when I leave her at the gym daycare, her baby sitters, her grandparents or, most recently at her pre-school. I know … [Read more...] about Independence
Happy Valentine’s Day!
We are best friends. We are sparring partners. Nobody gets me like he does. He has given me infinite freedom to explore myself and never held me back from anything, always supporting me, always listening. My parents always told me that the worst times in their 25-year marriage came after I was born—eight years into it. They almost split. I know children break some … [Read more...] about Happy Valentine’s Day!
Kids Grow. Fast.
One of the hardest parts of having children is accepting that they will grow. Each stage is so beautiful and yet so fleeting. I swear, I have a different child week to week. My daughter went from this: To this: In what seemed like a moment. With her, it has been exciting to anticipate the new developments. To see her roll was amazing. To walk? Nothing short of … [Read more...] about Kids Grow. Fast.
Puppy Love
I recently saw the movie “Marley and Me.” In it, a writer loves his insane, scraggly, difficult dog for more than a decade in spite of all his faults. To most, the movie is sad. To me? It is devastating. This is not because it is not schmaltzy. It is. This is also not because it is particularly well-done. It isn’t. It is because I relate so much to the Jennifer Aniston … [Read more...] about Puppy Love