Search Results for: blog a poorer place

A Poorer Place

I know I only recently got through saying we shouldn’t judge others and make judgments about their marriages or parenting but this article really made me sad. It appears in today’s society the picture book is under threat. Booksellers can’t sell them. According to this article they languish on the shelves. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/us/08picture.html?_r=1&emc=eta1 When our children were young Mick and I spent a lot of time reading picture books, as well as chapter books with them. The first introduction to books was picture books. One son was mainly interested in the words. Our daughter poured over each illustration. Guess which one … Continue reading →

Baby Blog Week in Review: August 7 to August 11

We have had a busy week in the baby blog! If you haven’t had time to catch up on all your reading, here it is all in one place. Grab a cup of coffee and have a seat! August 7 Why Banning Formula Isn’t Awful This week the New York City Department of Health banned free formula in New York City public hospitals in an effort to promote breastfeeding. The internet has been abuzz about the ban both for and against it. Although I actively promote breastfeeding when possible, I actually think that banning formula is good economic sense. Read … Continue reading →

I Do But I Don’t

Over 20 years ago I said, “I do” in my wedding ceremony. I think with the passage of so much time, it isn’t a bad idea to go back to that place and really think about the implications of “I do.” It isn’t a bad idea for anyone who is married for any period of time, because I think what can subtly happen is that our “I dos” turn into “I don’t.” Consider the traditional wedding vows: I, (name), take you (name), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, … Continue reading →

Trusting Him to Provide

I mentioned earlier that my husband has received a new job offer. This whole situation is hitting me right at my emotional core—I grew up a little poorer than most, and security is a big deal for me. I need to feel stable with our situation. I need to know that we can afford a place to live and food to eat. We’ve been with his current company for a long time, and the thought of branching out and trying something new is scary to me. In today’s economy, there’s more reason than ever to fear. What if the new … Continue reading →

Living with the Dreamer

If you are married to a dreamer it can have advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages are that if your marriage partner is a dreamer, then one of you is going to have to take care of the practical everyday things that need to be done. The term dreamer can often apply to the creative type who has half their mind on the next piece of music they’re composing, picture they’re painting, story they’re writing or invention. Sometimes that creative world can become so real they forget about the real world and about maintaining relationships and spending adequate time with their … Continue reading →

Genetic Potential Can Be Stunted By Poverty

Think for a moment about your ancestors. Some of them might have lived their lives in utter poverty, especially if that ancestor was a child during The Great Depression. Other distant relatives might have been financially well taken care of. Why does this matter? It turns out that children who grow up in conditions of poverty may not reach their full genetic potential. The United States is a rich nation when compared with many of the other countries in the world. This does not mean that there are no poor people here. We have a large number of people who … Continue reading →

The Death of Childhood

I am outraged. No, it’s not the death of picture books this time but something even more serious -the death of childhood. Don’t know what I’m talking about? On Saturday I went to a conference for women in our area. One of the speakers was talking about the media’s influence on our children and the sexualization of girls. For a lot of us there I’m sure it was a real wake up call. I admit recently while looking for an outfit to buy for our young granddaughter I was horrified at the sayings on some of the t shirts and … Continue reading →

It’s All Relative

Someone once told me you can always make time for things you think are important. I believe it is true. If time with your spouse is important then you will make sure you allocate time for that, either by working less hours or by leaving things undone or not being involved in so many activities so we can have together time. On that note it was lovely yesterday for Mick and to go off to tennis together. It’s the first time for ages. I’d suggest that similar might be true in many cases with regard to what we spend our … Continue reading →

Who Comes First in Your Marriage?

When it comes to a choice between your spouse and your children, who comes first? You spouse should be the one who comes first in your concerns, thoughts and plans. He or she is the one you are married to, that you have committed to live your life with, ‘for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer.’ The children will grow up and leave home and need you less. If you make them the centre of your lives what will you have left when they leave? Yes, I missed our children when they left … Continue reading →

Helping Kids have a Clearer Vision of both Pregnancy and Parenting

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I’ve recently shared that statistically, as a group, teen mothers who place their babies for adoption fare better (in terms of staying in school and off the welfare rolls, and avoiding another premature pregnancy). I should also say that there are many young mothers who do a very good job of raising their babies. (To see one of our dedicated blogger’s series on being a young parent, click here.) I admit that I used to think two parents were always better than one. I now realize that being adopted does represent a loss for the baby as well as for … Continue reading →