A Parenting Manifesto
RebelDad is calling upon people to write parenting manifestos of 500 words or less. (Thanks to ParentHacks and Republic of T for the heads up.) Here’s mine, a work in progress.
Raising
Homemade Indoor “Sandbox” Kits
My three-year-old son couldn’t tear himself away from a miniature sandbox set he saw at a local toy store the other day. The set, called My Little Sandbox, is a box about ten inches square, filled with fine sand and a variety of themed toys. The one on display was a little farm, with animals,
Happy Hanukkah
A very happy first night of Hanukkah to those of you observing it. If your family comes from multiple traditions, like mine, then I wish you joy as you light the first of eight trees in your yard, or do whatever you do to honor and celebrate your interwoven diversity in this season of miracles
Melissa, Tammy, and the Twins’ Photo Shoot
Melissa Etheridge, Tammy Lynn Michaels, and their new twins have done a photo shoot for US Weekly, in which they talk about IVF, baby names, being out as parents, and crunchy tacos. I want to offer my suggested changes to some of Melissa’s classic songs now that she’s taking care of babies again: “Somebody Bring
Holiday Shopping Deadline
For all you last-minute shoppers out there: Today is the last day to get free Super Saver Shipping on items at Amazon.com and still have your items arrive by Friday, December 22. (That’s the last night of Hanukkah and the last business day before Christmas.)
Check the Box
I was filling out a registration form for an online parenting community the other day. One of the questions was “Marital status?” Being an accepting sort of site, they gave the choices “Married, Partnered, Single.” My cursor went automatically to “Partnered,” since that’s what I had called myself for thirteen-plus years. “Wait,” I thought. “I’m
Conference Call on Children’s Health-Insurance Coverage
It’s easy for us as LGBT parents to focus all our political energies on LGBT-specific issues. I’m often guilty of it myself, especially as parenthood has reduced my available bandwidth for anything not related to teddy bears or Thomas the Tank Engine. I just received an invitation, however, from Families USA, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization
Health and Safety Roundup
A few miscellaneous items of interest: Young infants should not be left alone to sleep in car seats, warn New Zealand researchers. There is a risk of breathing problems, especially for premature infants, even when restrained in a seat appropriate for their age. Women who have epidurals during labor may find it harder to breastfeed,
Recipe: Monkey Bread Redux
My first attempt at monkey bread was a traditional herbed loaf based on a white-bread recipe (but with a little whole-wheat flour added because I like it that way). Not willing to leave well enough alone, however, I then decided to try it with a challah dough. Challah, as you may know, is a Jewish
Recipe: Herbed Monkey Bread
Here’s a recipe for a simple yet festive bread that’s both fun to make with kids and suitable for company. It comes out in a cake-like shape that makes a great centerpiece for a dinner party—a nice alternative to a basket of rolls. Its pull-apart sections are easy for little monkey fingers to grab, too.