Letters to My Sons
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What I Want My Kids to Know About Movies and Relationships (Fifty Shades of Whatever)
Fifty Shades of Grey? What do I want my kids to know about movies like this one, when they’re older? Dating? Grown up? Honestly, I can’t think of a movie that portrays what I would consider a healthy relationship. So… Continue reading
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Do As I Say! Or Else.
Dear Kids, There are phrases that we hear that stick with us in one way or another. “Do as I say! Or else”. It means that there will be consequences, usually. That the child will face punishment unless they follow… Continue reading
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Out-Tantruming a Tantrum is a Silly Notion
The only path to peace is through making the personal choice to be peaceful. I can’t out-tantrum your tantrum. I can’t out-hit your hit. I can’t shame you into being any less sad or any less angry. That is suppression.… Continue reading
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Manipulation is a Cloth Woven From Ordinary Feelings Warped by Bad Guesses
Dear Kids, A random ordinary thing happens in our lives. You react. With joy, with glee, with sadness, with anger, with fear, with uncertainty, with hesitation, with upset, with confusion, with jealousy, with assertiveness, with argumentativeness, with a refusal to… Continue reading
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Dragonflies Will Sew Your Mouth Shut if You Lie, and Other Convenient Untruths
Dear Mister Four, You recently stopped picking up the toys in the bathtub and frantically putting them away as the bath drained. Inconvenient, yes. But a step forwards in understanding the world around you. For months you would cry if… Continue reading
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Sex and Love
Dear Kids, When you get older and all your friends are driving, maybe one of them will have a car and will say “let me show you how to drive!” I’ll expect you to say no. Why? Not because I… Continue reading
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I AM Bigger than You. (Big Like a Mountain in a Hurricane)
Dear Kids, One of the phrases I hear a little too often for my liking is “I’m bigger than you” and “show them that you’re bigger than they are”. That’s one of those things that can get inside your head… Continue reading
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In the Real World I’ll Want You to Know I’m Here For You
Dear Kids, Eventually you’ll be going out in the real world more and more. And you’ll discover that sometimes people are really mean. In theory I should teach you to deal with this now by being really mean to you.… Continue reading
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Motherless
Dear Kids, Since you were born two of my mom-friends have passed away, leaving behind young children. Motherless. Adult friends have grieved the loss of their own mothers. My mother’s mother has passed away. Your father’s best friend passed suddenly… Continue reading
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Oh Child, You are Testing Me
Dear Kids, You test me. You try my patience. More words that people say that I’ve instinctively pushed away because the meaning behind those words is generally “you are manipulating me. You are trying to see what you can get… Continue reading
Nurshable 