Birth, Two Worlds Apart: Part 1 of 3 - My Daughter's Birth

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My first labor began in predawn darkness, burning contractions sweeping over my belly like a brushfire before dissipating into stillness. By evening, my husband and I decided the contractions were frequent enough to drive to the hospital. There I labored through the night, focused on enduring, knowing each contraction brought me closer to a life-changing embrace with our first child. My husband comforted me with gentle coaching, and a series of nurses entered regularly to chart vital signs--particularly since they'd allowed me to forgo an IV lock and internal exams.

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10 Myths about Stay-At-Home Moms and Dads

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I'm guilty of believing a few of these stay-at-home parent myths--at least, until I became a stay-at-home mama myself. Have you caught yourself believing any of these statements?

1. Their house is always clean. Sure, stay-at-home parents may have more time to clean, but their homes are in active use much of the day, meaning that no rooms stay clean for long.

2. They have lots of time to accomplish what they want. Modern parenting frequently involves reshuffling personal priorities below the needs of children, according to Jennifer Senior in her book All Fun and No Joy: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood (released in January 2014). Parenting certainly requires flexible priorities in light of family schedules and childhood illnesses.

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Examining Alfie Kohn's Myth of the Spoiled Child

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If you're well-versed in current parenting and education discourse, you know that Alfie Kohn is America's gadfly on these topics, consistently challenging the popular views with solid evidence to the contrary. His latest book, The Myth of the Spoiled Child, responds to the prevailing media stance that paints modern parents as both over-involved and indulgent, and children as narcissistic and underprepared for adulthood.

Don't let Kohn's latest title mislead you--this book isn't a lengthy argument for permissive parenting, which Kohn addressed and exchanged for a healthier approach in his book Unconditional Parenting (which I reviewed here). Instead, The Myth of the Spoiled Child is a point-by-point response to common but baseless social criticism of modern American parents and their children. Though Kohn occasionally comes off as peeved and retaliatory towards the researchers he considers biased, he's highly convincing as he meticulously discredits prevalent assumptions about falling school standards, pervasive narcissism, and the overly touted benefits of self-discipline and failure.

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May Day & Lily of the Valley: Bringing Happiness to Others

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On May 1st in France, you'll see le muguet (Lily of the Valley) sold everywhere on the city streets--more than 50 million stems of its blooms are bought in France each May Day to give to friends and neighbors. The tradition dates to the Renaissance, when Charles IX offered it to those around him as porte-bonheur--to bring good luck and happiness. The flower is also a favorite for spring wedding bouquets, having been chosen by Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn (in her wedding to Andrea Dotti and in Funny Face), and Kate Middleton.

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Outdoor Adventure at Portland Children's Museum: What To Know Before You Go

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The Portland Children's Museum opened their long-awaited Outdoor Adventure exhibit on Earth Day last week, and my children and I had a great time checking it out! Honestly, it's fantastically designed for all ages, with a sand pit, fountains, a small manmade creek, a climbing tree, trails, picnic areas, and more. If you plan to check it out, here are some thoughts to consider before you go:

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What Critics Get Wrong About Alicia Silverstone's New Book

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America: The land where What to Expect When You're Expecting has sold more than 34 million copies as the self-proclaimed "pregnancy Bible" since its publication in the mid-eighties. Nevermind that it inflates hypochondriac concerns in a patronizing tone. Nevermind that until 2008, its diet recommendations emphasized carbs and listed bran muffins as an indulgence. Enter Alicia Silverstone, whose book The Kind Mama was just released April 15th. In her "Simple Guide to Supercharged Fertility, a Radiant Pregnancy, a Sweeter Birth, and A Healthier, More Beautiful Beginning," Silverstone advocates for purposeful pregnancy and parenting choices such as a plant-rich diet, natural birth, co-sleeping, and breastfeeding. But in response, online book critics has been anything but kind.

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Teaching Reading in French: Our Homeschooling Plan

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My daughter is a witty five year old who adores books, so I think she's on the cusp of learning to read. But beyond our daily habit of reading together and occasionally reviewing alphabet sounds (in French and English), I haven't pushed her to learn to read (and my two-year-old son has several years before he reaches this milestone). Yet unless our family moves closer to one of the French immersion schools in Oregon, we'll most likely be homeschooling this fall. Read on for more about how we'll approach learning to read in French and the resources we'll use.

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French & American Children's Fiction: Comparing Cultural Clues

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As my children grow towards school-age, we're reading a larger variety of short stories in French and English, and I'm delighting in the subtle differences along the way. Fiction stories are culture capsules--they rarely reveal culture overtly, but the more one reads, the more one sees how the stories reflect cultural tendencies. At the risk of wading into stereotypes, I'll share the key differences I've noticed:

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