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Daddies Hurt, Too
I’ve learned how fragile and sensitive to criticism my husband’s and our son’s tough exteriors can be. After years of living with my husband, I came to realize that if he said, “I don’t know. I don’t...
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Get Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies!
This is the lunch my son has been requesting every day for weeks now: a taco with refried beans, cream cheese, and a generous helping of alfalfa sprouts. When I shared this picture on Facebook, my...
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Objectification of Pets is Part of the Patriarchy
The objectification of pets goes hand in hand with the objectification of women and upholding of the Patriarchy. This is why I have always taught our son that pets are not toys; they are friends. These...
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Stop Calling Us Bossy!
As a woman (and former little girl) there’s something that I want men (and boys) to know. Women are very sensitive to being called “bossy.” Why? Well, because so many of us have been called that all...
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LGBTQ+ Folk, Tolerance, and God’s ‘Great Plan’
The many different variations of gender and sexual identity we encounter in our society today are a part of God’s great plan. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t exist at all. Some people say that...
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Think You Understand Kids? Have one!
That kids have to learn everything is something I didn’t fully understand until I became a parent. What I mean is I thought that I understood that before I had to walk a new human through the learning...
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Fixing a Vintage Turntable as a Home-School Science (Life) Lesson
The other day, instead of making men’s beaded jewelry for my business, Authentic Arts, I set out to fix my vintage turntable. My son and I opened it up and tinkered with some things. (It was broken,...
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Hectic Schools Create Frantic Adults
I homeschool my son and we frequently find ourselves at the children’s museum. They have a play-place all set up for outdoor camping fun. There’s a play house that looks like a tree fort, stuffed...
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An Unexpected Ritual of Manhood
This has been a really intense week. A tree branch fell on #authenticson, and we spent hours at the ER getting five staples in his head to close the cut. I’ve spent three days slowly cleaning dried...
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Helping Your Son Navigate Cycles of Independence
I’m a work at home mom and I’m homeschooling my 5-year-old son. Something I didn’t understand before having children is that they experience these developmental cycles of finding new independence and...
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Our Planet Is the Tire and Climate Change Is the Spike
This is honestly the biggest thing I’ve ever gotten stuck in a truck tire. And my thought for the day is: When happenstance derails you, don’t let it derail you. And also: If you need help, ask for...
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Let Shy Kids Be Shy
As a homeschooling mom and a formerly shy little girl, the thing I struggle with most is letting my shy little son be shy. I feel like by homeschooling I’m marching him down the path toward that ugly...
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Go Ahead and Wear Rainbow Shirts
The 5-year-old fashion report says rainbows are IN this year. In fact, #authenticson cries every time he runs out of rainbow clothes. So, naturally, I’ve been washing laundry a lot more often. I love...
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It’s Easy to Explain Gender Identities to Young Children
The key to bringing young children up to speed on the rainbow array of gender identities in our modern world is to normalize it from the beginning. The good news is that’s easy. You just make a habit...
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Helping Sons Heal Husbands
One day my husband came home from work while our 5-year-old son was playing video games. Our son completely ignored his father and told him he was too busy to stop his game to see Papa. Now, my husband...
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6 Honest Things That Happened After I Bought My Son A Doll
I honestly felt a little bit like a revolutionary when I encouraged our son to buy a baby doll. But the truth is that baby Brian Hotcakes didn’t smash the patriarchy as much as he made friends with it...
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How I’m Teaching My Son Not To Be Sexist
— One way I’m teaching my son not to be sexist is by being honest and vocal about sexist things when I see them. Like all the times we default to the masculine when the feminine is just as valid. For...
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How To Raise a Confident Son
A well-meaning relative at my cousin’s wedding asked, “So, where does he get this whole cowboy boots and hat thing from?” and all I could think to answer was, “From… himself.” We live in Wisconsin and...
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How I Gave My Young Son a Lesson in Capitalism While Playing Pirates
My main advice for raising kids worked again today as it always has. Just tell them the truth! I’m not much for make-believe games. I must have grown up because they bore me to death now. But, my young...
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10 Signs That Your Parenting Is on Track
I am dedicating this month to a practice of gratitude to strengthen the love and kindness I have toward myself, including my parenting skills. And I want you to do the same. You’re worth it! It’s easy...
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