Posts filed under 'relationships'

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Learning about time

By kate on November 19th, 2007

Click here for a post I wrote on Ruby’s blog about a project I created to teach Ruby about the days of the week.

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A punishment I can enjoy

By kate on November 19th, 2007

When Ruby is being punished, I almost always go for the timeout. But sometimes, a timeout just isn’t possible - in the car, for example. It took me a while to figure out something I could punish her with in the car (for such misdeeds as not listening when I tell her to come and […]

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Call for help: toddler dawdling

By kate on November 13th, 2007

I feel generally confident about my skills as a parent, and I feel like I’m coping well with Ruby’s current need for consistent discipline. However, another aspect of toddler behavior is emerging, and it’s driving me nuts…
Dawdling.
Ruby has turned into the slowest eater on the planet. Lunch can take over an hour as she picks […]

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Camera-buying advice

By someone else on November 10th, 2007

We recently asked my brother, Mark, for advice on whether to get a point-and-shoot (P&S) or digital SLR for our next camera (we’ve had both). Mark is a good photographer and the kind of guy who takes the time to do a ton of research before making a major purchase. His response was so good […]

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Is your child wearing the uniform?

By kate on November 7th, 2007

Today I was at a local community center with Ruby and noticed something. There were 12-15 children playing in the room, and every single girl except Ruby was wearing pink (at least some pink - most had a whole top or bottom that was pink). Every boy was wearing a blue top or bottom (even […]

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Chores: pay me now or pay me later

By kate on November 5th, 2007

A month or two ago, I read an excellent series of blog posts about how to instill a work ethic and get your children to work around the house. It made me realize that I should get started on Ruby right away, as she was getting old enough to do a few small things.
Her current […]

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The Examined Life: Parenting a Toddler

By kate on September 28th, 2007

I’ve realized that, when parenting a toddler, you must be very self-aware. That’s because anything and everything you do can be considered a precedent (in the legal sense). Every action, reaction, word, or activity could be something the child decides should be repeated forever. All day long, I stop and ask myself, “is this something […]

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For Science!

By kate on August 23rd, 2007

Yesterday, Ruby did her part to contribute to science: we were invited to come to I-LABS to participate in a study. I’m a big fan of I-LABS, a UW lab that studies cognitive development, and have had the opportunity to tour the labs and hear about their research. It was I-LABS who recently pissed off […]

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I made Ruby a toy

By kate on July 25th, 2007

Lately, Ruby has been fascinated by plastic buckles, the kind you’d find on a backpack. She has spent a solid half hour intently futzing with the buckles on her booster seat. The problem is that she can eventually clip them, but can’t open them again, so she comes to me for help. After several […]

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First Favorite Parent

By kate on July 22nd, 2007

Right now, I’m unquestionably Ruby’s favorite parent. If I’m around, she insists that I put her to bed (and screams if Steve tries to do it). She tends to follow me around, and asks me to pick her up. I’m the one she wants when she’s hurt. When she’s with Steve, she asks for me.
 
I’m […]

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Why I don’t want the best for my child

By kate on July 3rd, 2007

“I want the best for my child.”
That’s a commonly heard phrase, and if you don’t examine it closely, it sounds pretty good. I kept thinking about it, though, and realized that I disagree.
The corollary of “I want the best for my child” is something like “my child is uniquely special in the world and deserves […]

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See this movie!

By kate on June 22nd, 2007

Two years ago, one of the really great films I saw at the Seattle International Film Festival was Inlaws & Outlaws. I expected it to have a general release, at least in Seattle because it was filmed here, but it vanished. Yesterday, it was featured in the P-I and I was happily surprised to see […]

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Time Management

By kate on May 31st, 2007

Jumping into stay-at-home parenthood has given me the opportunity to set things up from a fresh perspective. I took the time to think about the kinds of things I want to do with my/our time, and figured out some main priorities that I want to make sure get done during the week.
 
There are two main […]

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Maternal

By kate on May 28th, 2007

I’ve been home full-time with Ruby for just over a week, and in that time our relationship has changed dramatically.
 
I feel like a mother for the first time.
 
I’ve been hesitating to discuss this, but I had a lot of trouble bonding with Ruby. It had nothing to do with her (of course), but was a […]

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Confessions of a Slacker Mom

By kate on May 23rd, 2007

No… not me. I just finished a book with that title, and it’s really sticking in my mind. Her parenting philosophy rings really true to me, and I’d like to approach things the same way. Here are some tenets:

Let children experience the natural consequences of their actions. This can mean standing aside and letting them […]

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