Book Review: Annabelle & Aiden: Oh, the Things We Believed
Two children look up to the clouds on a summers day. They gasp in surprise as a face appears to be looking down on them! Is it real? It certainly seems so… How can we tell? Thus begins our second visit with J.R. Becker and illustrator Max Rambaldi’s precocious and …
Pizzagate Is Why We Need Skepticism
If you don’t live in DC, you probably associate Washington with national politics and all its current associated nastiness. But, believe it or not, those of us who actually live here are regular people too, just getting our kids to school, going to work and even going out for pizza once in awhile. So when a man …
Potty Politics: Four things bathroom bill proponents get wrong
CN: Transphobia At the risk of making this the Grounded Bathrooms page for a little while here, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Target for doubling down on its corporate policy of inclusiveness by announcing that its customers are free to use whatever restroom and dressing room …
Reasons I am a Horrible Mother, Christmas Edition
A few weeks ago my 5 year old came up to me and said these 5 fateful words, “Mommy, Santa isn’t real, right?” As first I was a little stunned, because she had previously been pretty all in on this Santa thing. We have kind of half-assed it, to be …
Is it Legal for Kids to Have Sex When They are Home Alone?
{Content Warning – Discussion of statutory rape laws, including some specific language regarding youth sexual conduct.} Serious question. In light of the ongoing fracas regarding kids exploring the world without supervision, it occurred to me – with a wide range of ages when kids are deemed capable of being home …
Internet Vaccine “Research” and Google U
The other day, I was reading one of those seemingly perpetual discussions in parenting groups about vaccines. I doubt I have to tell anyone reading this the various arguments that get thrown around on either side, but something struck me this time around that I’ve noticed before – the idea …
Why I’m On the Fence About “No Gender December”.
Maybe it’s just my Facebook peeps, but for the past couple of days, I’ve been seeing a reasonably steady stream of info about “No Gender December“, an initiative by an Australian group called Play Unlimited. The stated goal is focused – rightly in my book – on gender-specific toy marketing and seems …
Raising the Atheist Child
I’ve been an atheist since I can remember. Some people think I’m kidding when I say this, but I can clearly remember my Lutheran kindergarten, when the teacher was going on about Jesus and I was giving all the other kids the side-eye: You’re not really buying this? Dr. Skull, …
This Jew Bleeds: Your Kid and Problematic Reading Assignments
I anticipated any number of problems arising from transitioning my kid back to public school – the early mornings, the piles of homework, getting called to the office because she said fuck in class (again). What I didn’t expect was that I might be objecting to what she was reading …
Giveaway: Redefining Girly
Close readers of my posts here on Grounded Parents know that I am a big fan of the work Melissa Atkins Wardy of Pigtail Pals Ballcap Buddies is doing. Several years ago I was struggling to find a voice for something that had been bothering me immensely as a parent …