Hey There Readers! Summer vacation is upon us and things have become super duper busy around these here parts. What with a weekend full of yard work behind me and a week away at Camp Quest Ohio for me (betting on whether I get eaten by a bear closes at 11:59 pm Saturday) I figured I would toss you folks some midweek links to keep everyone reading until/if I come back.
We have a cultural obsession with how we interact with our mobile devices. You can’t swing a dead cybercat without hitting an article bemoaning parents with their noses in their iPhones missing the quintessentially precious moments, like when little Billy shoved a garden slug up his own nose. That’s why it was refreshing to read this piece by Dad Blogger and E-migo Aaron Gouveia, I Put the Phone Down to be ‘In the Moment’ with My Kid and it was a Huge Mistake.
From the Dog Bites Man desk… Texas Sees High Rate of Teen Births Despite Abstinence Only Sex Ed.
Speaking of Sex Ed. Teen Vogue bypasses the middleman and gets straight to the point in How to Masturbate if You Have a Vagina.
Secretary of Education and Wicked Witch of the Midwest Betsy DeVos seemed to indicate in Senate testimony that it is not the job of the Department of Education to protect LGBTQ students.
Watch Your Mouth Around My Kid!
I should probably explain that I’m not exactly proud of my dirty mouth. But, I’m not embarrassed by it, either. There are worse things that could come out of my mouth.
And, often, there are worse things said in the presence of my son.
I imagine you asking, “what’s worse than an f-bomb in the presence of a two year old?”
I’m glad you asked. Here are just a few “toddler friendly” examples:
“Boys don’t wear make up.”
“Don’t cry. You’re just being silly.”
“Wouldn’t you rather play with a truck than that doll?”
“You can’t wear pink.”
Here’s the deal. Saying “poop” when I drop something or “fudge” when I suddenly realize I’m late for a meeting I forgot about might offend some people because those kinds of words have been deemed inappropriate. But, no one is going to get hurt. On the other hand, telling my son that he should ignore his feelings or avoid otherwise harmless activities could hurt him.To his core.
Study Finds Every Style Of Parenting Produces Disturbed, Miserable Adults (From the Onion of course, sarcasm filters activate)
Atlas Obscura is looking for those children’s books that only you seem to remember.
I agree with Matt on this one…
Featured Image Credit Abby Doench… click here for a larger version 😉 she spent a whole day looking up those flags
