One of our major “debates” is Gay and Lesbian parenting.While I don’t particularly agree with the lifestyle choice of gay/lesbian partnership I do think that there are plenty of children who need a good home and there shouldn’t be anyone stopping someone from having a loving upbringing based on sexual preference.Unless of course that preference is affecting the child.I have personal beliefs which would make me think that being “gay” is a choice of sinning every day by being with a gender that God did not create us to be with, BUT I also see that I sin every day and I am married to a person of the opposite gender so I don’t believe that we should be segregating or limiting the rights of the gay population.
Parental Influences on the Acquisition of Skills and Competencies
I chose this article because i felt it gave actual suggestions or examples of what we as parents should be doing to benefit our children. It also puts the responsibility on the parent which IS where it lies. All too often i see parents smacking their children around or telling them to shup up so they can talk to a friend at coffee, it makes me sick to my stomach. WHY did you have children if you didn't want to cherish every moment with them?
I just thought this was a different perspective. Just looking at what is "normal" or "expected" in a country other than our own.
I love the fact that ideas are EVERYWHERE. Tell me that your children wouldn't want to play a game with you even if it is educational! It seems so easy now days to "hide" education in games and things you can do everyday with your child. Of course you can quiz them for spelling B's or read with them before bed, check their math homework. But what about going above and beyond? What about getting them ready for their future. Just because our children aren't learning something today doesn't mean they won't soon, why not be the one to teach your children at home.
I LOVE finding things i can do with my neices and nephews and as my son grows up him too! There are so many places set up to take your children wrapped in a learning environment. Being a part of their education is a gift you will never have taken away from you if you invest in it. Here is a picture of my two neices and my son just yesterday at the Children's Museum in Olympia.
"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten and the future worth living for." -unknown
I am a new parent, well at least relatively.
One thing that i learned right off the bat is that EVERYONE has an opinion on EVERYTHING and they do not keep the opinions to themselves. I am taking this class as a way of doing more research. The moment i became a parent i started researching the different ideas on sleeping, eating, playing anything having to do with how you raise your child and the effects on each decision. It is quite overwhelming but the bottom line is that you need to decide what is best for your family and go with that. There isn't one right answer for everything.
Pregnancy is a time for you and your spouse to enjoy this blessing. Celebrate the life you are carrying together. Engage each other in all aspects of the pregnancy. Go to all of the appointments together, walk together, and choose nursery themes together. Enjoy each other's company before it isn't just the two of you anymore.
I have chosen to include this link because it is one I used while pregnant. I thought it had very informative articles on various spectrums, and I found it to be giving me the same information that my doctors suggested. I used this site quite a bit, I would worry about something and instead of looking stupid and asking my doctor about every little concern I could look it up on this website and rest a little easier.
Once I was able to get past the fear of miscarriage I quickly became obsessed with knowing exactly what my baby was doing at that particular point in time. How was he/she growing and maturing. What things could I be eating specifically at that point in time for my baby's development? This website helped me know just that. It was quickly bookmarked onto our desktop. :)
When we neared the third trimester I began to get spooked. I was nervous about all the possibilities of child birth. Sure we had a plan in our heads of how it would go but it's better to be prepared for anything right? I started watching videos of all different child birth stories and i think it helped prepare me for what did not end up being our Plan A or Plan B. At the end of the day God's plan worked, we had a beautiful baby boy even though it hadn't gone according to our plans.
(I watched REAL ones, but figured it probably isn't appropriate to add to my school blog)
The "After Math"
I ate all the right things, I used all the creams for stretch mark prevention, I gained weight slowly and on track and still I have stretch marks, and lots of them. When that became a sore spot for me, I stumbled upon this and it helped me put things into the right mind set. I hope it does the same for you!
"A mark for every breath you took,
every blink, every sleepy yawn.
One for every time you sucked
your thumb, waved hello, closed
your eyes and slept in the most
perfect darkness. One for every
time you had the hiccups. One for
every dream you dreamed within
me.
It isn’t very pretty anymore. Some
may even thing it ugly. That’s
OK. It was your home. It’s where I
first grew to love you, where I lay
my hand as I dreamed about who
you were and who you would be.
It held you until my arms could,
and for that, I will always find
something beautiful in it."
-Cassie
I personally never dealt with Postpartum depression, BUT i know that a lot of people did. This is a very real thing and shouldn't be taken lightly. I have included a link to journals about this topic that i found helpful in explaining the seriousness of the issue.
