Comments on: Parenting news and blues http://moraliablog.com/2008/07/parenting-news-and-blues/ Parenting and culture, religion and politics, and anything else that strikes my fancy Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:18:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Brigette Russell http://moraliablog.com/2008/07/parenting-news-and-blues/#comment-97 Brigette Russell Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:06:19 +0000 http://moraliablog.com/?p=81#comment-97 Oh, the positives outweigh the negatives by far. Having kids is the best thing in the world, and nothing worth doing is easy or comes without a price. I have noticed that the "It's so hard!" complaints and warnings tend to predominate in our cultural discourse on parenting, and this is a pity. I understand it, because the day to day grind of taking care of small children especially can really get to you, but it's important to remember the rewards as well as the drudgery, and to be grateful for the incredible blessing that children are. Oh, the positives outweigh the negatives by far. Having kids is the best thing in the world, and nothing worth doing is easy or comes without a price. I have noticed that the “It’s so hard!” complaints and warnings tend to predominate in our cultural discourse on parenting, and this is a pity. I understand it, because the day to day grind of taking care of small children especially can really get to you, but it’s important to remember the rewards as well as the drudgery, and to be grateful for the incredible blessing that children are.

]]> By: Lisa Chamberlain http://moraliablog.com/2008/07/parenting-news-and-blues/#comment-87 Lisa Chamberlain Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:56:23 +0000 http://moraliablog.com/?p=81#comment-87 Thanks for reminding me why I've (mostly) stayed away from blogging about my personal life! From now on, I'll just stick to talking with my family, friends and acquaintances, many of whom have kids and say it's difficult of course, but have lots of positive things to say as well. People ranting on blogs, however, seem to be another species. I don't know what I'll be saying in six months or two years, but it won't be a rant on a blog! Thanks for reminding me why I’ve (mostly) stayed away from blogging about my personal life! From now on, I’ll just stick to talking with my family, friends and acquaintances, many of whom have kids and say it’s difficult of course, but have lots of positive things to say as well. People ranting on blogs, however, seem to be another species. I don’t know what I’ll be saying in six months or two years, but it won’t be a rant on a blog!

]]> By: Bev http://moraliablog.com/2008/07/parenting-news-and-blues/#comment-74 Bev Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:05:36 +0000 http://moraliablog.com/?p=81#comment-74 I'm glad she expects bumps in the road. Little does she know that they won't be speed bumps, but what will seem like enormous mountains. As those of us who are currently parents know, it is really easy to comment on what you THINK it's going to be like. The reality is always different. (And yes, Lisa, you can sit and say, "Oh, I know it will be different." No you don't, you won't know until it is upon you) My husband is a wonderful father, and I consider him a co-parent, as well as just an overall great. But not on any given day are our contributions 50-50, or even 60-40, or even 70-30....you get the picture. And I married this man when our first child was six months old. I'm interested to see what Lisa has to say six months after her baby is here, and then at two years, and then again at ten years. I do wish her all the best. The easy part is having the baby, the hardest thing you will ever do is raise it. I’m glad she expects bumps in the road. Little does she know that they won’t be speed bumps, but what will seem like enormous mountains. As those of us who are currently parents know, it is really easy to comment on what you THINK it’s going to be like. The reality is always different. (And yes, Lisa, you can sit and say, “Oh, I know it will be different.” No you don’t, you won’t know until it is upon you) My husband is a wonderful father, and I consider him a co-parent, as well as just an overall great. But not on any given day are our contributions 50-50, or even 60-40, or even 70-30….you get the picture. And I married this man when our first child was six months old.

I’m interested to see what Lisa has to say six months after her baby is here, and then at two years, and then again at ten years. I do wish her all the best. The easy part is having the baby, the hardest thing you will ever do is raise it.

]]> By: Brigette Russell http://moraliablog.com/2008/07/parenting-news-and-blues/#comment-69 Brigette Russell Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:19:34 +0000 http://moraliablog.com/?p=81#comment-69 Thanks for reading and commenting. Glad the perfect 50-50 wasn't your expectation, since it's pretty unrealistic. I read a NY Times article online somewhere recently about shared parenting, and some of those couples were pretty hard core about insisting that EVERYTHING had to be right down the middle. Seemed a bit obsessive to me. You're right that flexible is better. Hope your pregnancy is an easy one. I'm always sick the first trimester, and then miserable again in the third. It's ghastly, but it's all worth it when you finally bring that baby home from the hospital. Thanks for reading and commenting. Glad the perfect 50-50 wasn’t your expectation, since it’s pretty unrealistic. I read a NY Times article online somewhere recently about shared parenting, and some of those couples were pretty hard core about insisting that EVERYTHING had to be right down the middle. Seemed a bit obsessive to me. You’re right that flexible is better.

Hope your pregnancy is an easy one. I’m always sick the first trimester, and then miserable again in the third. It’s ghastly, but it’s all worth it when you finally bring that baby home from the hospital.

]]> By: Lisa Chamberlain http://moraliablog.com/2008/07/parenting-news-and-blues/#comment-68 Lisa Chamberlain Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:53:21 +0000 http://moraliablog.com/?p=81#comment-68 Thanks for reading my blog! I do appreciate it. However, just a few notes of clarification. I didn't say having a child would have no effect on my career. It's' just that I finally got to a point where I wasn't hand-wringing about it. I've experienced quite a few ups and downs with my career having had no children at all! So I have a little faith that my career isn't going to just go away as if I have done nothing for the last 20 years. Do I expect bumps in the road? Hell yes. That's the Gen X/Slackonomics experience. No evidence it'll change now. More importantly, however, I carefully avoided saying that "shared parenting" meant 50-50. That's not my expectation. Life is a lot messier and more complex, and the more flexible everyone is, the happier we will all be. Having said that, my partner has two smart and beautiful daughters whom he loves very much and co-parents with his ex-wife. So I have pretty concrete evidence that he'll be a pretty fantastic dad! Thanks for reading my blog! I do appreciate it. However, just a few notes of clarification. I didn’t say having a child would have no effect on my career. It’s’ just that I finally got to a point where I wasn’t hand-wringing about it. I’ve experienced quite a few ups and downs with my career having had no children at all! So I have a little faith that my career isn’t going to just go away as if I have done nothing for the last 20 years. Do I expect bumps in the road? Hell yes. That’s the Gen X/Slackonomics experience. No evidence it’ll change now.

More importantly, however, I carefully avoided saying that “shared parenting” meant 50-50. That’s not my expectation. Life is a lot messier and more complex, and the more flexible everyone is, the happier we will all be. Having said that, my partner has two smart and beautiful daughters whom he loves very much and co-parents with his ex-wife. So I have pretty concrete evidence that he’ll be a pretty fantastic dad!

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