Wait? Kids are humans too??

So I'm that mom that doesn't go through the drop off line at school, rain or shine, I park the mamamobile, put baby brother in a sling and walk big brothers into school and see their sweet little faces at their desks. I am a micromanager deluxe. I have three sons, I have to be. This morning on way in, I saw a little girl, I'd seen her before, she was in the midst of a full on, five alarm I don't wanna go to school fit, I saw these fits from her a few times a week. I walked the boys in and on my way out, she had actually taken up residence sitting indignantly on the sidewalk. My heart tugged, crap, when this happens, the hippie gets involved. I walked up in time to here the mother say to someone on the phone (no clue who she's gabbing with at 7:40am) "yeah, I'll be over in a bit, Sally is showing her butt like always at the school". Yep, it happened again, I have moments where I mentally pummel people, like cagefigher style, this was one of them. Another win for my inner zen, whew! I gave the mother the 'can I try' gesture, she gave a nonchalant shrug. So I sat down. Right on the sidewalk, toddler on my hip. I said "hey, I heard your mommy say you had Ms. Wells, I have never met her, but I'd LOVE to, want to ask your mommy if it would be okay if you took me to meet her?" She looked at her mother, who was still on the phone, and still verbally running the kid down for not wanting to go to school. Mom said yes. And we walked, small talk, no meltdowns, no incidents. She wanted somebody to WANT to take her to class. The whole thing only lasted 5 minutes, but what a lesson. For starters, they just want our time! Further, they just wanted to be treated like HUMANS. Mom was trying to embarass her into going to class. Think about this, hubs doesn't take out the trash, do you step into the road, dragging husband by the ear and shout to the neighbor "yeah, I'd come over, but I have to take the trash out, this jackhole is showing his butt and not taking out the trash!" Give me a break. Is that how we treat our friends when they annoy us? Nope. Let's try to remember to treat them like the little humans that they are. We aren't perfect, I know I am FAR from it. But to quote my dad, "I do the best I can, with what I have at the time." So just do your best and remember that next time they annoy the crap out of you, they likely just want your attention.


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Mama, I'm a boy!

So I am an admitted hippie of sorts, I like positive parenting, hugs, recycling, and natural remedies. Okay, I also love hot water, my dishwasher, and my smartphone.  So I suppose I'm a modern hippie, but you get my drift. Referring to the natural remedies, I'm loving the amber teething necklace I got for baby hippie, who is battling molars like a champ. As usual, I walk the big hippie brothers into school, baby is wearing his neckace, and of all people, the school nurse says "c'mon mama, I'm a boy and you've got a necklace on me". Ummm. Wow. My inner Zen almost evaporated in exchange for a throat punching maniac moment. Hippie brain prevailed. Whew! It was a small minded and simple statement, why did my inner loon try to make a break for the surface? But after the initial veil of red, I figured out why it annoyed me so badly. This type of forced conformity is everywhere. Boys don't wear pink. Girls don't play with trucks. Boys play football. Girls go to dance. Stop the madness! We need to raise our kids in a way that empowers them and honors them, a way that accentuates their passions. We have to stop putting them in a box, offer the sweet little girls a truck to drive and let the boys nurture a dolly. Won't daughters drive someday, and won't our sons become daddies? Take your sweet littles for who they are, don't put them in a box!!



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AP's are perfect?

The cutest thing happened the other day, a sweet dear friend of mine called the other day, at her wits end. "I know that you are super into gentle parenting, these kids are making me crazy, pleeeease tell me how you keep from losing your temper and yelling at them????" WHOA. Wait just one second. Yes, we try to be very gentle parents. Yes, we try not to yell. Do we always succeed? Hahahaha!!! I am a nursing school, 1.5 semesters away from graduation. My husband is a United States Marine, with a demanding career. We have THREE very spirited little boys. Can I just say with honesty that sometimes I want to say cuss words that haven't even been invented? Can I also say that sometimes I grab a snack from the pantry on the way to the shower and eat it in the bathroom just so I don't have to share? Can I also say that sometimes I love my "away from the kids time"? GASP!!! I am all things attachment parent, we cosleep, we babywear, we don't spank, we have a 15 month old who is still breastfeeding, and we still occasionally have the urge to run away and join the freaking circus. Gentle parents are not superhumans who never get angry and lose their tempers and yell. They are parents who make the effort not to react in certain ways and don't always succeed. So if you are new to AP, or you are a seasoned gentle parent and feel like you fail sometimes, it's allllll good. Your kids love you for your efforts and despite your imperfections. Plus, the circus is lame anyway.





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