admin, Author at Mothering in the Middle

If This Is October, Then It Must Be…

by Maggie Lamond Simone

Well, kids, I’m here to report that we’re lifting the lid on “Toilet Repair Month.” I know, I know, I’m sort of down in the dumps about it too; just when you think you could overflow with excitement about summer, there it goes, swirling away. May it rust – er, rest – in peace.

Yep, October received that very special designation by – come on, now, be creative here – yes! Manufacturers of toilet parts! They’ve finally conceded what I’ve always recognized as an epidemic problem, i.e. the reckless abandon with which people flush other people’s toilets during the Halloween season. It was just a matter of time, really. […]

New Midlife Mothers Needed

by John Simmons

Julia, Marina, Sarah reunion

Next to my wife, I have a favorite midlife mother. We don’t share a language, religion, political views or even a continent. The things we have in common are our daughters, who were once sisters-of-circumstance at the Partizansk Children’s Home. Though we have only spoken on a couple of occasions, Natalia and I consider each other to be true friends; friends who can relate to a long and rocky road that we would travel again in a heartbeat. […]

If Men Watched Children Like Auto Mechanics

by Marc Parsont

Men are like auto mechanics.

We haven’t been primary childcare givers for more than just gender and birthing ability. We do things, look at things differently. Groups supporting men being primary caregivers exist to ease the mind of women/mothers and to hide how men actually relate to one another. […]

Parenting After Weiner-gate: Talking to Your Kids About Lying

by Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D., and Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D.

Anthony Weiner is no longer front-page news now that he has again been disgraced by his behavior. As a parent what can you make from Weinergate, that perfect storm mix of politics, power, sexting and lying?

The media frenzy over the ex-Congressman’s behavior provides a clear teachable moment for our teens. Given the dramatic effects of the inappropriate messages and photos he sent and the devastating results of his untruthful words, we can talk to our kids about the serious consequences of making bad decisions. […]

A Child of My Own

by Michelle Eisler

I was walking through an antique store and a lady approached me to say how adorable my daughter was and, that now that I had adopted, I would get pregnant and have a child of my ‘own.’ I had not met her, spoken to her about my road to adoption, or about infertility and if it played a role in my world. But she continued to tell me her friend had finally given up and adopted, and then she got pregnant. […]

Mean Girls (In Honor of National Bullying Month)

by Maggie Lamond Simone

I remember watching my daughter and her friends interact on the playground when she was 2, 3 and 4 years old. Boys or girls, quiet or rambunctious, it didn’t matter; everyone was a possible new friend. Everyone had potential.

After she started school, a shift began to evolve that was so subtle, it could have been missed. It was a power shift, of sorts. When I subbed in the elementary schools during those years, I saw it almost everywhere, the divisions forming. The playground cliques. The pitting of one child against another – if you include her, I won’t play. […]

The Blessing of the Strong-Willed Child

by Melissa Lapides

Image courtesy of theeducatorsspinonit.
blogspot.com

Nobody warned you when becoming a parent that there might be times, sometimes more than not, that your child can be unlikeable, maybe even plain excruciating to be around. This could very well be the case if you are parenting a strong-willed child. The whining, relentless demanding and explosive reactions can be downright exhausting for a parent. This is not generally the type of reaction you imagine yourself having toward your child when you are pregnant or planning a family.

Feeling this way toward your child can be an awful feeling for a mother to have or share. The shame around it is horrific and humiliating to even imagine sharing with another mother. You may wonder if you are the only mother who has these feelings toward your children at all. It really does seem like every other mother is adoring and so calm around her children, right? […]

Peering Over the Cliff at Midlife (Reflections On Turning 50)

by Jane Samuel

Many times over the past twenty months of caring for my parents I have dwelt on dark thoughts. Thoughts that most my age don’t want to acknowledge, much less linger over, bring out and share around like some bit of news on the latest medical breakthrough for cancer, worn out knees, lost hearing or broken teeth.

Many of my friends, a generation of women who came later in life to motherhood for whatever reasons are too busy running carpool, arranging play-dates or perhaps even changing diapers to probably think like I was. Life is full, life is long, life is good so why peak behind the curtain that separates us from old age, and all that comes with it? […]

Losing Decker

by Maggie Lamond Simone

My dog went to Heaven; he went there today.

I’m not quite sure how, but he knew the way.

Every day it was harder to run and to climb,

And I guess in his heart, he knew it was time. […]

Are You A Polar Bear Mom?

by Wendy Sue Noah

Are you a Polar Bear type of mom ~ do you really know what that means as a mothering analogy?

Well, I didn’t for a while, at least fully.

A few years back, my close friend, Sharon, compared me to a Polar bear mom whose main focus was to protect her cubs. It sounded complimentary, and it was something I held in my heart for strength, but not something I fully grasped. […]

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