MotheringintheMiddle.com Archives - Page 13 of 25

The Long Wave Goodbye

Dear Reader: Today is the the last day of school for my two youngest children. Tomorrow, they will begin the long summer wait for the next school year to start. This cyclical passing of time is short-lived, I know, punctuated by those all-familiar rituals which change as they (and I) age. This essay is in homage to them and the reality that time is truly fleeting…

Today, I waved to both my daughter and son as they rode away on the school bus. It was the silly kind of wave – two arms flailing, and me jumping up and down as if I was flagging down a passing ship. I made the heart sign to them and blew them both a kiss. We all continued waving until the bus was out of sight. Walking back to my house, I had a lump in my throat. I am so sad. The times they are a’changing… […]

Seven Tips for Getting Your Children Unplugged

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

Have you noticed that your kids are becoming more attached than ever to television, video games and texting? And the season doesn’t seem to matter. During summer, with more free time and fewer structured activities, it’s easy to turn to electronics for stimulation. In winter, the shorter daylight hours and long, dark evenings allow less time for outdoor play. […]

The Father Fix (From a Single Mother by Choice)

Andrea Lynn

Father’s Day has never been a big deal in our house. My girls are too young to know the occasion exists, since they are still at home and sheltered from both Hallmark and earnest preschool teachers. But my legion of Single Mothers By Choice friends all have tales to tell about school projects mislabeled to “daddy” and efforts to substitute variations of grandpa and uncle on hand-written cards and macaroni photo frames. It is an annual discussion that is sometimes painful but mostly handled in stride. I’m pretty sure Jewish kids have more trouble with Christmas than fatherless children have trouble with Father’s Day, though perhaps I’m in denial. […]

Talking Sex With Your Healthcare Provider (Part I of III)

by Dr. Barb Depree, M.D.

Dr. Sheryl Kingsberg is a MiddlesexMD advisor and a psychologist specializing in women’s sexual health. She talks to physicians a lot about why it’s important to at least ask about a patient’s sexual health and maybe take her sexual health history. So she’s very familiar with the view from the physician’s side of the desk when it comes to talking about sex with patients. […]

Mindful Meditations for Mothers

by Rachel Snyder

Frustration

Frustration has its place. It can create sufficient pressure to push you to a point where you know that you won’t take it anymore. Managed properly, the energy of frustration can provide high-octane fuel to propel you into healthier new directions. What frustrates you most? If you’re frustrated that they don’t listen to you, maybe you’re not speaking as clearly as you believe. If your frustration comes from a sense of being pulled in every direction, maybe it’s a message that you’re not attending to your center. When you feel a growing sense of frustration around the heavy burden you think you have to carry, chances are good you’re finally ready to lighten up and share the load. Frustration can be the spark that ignites a smoldering fire. Listen to the story your frustration is trying to tell you. Blow off a little steam and you can use frustration well.

www.rachelsnyder.wordpress.com

The Spiritual and Emotional Benefits of Walking

by Beverley Golden

Being an Aquarian with five other planets in air, I am challenged by the persistent desire to fly wherever I want to go. Of course not in the literal flying sense, but in the metaphorical craving to get where I’m going as fast as I can. It is a daily challenge for me to stay in my body and be on the ground. I believe this is partly why I’ve had so many physical health issues from a young age, a reminder that I need to pay attention to and be in my body. […]

A Few Topics…. From Our Friends at MiddlesexMD

by Barb Depree

Q: Can I use my electric toothbrush erotically?

I get occasional questions about erotic use of various household objects. I am, after all, long trained as a physician, so safety and hygiene are among my first concerns. And, since starting MiddlesexMD, I’ve seen some very well designed vibrators, dilators, and dildos that I know are safe, easy to clean, and designed specifically for older women’s pleasure. […]

Why Sleepaway Camp Can Be Good For Your And Your Family

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

The thought of sleep-away camp may stir up anxiety and ambivalence for you and your kids. As in any new situation there are unknowns, and it’s easy to let them get the best of you. Yet camp can be a great opportunity for kids to develop their interests, inner strengths, and independence. […]

Not That You Look Old: The Aesthetics of Modern Motherhood

by Elizabeth Gregory

Like quite a few people I know, I had my first child in my late thirties–39 to be exact. My maternal grandmother had a child at 39, too, but that girl was her eighth baby and her last.

This difference summed up for me the change that had occurred in two generations, when I started writing a book about the new later motherhood–its causes and effects, personal and social. Where 1 in 12 first babies these days is born to a mom 35 or over, it was 1 in 100 in 1970. Add in the adoptive moms, and you’ve got a big group. […]

A Sens-ational Summer – Here We Come!

by Jane Samuel

The arrival of summer and the unleashing of cooped-up young bodies always bring me back to my child-rearing-roots. Only a few days have passed since the carpool line, the packing of lunches, and the buzzing of early alarm clocks stopped and I am already thinking, “How can I keep them away from the TV and feed their bodies and minds?” With sensory smart activities of course! […]