Like many Israelis, we have spent a good deal of our chol hamoed in traffic jams. As a diversion we spotted this girl, approximately four years old, standing halfway out the roof of a car nonchalantly driving through Bnei Brak traffic. We honked several times with no response. Enjoy the pictures … [Read more...]
New Book on Babies and Sleep
March 28, 2007 by
I have written quite a few posts on the benefits of cosleeping and the negative effects of allowing babies to cry. James McKenna, PhD., probably the foremost researcher on the topic of mother-infant cosleeping, has written Sleeping with Your Baby: A Parent's Guide to Co-Sleeping. In this interview … [Read more...]
Lazy mothering
March 13, 2007 by
I once had a neighbor whose children didn't like to take medicine, so she forced it down. If they threw up, she gave it again "so they would learn." It didn't matter whether it was a life-saving medication or a painkiller. Apart from my oldest, who stopped screaming at the excitement of seeing a … [Read more...]
Dads Who Don’t Change Diapers
March 1, 2007 by
Recently, while I was out with a group of women friends, "G" got a call on her cell phone. She told the caller that she was on her way. It turns out that her grandson needed a change, and her daughter had gone to a concert with friends. Her son-in-law doesn't change diapers. When one of the other … [Read more...]
My Favorite Parenting Books
March 1, 2007 by
In honor of Sephardi Lady's excellent post on parenting, or lack thereof, in the Orthodox Jewish community, I present some of my favorite parenting books. All of them promote a close, loving connection with children based on respecting their individual personalities and legitimate needs. Some people … [Read more...]
Mishloach Manot in Israel
February 23, 2007 by
My mother always used to bake for Purim. We gave mishlochei manot* (MM) to a moderate number of people, most of whom didn't observe the mitzvah themselves. We baked chocolate swirl cookies, and hamantashen, and thumbkins. We added some dried nuts and fruit on a plate, put the whole thing in a … [Read more...]
Take me away to Bora Bora
February 19, 2007 by
Would you accept a free trip to Bora Bora? What if your husband's company was paying all your expenses for a ten-day trip to a luxury resort in the South Pacific? And what if you were nursing your six-month-old baby, but the resort didn't allow children? What if your husband had to go, and should … [Read more...]
Before and after: A teenage moment
February 11, 2007 by
The other day, my 15-year-old son's teacher caught him studying for a math test during the gemara shiur (Talmud class). He threatened not to let him take the math test, but my son asked if he could think of a different punishment. The teacher said, "Get a haircut and we'll talk." My silver-tongued … [Read more...]
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