Slow Down. And hurry up about it.

I am painfully aware of the frequently contradictory nature of my instructions to my children.  I have literally asked Big Girl to ‘please hurry up’ just seconds after I’ve instructed her to ‘slow down and take more care’.  Ghastly.

Before I throw links in your direction, may I wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all y’all American baby geeks out there.  I’ll be cooking a turkey for my half-American crew on Saturday.  In the heat.  Harvest festival at the beginning of Summer?  More contradictions.

Right-ho.  Here we go.  First up: here’s a report from the Australian Psychological Society about the well being of Australians.  Interesting how FOMO and social media immersion are making folks less content.  Also from Australia, also dealing with mental health: read about how flippin hard mothers are working and how it impacts them.  No prizes.

This is the legendary annual pre-Christmas TRUCE toy guide … please read and share.  The opposite of that is to be found HERE: it’s voting time for the annual TOADY  awards from the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood.  Such hideous toys to choose from this year!  What will you select?

Here is a link to an abstract for some research about toddler’s language acquisition – turns out our ums and ahs are more valuable than we might’ve thought.   Here is a cool site from the Badass Breastfeeder, and this is a wee audio piece from Scientific American about our brain’s responses to music.

And for your Big Kid, a lovely teeny youthy positive website from Oz.  Rosie Respect.  I dig it!

Finally, in “Be Careful What You Wish For” news, I submitted a proposal to present at The 2nd International Neurosequential Model Symposium: Advances in Implementation and Innovation in Practice, Program Development and Policy.  

Blow me down, geeks, I’ve been accepted!  Bruce Perry!  Banff!  See you there!

 

always learning

picture sept 20crikey dick.  It’s all a bit full on at the moment.  But then I remember that something magnificent is always about to happen.

Like …I saw a tui in my garden just yesterday.  A Tui! As far south as me!  Very exciting.  Whakarongo ake au!

Some links on a beautifully rainy afternoon:

Ever wondered about what your (otherwise screen free?) infant thinks about Skype?  This piece from the Atlantic describes research exploring this.

Next: here is a mildly gross and infinitely cool piece that was in the New York Times about how baby backwash just might make breastfeeding a two way exchange of fluid and information.  Amazing!

This week I have LOVED this ol’ Radiolab interview with the late Oliver Sacks about his relationship with the periodic table.  STUNNING.  Then I read this piece he wrote about aging.  The Joy of Aging.  What a writer!  Oh, that mind!  RIP.

Keep on experiencing this world through your head and through your heart.  Why should you have to choose whether to be a head person or a heart person?  Can’t we be both?

 

 

some goodies here

Good morning friends & geeks,

First link to share this morning is a pro-breastfeeding piece, with a science writer from UK’s Telegraph suggesting our offspring will all be RICH if only we whip our boobies out. It’s gotta be worth a go!

Next: here is a link to an abstract from the Annals of Family Medicine.  Is exposing children to second hand smoke child abuse?  Have a wee click on the aforeposted link and see!  And this is another abstract … about disorganized attachment.  Such fun.

Now … this is a link that will whisk you to the Child and Family Blog and an article about how post-smacking-your-child-affection is utterly ineffective.  We’ve gotta resist the smacking at all, brothers and sisters.

Whaddya reckon about this … it’s suggesting that occasional video gaming is actually beneficial to children and their school success.  Surely, like everything, there is a whole lot of “it depends” at play here.

Finally, even though I do get mildly concerned when folks advocate a return to 1970’s parenting, there is definitely some good to be gleaned from this blog post shared with me by the Goddess of the North.  Just yesterday I was on the phone with a school mama longing for the days when kids just optimistically turned up for playtime without the crazy logistics involved in organising play dates, these days.

Kia Ora.

 

 

perma-yawn

not because life bores me, but because I am so often tired.  And as a mama who tries to keep away from screens whilst toddler is awake, (and cos smartphone makes me blind & squinty) i am barely able to return an email, let alone update a blog.

It’s all good.

This is so.

This, too, shall pass.

etc.

Links now:

I am a bit of a fan of Darcia Narvaez.  This is a collection of some of her writing.  Enjoy.  And when you’re done, can you let the folks @ The Age newspaper know that the best time for building resilience is during infancy & toddlerhood?

More soon.

two more sleeps

Christmas.  2 more sleeps (*naps not included).

Despite the vicarious excitement felt by anyone within 100 metres of my offspring, I am feeling the tension of an impending mountain of wrapping paper, not all of which can be reused or recycled.  Theoretically, I want a Christmas of peace, togetherness and a spot of caroling.  I want life to slow down so I can eke out every second of this time!

In practice, it feels super rushy…  a bit like exhaustion, obligation, and more STUFF that we (arguably!) don’t really need.  Sorry.  A bit bah humbug tonight … none of it helped by a raging head cold that Baby Girl and I are sharing. I hope all is better where you are!

Before I head back to bed, I have a coupla quick links to share from Mothering magazine, which I adore.  (and if you’ve never visited their forum, the Mothering dot Community, it’s fab).  ANYhoo, here we go: a great bit of booby advocacy from a supermodel momma, and I just love love LOVE this photo series about ages of breastfeeding.  Thanks!

linking. ‘cos that’s what this geeky girl does.

article illustrationThis post begins with a shout-out to Good magazine, for they are the first media anything I have come across who have suggested that breastfeeding is one wise response to the recent scares surrounding contaminated infant formula (real or imagined).

Next is a website that I cannot believe it’s taken me so long to find.  Squint Mom – science and thinking and babies and family.  Love.

Gotta stop – 20 month old child expresses displeasure at my being on computer by faux crying, saying “Mama! Tuddle!  Sad!” as she clings to my thigh.  Feel like a fraud, a phony.  And the veggies ain’t prepping themselves.