(originally posted on my other blog)
I'm a little annoyed at some remarks by parents who deem themselves "failures" because their children do not vote in line with them.
Be grateful that your children have minds of their own and are able to make decisions. You have provided them with the resources to form their own opinions and look at the world with discerning eyes.
Hopefully, this means they respectfully disagree with you and are able to articulate their reasons. Whether you vote Republican or Democrat, you do not get to decide how your children vote or what they believe. And if you do feel entitled to controlling your children's beliefs and actions, you are in the wrong line of work. Good parenting allows our children the freedom to grow up to be thinkers, achievers, and innovators. Be a good parent.
Respect your children's decisions because it doesn't change who they are.
I respect my children as thinking and feeling human beings. As long as they remember that their beliefs, actions, and words affect everyone around them, they are free to choose how they live, whom they love, and what they do.
11/06/2012
8/30/2012
I just saw this article on CNN about kids playing across gender lines, and I had to laugh. Of course, I don't believe that gender roles should be reinforced at any age. I laughed because it made me think of Eric, who has been having a lot of fun lately pushing around a doll stroller and a shopping cart.
It's cute. It's funny. It doesn't (necessarily) mean he is gay. He's just a baby pushing a thing with wheels. It goes where he wants, and that is fun for him. He doesn't play with the baby at all; he simply wants it to sit in the stroller and make sure its hat doesn't fall off. He also doesn't want anything in the shopping cart; anything you put in, he simply throws out. He loves playing with Anneli's jewelry. But he also loves cars, trucks, trains, and airplanes. He loves throwing balls. He loves riding his trike.
Anneli loves to play with Lego blocks. She spent almost all her time building with Lego blocks when we were at Grandpa's house, and she has done it almost every day since coming home. Yes, she has a set in a pink box (from Grandpa), but she loves building cars and houses. Let's not forget the bucket full of cars she has (Cars and just regular cars). She loves the movie Cars. She has pillows, markers, shirts, and books with Lightning McQueen emblazoned on them. She does a little princess dress-up now and then, but it's short-lived. She will be going to preschool with her Lightning McQueen backpack, and if any of the girls or boys have a problem with it, they can suck it.
My children will grow up to be well-adjusted with no hang-ups about gender roles or gender identity. I want my kids to be happy, to enjoy whatever activity they like, to know that girls and boys can do whatever they want. People need to stop worrying about making their children follow stereotypes and let them just be kids.
It's cute. It's funny. It doesn't (necessarily) mean he is gay. He's just a baby pushing a thing with wheels. It goes where he wants, and that is fun for him. He doesn't play with the baby at all; he simply wants it to sit in the stroller and make sure its hat doesn't fall off. He also doesn't want anything in the shopping cart; anything you put in, he simply throws out. He loves playing with Anneli's jewelry. But he also loves cars, trucks, trains, and airplanes. He loves throwing balls. He loves riding his trike.
Anneli loves to play with Lego blocks. She spent almost all her time building with Lego blocks when we were at Grandpa's house, and she has done it almost every day since coming home. Yes, she has a set in a pink box (from Grandpa), but she loves building cars and houses. Let's not forget the bucket full of cars she has (Cars and just regular cars). She loves the movie Cars. She has pillows, markers, shirts, and books with Lightning McQueen emblazoned on them. She does a little princess dress-up now and then, but it's short-lived. She will be going to preschool with her Lightning McQueen backpack, and if any of the girls or boys have a problem with it, they can suck it.
My children will grow up to be well-adjusted with no hang-ups about gender roles or gender identity. I want my kids to be happy, to enjoy whatever activity they like, to know that girls and boys can do whatever they want. People need to stop worrying about making their children follow stereotypes and let them just be kids.
8/15/2012
3/31/2012
Milestone: Eric's walking!
Trouble to come, I know it.
Just this week, Eric started walking. He's not very good at it; in fact, he gets so excited, his legs can't keep up with his head, and he ends up on his face pretty quickly. He can manage about 10 steps at the most, and he doesn't like to do it all that often. He prefers to be carried, and he lets me know that when I try to put him on his feet. He'll probably get it within the next week.
Both of the kids are taking play classes at the rec center. Both of them absolutely love it! This is Eric's first real exposure to socialization with other kids, and he plays just fine. He's not as shy as Anneli was. Anneli has outgrown a lot of her shyness, and she actually plays without coaxing from me.
Just this week, Eric started walking. He's not very good at it; in fact, he gets so excited, his legs can't keep up with his head, and he ends up on his face pretty quickly. He can manage about 10 steps at the most, and he doesn't like to do it all that often. He prefers to be carried, and he lets me know that when I try to put him on his feet. He'll probably get it within the next week.
Both of the kids are taking play classes at the rec center. Both of them absolutely love it! This is Eric's first real exposure to socialization with other kids, and he plays just fine. He's not as shy as Anneli was. Anneli has outgrown a lot of her shyness, and she actually plays without coaxing from me.
2/26/2012
Milestones: Anneli 4, Eric 1
I've got to get better about posting on time.
So, both of the babies had their birthdays this month, and we also conducted our annual visit to the pediatrician. Our stats are below:
Eric: weight - 25 lbs.; height - 30 in.; head - 19 in.
It seems Eric has actually lost weight, although you can't tell by holding him. It certainly feels like he weighs 50 lbs. He didn't cry during his physical as he has done in the past; he was actually cheerful and laughed when the doctor was examining him. She declared him very healthy and definitely happy.
Anneli: weight - 38 lbs.; height - 42.5 in.
I don't know how it's even possible for both of my children not to have gained any weight! Anneli weighs a ton, too. She did grow a few inches, as evidenced by the sudden shortness of her pants; she is wearing a size 5, and even that she is ready to outgrow soon. I guess Anneli got her height gene from Husband, and Eric from me.
Both of them had some booster shots, and they both cried terribly. Of course, Anneli cried even more because Eric started crying. "We are both crying!" according to Anneli.
Eric hasn't started walking yet. In fact, when we put him on his feet, he throws his head back and goes limp, as he whines to be picked up. He does, however, enjoy pushing around Anneli's little shopping cart and doll stroller. He also pushes around his Lightning McQueen ride-on car; he prefers that to actually riding on it (he gets off immediately). But you put him on his feet with nothing to push? Forget it. We did get him some shoes--very cute, by the way!--and he's gotten used to having them on his feet. He cried the first few times, but he doesn't mind anymore.
Anneli is working on learning to read. She recognizes several dozen short words, and she's figuring out how to sound out new ones. She is also working on basic addition and subtraction; she can do calculations up to 10 using her fingers. She can count past 100 now. She is also working on Korean; she can write her name in Korean (한별), and she recognizes Eric's name (한섭) and some other words. I think we've got a smarty on our hands.
So, both of the babies had their birthdays this month, and we also conducted our annual visit to the pediatrician. Our stats are below:
Eric: weight - 25 lbs.; height - 30 in.; head - 19 in.
It seems Eric has actually lost weight, although you can't tell by holding him. It certainly feels like he weighs 50 lbs. He didn't cry during his physical as he has done in the past; he was actually cheerful and laughed when the doctor was examining him. She declared him very healthy and definitely happy.
Anneli: weight - 38 lbs.; height - 42.5 in.
I don't know how it's even possible for both of my children not to have gained any weight! Anneli weighs a ton, too. She did grow a few inches, as evidenced by the sudden shortness of her pants; she is wearing a size 5, and even that she is ready to outgrow soon. I guess Anneli got her height gene from Husband, and Eric from me.
Both of them had some booster shots, and they both cried terribly. Of course, Anneli cried even more because Eric started crying. "We are both crying!" according to Anneli.
Eric hasn't started walking yet. In fact, when we put him on his feet, he throws his head back and goes limp, as he whines to be picked up. He does, however, enjoy pushing around Anneli's little shopping cart and doll stroller. He also pushes around his Lightning McQueen ride-on car; he prefers that to actually riding on it (he gets off immediately). But you put him on his feet with nothing to push? Forget it. We did get him some shoes--very cute, by the way!--and he's gotten used to having them on his feet. He cried the first few times, but he doesn't mind anymore.
Anneli is working on learning to read. She recognizes several dozen short words, and she's figuring out how to sound out new ones. She is also working on basic addition and subtraction; she can do calculations up to 10 using her fingers. She can count past 100 now. She is also working on Korean; she can write her name in Korean (한별), and she recognizes Eric's name (한섭) and some other words. I think we've got a smarty on our hands.
2/11/2012
I'm pretty sure your child is a brat.
Mine are definitely not. They behave. They don't scream in public. They are polite to adults and other children.
Mine are definitely not. They behave. They don't scream in public. They are polite to adults and other children.
1/24/2012
So I haven't updated in ages, so here we go...
Eric is approaching his first birthday. We took him to get professional portraits done two weekends ago, and they turned out nicely! I will be picking up the CD today, so I will post a few later.
Eric would really love to walk, but he hasn't quite mastered standing. We'll catch him standing (after he's pulled himself up) and he won't realize it. He's definitely mastered crawling, and if he's determined, he can scoot across the floor in just a few seconds. He loves climbing the stairs, and he'll go right for them if he sees someone go up or down.
Eric has three "words" down: uh-oh, and food and peek-a-boo (in Korean). He's been saying "uh-oh" for a couple months now, and sometimes the timing is so perfect!
Anneli is just Anneli. Her obsession with her cars has plateaued, and her interests now include My Little Pony and Disney Princesses. She will be turning four in a few weeks, and she's so sure she'll really be a big girl when that happens.
Also, I came across this, which really made me wonder why exactly this country is against socialized medicine: Finnish maternity package. Imagine the impact that this could have on new, and especially young, mothers. I'd be willing to bet that fewer babies would be abandoned to die, just because their mothers were able to save money on clothes and buy food instead. The one parts that make me laugh are the fourth image from the bottom--"condoms 6 inserts"--and the last image--a box that "can be used as crib."
Eric is approaching his first birthday. We took him to get professional portraits done two weekends ago, and they turned out nicely! I will be picking up the CD today, so I will post a few later.
Eric would really love to walk, but he hasn't quite mastered standing. We'll catch him standing (after he's pulled himself up) and he won't realize it. He's definitely mastered crawling, and if he's determined, he can scoot across the floor in just a few seconds. He loves climbing the stairs, and he'll go right for them if he sees someone go up or down.
Eric has three "words" down: uh-oh, and food and peek-a-boo (in Korean). He's been saying "uh-oh" for a couple months now, and sometimes the timing is so perfect!
Anneli is just Anneli. Her obsession with her cars has plateaued, and her interests now include My Little Pony and Disney Princesses. She will be turning four in a few weeks, and she's so sure she'll really be a big girl when that happens.
Also, I came across this, which really made me wonder why exactly this country is against socialized medicine: Finnish maternity package. Imagine the impact that this could have on new, and especially young, mothers. I'd be willing to bet that fewer babies would be abandoned to die, just because their mothers were able to save money on clothes and buy food instead. The one parts that make me laugh are the fourth image from the bottom--"condoms 6 inserts"--and the last image--a box that "can be used as crib."
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