Integrated Parenting

I have to say, I’m absolutely gutted today. I am overwhelmed almost to the point of despair about how I am supposed to raise healthy children in a world where millions of people do not care about the ways we are polluting our soil, groundwater, food supply, electromagnetic environment, etc. etc. I really just have [...]

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I’ve never met a parent (including myself) who wouldn’t love a “magic formula” to get our kids to sleep through the night – so we could too. The main technique most mothers around me tend to use is some version of the Ferber Method, also referred to as “controlled crying”. This is the same technique [...]

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Okay, if you don’t scream with laughter at some point during this video, I’ll have to check you for a pulse. Enjoy! soar higher, Jini

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We recently had a joint birthday party at my place with 54 adults and 33 kids. So many people asked for my recipes that I’ve decided to post them here on my blog. If you’re planning a party, this mix of recipes is ideal because: 1. They can be made over a 3-day stretch before [...]

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As parents, we are often faced with a child who doesn’t want to go to school, or soccer practice, or some other activity they are enrolled in. Usually, our knee-jerk reaction is to trumpet on at them about “comittment!”. Thinking we are doing a good job by teaching our children the value of comittment, of [...]

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Having just spent 6 weeks in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico – 1 month in a rented villa and 2 weeks in an all-inclusive resort – I have to say that my ideal vacation would be a perfect combination of the two: Spacious, QUIET (soundproof) accomodation with laundry facilities – available in two or three bdrm [...]

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After everything I’ve done to avoid repeating the legacy of physical abuse that runs in my family, my eight-year-old son has just informed me that he would greatly prefer it if I could hit him, please, rather than using penalties (loss of playdates, etc.) as punishment. “Why??” I ask. “Because I like getting hit,” he [...]

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Okay, time for a little rant here: How many of you still have your favorite board games from when you were a kid? We have Monopoly, Sorry and Stock Ticker – all now over 30 years old and our kids play them over at Nana and Grandada’s house. The pieces haven’t broken, the cards are [...]

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This post carries over from my previous post about the Mamma Mia Movie – so please read that post, along with the fabulous comments people posted below it, first. Thanks so much to everyone for posting comments with such honesty on the Mamma Mia Movie post ! I am really enjoying this dialogue and it [...]

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I went to see the movie “Mamma Mia” a few days ago. I’d heard a lot about how it was so good, and how some people had seen it 10 times, etc. I knew that it was set to the music of ABBA and it was supposed to be really fun. I actually was feeling [...]

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My eight year old son, Oscar, recently decided he just HAD to join an American Football team. So we contacted our local football league and I took him round the fieldhouse to give the deposit cheque and get him kitted out. When they gave me his helmet, I was gobsmacked by how heavy it was [...]

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I was driving in the car the other day, with my five year old daughter, Zara. “You know what I want to do when I grow up? I want to work in a store,” she announced. “What kind of store?” I asked. “A video store. Because I love movies.” she replied. “Well…” I suggested, “Then [...]

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It’s a common stance that parents should limit the number of hours per day, or per week, that their children are allowed to stay sedentary and “zoned out” playing electronic games. However, after reading this very fascinating blog post written by a teenager himself, I must admit I’m reconsidering the whole issue (the response from [...]

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This reporter in England, Chris Jeavans, has committed to going a full month without buying anything plastic – this means nothing wrapped or packaged in plastic either. She also has a toddler still in diapers. So their household is probably pretty typical of what most of us go through and our needs. This, of course, [...]

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I’ve been thinking and reading a bit about homeschooling (also known as “unschooling”) lately and am feeling myself gradually coming round to embracing the idea more and more. I think, like many parents, my number one fear is: What will I do with the kids around ALL day, every day?? How will I ever get [...]

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My husband Ian had a brainstorm thursday night and suggested we drive to California for what’s left of Spring Break. So, adventurous souls that we are, we pack up the car and leave friday. Here’s what happened: We want to leave at around 7:30 pm and drive for as long as we can while kiddies [...]

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I have a number of friends who have chosen to remain childless. And indeed, this is a growing trend in the Western world. Recently, I received an email from a friend of mine who has been staunchly committed to not having children her entire adulthood, who is now reconsidering at the age of 45. Her [...]

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