Archives of Parenting

Let’s Bounce: Fatherhood and the ritual of proximity.

Words and illustrations by Jeff Rawson September 13, 2009, was a game-changer. And before you ask yourself, “Was Kanye’s ‘I’mma let you finish’ tirade that monumental?” No, I’m not talking about the VMAs. That day, my long-held visions of roughhousing my firstborn were tossed out the window when she made her debut two months earlier than […]
1 year ago

Mothering: Coaching College Students

To mother is to hold space for another to exist. It’s what our very bodies tell us in the hollow of our wombs. The physicality of this attribute carries over to the emotional needs of others, too; there are all kinds of ways to make a place for another’s mind, heart, body, spirit. Each time […]
2 years ago

Mothering: Raising Children

To mother is to hold space for another to exist. It’s what our very bodies tell us in the hollow of our wombs. The physicality of this attribute carries over to the emotional needs of others, too; there are all kinds of ways to make a place for another’s mind, heart, body, spirit. Each time […]
2 years ago

Mothering: Directing an Art Gallery

To mother is to hold space for another to exist. It’s what our very bodies tell us in the hollow of our wombs. The physicality of this attribute carries over to the emotional needs of others, too; there are all kinds of ways to make a place for another’s mind, heart, body, spirit. Each time […]
2 years ago

Mothering: Being Sisters

To mother is to hold space for another to exist. It’s what our very bodies tell us in the hollow of our wombs. The physicality of this attribute carries over to the emotional needs of others, too; there are all kinds of ways to make a place for another’s mind, heart, body, spirit. Each time […]
2 years ago

Mothering: Teaching Fifth Graders

To mother is to hold space for another to exist. It’s what our very bodies tell us in the hollow of our wombs. The physicality of this attribute carries over to the emotional needs of others, too; there are all kinds of ways to make a place for another’s mind, heart, body, spirit. Each time […]
2 years ago

Have a Yes Day With Your Kids

A few weeks ago, my kids and I watched a movie on Netflix called “Yes Day.” In the movie, the mom, played by Jennifer Garner, has become accustomed to saying no and is challenged to a 24-hour day of saying yes to her children’s wildest dreams come true. After setting some ground rules — they […]
2 years ago

The Ritual of the Body: Marian Johnston, doula

Witnessing to Labor Ritual unites soul with body. Through our attention to what is before us in ritual, we bring ourselves to the present moment, which we inhabit because we have a body to be physically present in. Our body is vessel, container, holding space, a tabernacle to reverence through which we experience the world. […]
2 years ago

Traversing Motherhood

By Missy Nieveen Phegley “Can I go to Colorado?” my 19-year-old daughter texted late one night. I had planned a trip to the mountains to visit friends, but I couldn’t imagine that my daughter, who regularly tells me she’s grown and can make her own decisions when I start (s)mothering too much, would want to […]
3 years ago

Shaping Your Children

Benefits of “Green Time” By Shannon Anderson, Licensed Professional Counselor Hopefully as you’re reading this, the springtime is almost here and another cold winter will soon be behind us. If you’re like my family, a little extra space from each other sounds like a pretty good idea. Springtime has always symbolized a time of growth, […]
5 years ago