parents are losing the love of reading aloud post image

He liked to pile us with blankets when we read together. He called it “a jumble of cozy.” Dear fellow wonderer, Shifts in childhood, shifts in parenthood. That’s my thing here, as you know. Recently I came across a shift that made my chest pang: “Fewer than half of parents of children up to 13 [...]

please take my obsolete advice post image

I’ve used this photo before; I’ll surely use it again. Our weekly circle, back in the day. Dear fellow wonderer, Recently a Substack note from Edan Lepucki caught my eye. I always love Edan’s takes on parenthood. She was reflecting on a list of tips for having a baby. While she admired much of the [...]

remembering yourself during the busiest of days post image

Dear fellow wonderer, Here we are smack in the middle of holiday season and who needs another newsletter anyway? Maybe you if you’re like me, finding yourself getting a little lost in the chaos, the organizing, the giving of self that this time of year often demands. Maybe you’re in the thick of life with [...]

what maddens me about “gentle parenting” post image

A lot of yelling happened in this hallway. Dear fellow wonderer, There’s something about the “gentle parenting” movement that really bugs me–and it’s not that it can create unrealistic outcomes, a point Emily Edlynn lays out wisely. I absolutely agree with Edlynn, but another aspect infuriates me even more. The central guru in this movement [...]

journals for busy parents

journals for busy parents post image

That basket is bigger than it looks. 50+ journals in there. Cherished items, ready to grab in case of fire. Dear fellow wonderer, I’ve been thinking about how a weird and fun question to ask people upon meeting would be, “Do you keep a journal?” Maybe it’s too personal–but I want to know! I’ve been [...]

a trip to paris, a kid’s obsessions post image

Dear fellow wonderer, Let me tell you two of my obsessions. One: kids’ quirky interests. Always, forever I’ve loved watching kids and seeing what lights them up. (More on why I believe these interests matter more than ever, below.) Two: time. The passing of it, the portals between now and then, how you can shoot [...]

what if we simplified parenthood? post image

Dear fellow wonderer, In the lead-up to writing you this week I felt a little bored with the topic I’d made for myself. I’d planned this month to be a sort of follow-up to last month’s theme of how focusing less on kids might be better for them. Part Two: How might focusing less on [...]