Comedy’s Unfunny Ladies Are Making Nasty People Of Us All. We Can Do Better
Growing up in New York, we knew how to quickly shut down crazy comments: “If everyone else were jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you do it too?” we would disapprovingly ask whenever another kid proposed doing something foolish or morally questionable. It’s an apt question and one that I’d like to put to many … Continue reading
7 Things Kourtney Kardashian Should Consider Before Freezing Her Eggs
The Kardashians may not be America’s most fertile family, but sometimes it sure feels like it. There’s always a new pregnancy, baby, or kid-related development for the media to cover with a flashy photo spread. The latest “news” involves Kourtney Kardashian, a mother of three who is debating whether to expand her family. But since … Continue reading
Professional Feminists Lena Dunham And Jill Filipovic Find The Facts Of Life Are Stubbornly Conservative
The facts of life are stubborn things. No matter how many times we try to modify or ignore them, there they are. It turns out to be true even if you’re rich, famous, or a progressive feminist in good standing. Just ask Lena Dunham and Jill Filipovic. Dunham recently took to Vogue to discuss her … Continue reading
How To Prepare For Marriage And Make It Good Once You Get There
Americans love love. We marry for it. We celebrate it annually with chocolate, roses, and date night. But how lasting is that love? How many couples can say they share a deep, intimate bond that protects them from ever feeling alone in the world? And how do we teach our children to find that for … Continue reading
5 Thoughts On The Furor Over The White House’s Hanukkah Party
The media is so addicted to outrage that they’ve now set Hanukkah ablaze. The Jewish Festival of Lights, which begins the evening of December 12 this year, was celebrated last Thursday night at the White House. Because it was Donald Trump’s first Hanukkah party, we’re supposed to be inflamed by the White House’s supposed hostility … Continue reading
Yes, Motherhood Is A Privilege, But It’s Exactly The Opposite Of Selfish
Is there anything more tortured than our era’s relationship with motherhood? Exhibit A is an op-ed by novelist and publisher Karen Rinaldi in The New York Times’ most recent Sunday Review. While the piece meanders a bit, its central message is encapsulated by this one sentence: “Motherhood is not a sacrifice, but a privilege — … Continue reading
Play Hard. Work Maybe?
Donald Trump’s election as president focused national attention on the declining fortunes of many older American men. However, “Leisure Luxuries and the Labor Supply of Young Men,” a recent working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), indicates that the bottom’s also fallen out, economically-speaking, for young men without college degrees: Between … Continue reading
Looking For A Radical Solution To Bitter Politics? Teach Your Kids Manners
Some of those eighth graders enjoyed meeting the Speaker of the House (Instagram/@speakerryan). What, exactly, are we teaching our kids? Having just started Sen. Ben Sasse’s new book on raising kids to be thoughtful citizens, this question has been on my mind. But seeing The Hill report that “nearly 100 eighth graders from New Jersey … Continue reading
For Beyoncé And Many Women, Having A Baby Is Indeed A Miracle
Dressed like a fertility goddess, Bey offers hope to those on fertility journeys (etonline.com). Beyoncé’s Grammy act clearly rubbed Naomi Schaefer Riley the wrong way. While I frequently nod along to Riley’s social commentary, I disagree with her latest critique, “Having a baby isn’t a miracle and doesn’t make you a goddess.” As someone who’s spent … Continue reading
How To Protect Your Infant In A World Of Anti-Vaxxers
Posted by melissa braunstein on March 1, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Keep your baby healthy and happy — vaccinate (Pinterest.com)! Anti-vaxxers represent only about 2 percent of American families, although you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re more numerous. They certainly make a lot of noise and have some world-famous adherents. However, like malaria-carrying mosquitoes, this tiny group that punches above its weight may be on the verge of … Continue reading →
Category Clips, Cultural Commentary, Parenthood, Politics, Uncategorized · Tagged with Health, Immunization, Infants, Measles, Parenting, Vaccines