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
Let’s Talk About Sex (Ed)
This is a discussion we need to have (wikipedia.com). Let’s talk about sex. Specifically, let’s talk about Sex Ed. As someone who’s been researching infertility in the Jewish community, my concern is not the typical public debate over abstinence education. No, it’s that Sex Ed in the United States focuses almost entirely on pregnancy prevention. … Continue reading
We’re Still Waiting For A Better Memoir About Infertility
We have become a nation of oversharers. And yet, even in the Era of TMI, it’s rare for women—or couples—to broadcast their struggles with infertility. In this regard, the publishing world largely mimics real life. If you’ve been searching for a book that personalizes the excruciating pain of infertility or repeated pregnancy loss, you’ve likely … Continue reading
7 Ways the Third Pregnancy Is Different
Pregnancy is fairly predictable in some ways. Your belly grows. You become slower and more achey. And, pu pu pu, after nine months’ time, you’re cradling a tiny new person. Yet, it takes being pregnant at least twice to really appreciate the countless ways that pregnancies can vary. Now pregnant with our third daughter, I’m feeling not … 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