My “Cool” Mom: Laura’s Story

It hurts to watch people pat my mother on the back for being such a wonderful mother and awesome person, without really knowing her. It’s like there’s a side of her only that her children ever see.

Demons and the Consequences of Feeding Children’s Fears

Feeding children’s fears, rather than dismantling them, is a terrible idea.

Even Permanent Ink Fades Eventually

Who forms a child’s self-concept in the worst way possible on purpose?

The Problem with the Pearls’ One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Tantrums

Every child is different. One child’s “tantrums” or “meltdowns” may look very different from those of another child.

Parenting Beyond Our Past: A Resource Guide

I thought I’d put together a resource for those of you who, like me, want to do differently for our kids.

Lisa Pennington on Adult Children, Maturity, and Drivers’ Licenses

“This isn’t an isolated thing. When a parent home births and homeschools, they have total control over their children’s documents.”

10 Things Homeschool Parents Try To Explain But Fail

“It isn’t a flattering picture at all.”

In Which Children Are People Too

“I guess the question we need to ask ourselves is this: What is my parenting goal?”

Talking To Kids About Social Services, Part II

“Social services isn’t perfect, and they sometimes make mistakes. But what good does teaching children to be afraid of social services do? Absolutely none at all. When I had children of my own, then, I determined to do things differently.”

Talking To Kids About Social Services, Part I

“I grew up afraid of social services. Social workers were something of a bogeyman in the homeschooling community, and my parents bought into it completely. In fact, in a recent conversation on the topic with my mother, she insisted that social workers today do in fact take children away from their parents for nothing more than homeschooling.”