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First Child Syndrome

Lately I have been losing my patience with Comang. So much so, that the thought of giving him away has entered my mind on more than a few occasions.  :-( Our beloved shih-tzu has a classic case of first child syndrome. He is insanely jealous of the attention that Claire receives and is adding undue stress to my life. Please don't get me wrong — he has never acted out against Claire and I am certain that he won't. Instead, he acts out toward me, his mommy and his favorite person in the world. Whenever I am sitting anywhere with Claire, he will try to squeeze himself between us. When I am doing something with Claire that requires most of my attention, such...

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A Genderless Preschool

Earlier today, I read about Egalia, a Swedish preschool that aims to break down gender stereotypes. At this taxpayer-funded preschool located in the liberal Sodermalm district of Stockholm, staff avoid using pronouns such as "him" or "her" and address the 33 children as "friends" rather than boys and girls. Every little detail — from the color and placement of toys to the selection of literature (which mostly consists of books dealing with homosexual couples, single parents or adopted children) — has been carefully planned to ensure that the children do not fall into gender stereotypes from a young age. I couldn't help but be reminded of the Canadian parents who are hiding the gender of their baby. Upon reading that article, I remember asking...

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“Guerilla Classrooms” Ad Campaign

In an effort to encourage parents to get involved in their children's learning, advertising agency Cramer-Krasselt has teamed up with COA Youth & Family Centers to set up interactive displays — dubbed "Guerilla Classrooms" — around the city of Milwaukee. AdAge explains: To promote parent-child interaction in fun ways, Cramer-Krasselt has set up large puzzles, word searches, mazes, books and rulers, sign-language translators, around-the-world basketball courts and a visual sound wave wall. Each display is designed to teach "real-world" applications of math, science, geography and reading. Take a look at some of the displays below. I love them! The ultimate aim of this campaign is to raise awareness of the positive impact parents' involvement can have on their child's education. I wouldn't be surprised if parents, as well...

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My Mother’s Birth Story, Abridged

It is no secret that my father loves his two daughters and openly tells people over and over again how having two girls has taught him to be more sensitive, more responsible, and a better man in general. And as it was with Claire, it was he who was the happiest to hear the news that we are expecting another girl. However, I know that this was not always the case. I know that having lived most of his life in Korea — formerly a strongly patriarchal society — he must have had bouts of disappointment at not having sired a boy. (Surveys now show that for the first time in Korean society, parents prefer to have girls over boys. This is a...

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Laughing at Mommy Already

Sometimes I can't decide if Claire is incredibly lazy, extremely stubborn, exceptionally clever, or all of the above. Case in point: she never rolls anymore. I know that she is physically capable of doing it, because I have seen her purposely roll both ways several times. But I also know that she does not enjoy it. Hence, whenever she is in a horizontal position — whether on her back or stomach — she will only withstand it for however long she pleases...

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