Author Archives: Carinn Jade

My Son’s School Called To Tell Me He Was Having An Allergic Reaction And I Freaked The Eff Out

My Sonâs School Called To Tell Me He Was Having An Allergic Reaction And I Freaked The Eff Out

I recognized the school’s number and answered on the first ring.  The teacher started with, “Let me first tell you that your son is fine.”  Right…so you are calling just to say hi?  She went on despite my silence.  “He seems to be having some kind of allergic reaction.”  I immediately stood up at my desk, having no idea what that would do, but feeling compelled to do it anyway.  Ohmygod, is he dying?  What’s happening?  Panic rose instantly in my throat. More »

I’m Trying To Get Behind The Math Cheerleading Movement But It’s Still Math

I'm Trying To Get Behind The Math Cheerleading Movement But It's Still Math

This is an important cause, given that in international rankings, the U.S. ranks 26th out of the 34 OECD countries in math skills. The future will depend on careers in science and engineering and we’re told math is invaluable to the growth of these sectors. Those sound like great reasons to champion my kids and their interest in math. But, I don’t know, it’s still math. It’s hard to get excited about. More »

As A Mother I Thoroughly Enjoy My Yearly Bout With The Winter Flu

As A Mother I Thoroughly Enjoy My Yearly Bout With The Winter Flu

What’s not to love about no pressure to plan activities for your little kids? About finally having an excuse to let your kids watch TV all day? What’s not to love about not a shred of guilt over serving cold cereal for every meal? About your husband doing more than his fair share of everything? That’s right, I love being mom with the flu. Other than, of course, having the flu because that totally sucks. But I find being a mom who is sick has hidden perks I’m afraid some of you aren’t taking advantage of. More »

Sheryl Sandberg Wants Your Boss To Lean In To Your Uterus By Discussing Your Pregnancy Plans

Sheryl Sandberg Wants Your Boss To Lean In To Your Uterus By Discussing Your Pregnancy Plans

The deeper issue for me, isn’t a concern of running amok of the anti-discrimination laws. It’s a matter of unrealistic expectations — on the part of the employer and the employee. The simple fact of having children and having a career is there is absolutely no way to know how each parent is going to feel about it until they experience it for themselves. More »

Thanksgiving Recaps On Facebook Make Me Wonder When I’ll Be An Adult

Thanksgiving Recaps On Facebook Make Me Wonder When I'll Be An Adult

I don’t have many friends that use their Facebook feeds to humblebrag about their Pinterest worthy crafts, even though I have some that legit could. Still, when I see friends cooking Thanksgiving dinners for their entire extended family, talking about brining and basting, setting real grown-up dining room tables with jacquard linens, I wonder what is wrong with me. When am I going to grow up? More »

I Detest Being Manipulated As A Mother By Bad Movies Like Gravity

I Detest Being Manipulated As A Mother By Bad Movies Like Gravity

No parent wants to hear about or imagine something terrible happening to their children. When we see something about disease or famine or abuse, we feel the pain almost as though it was our own child. That delicate nerve is what makes it so easy to toss a dying or sick kid into a movie for some guaranteed tears. When it’s done right, the waterworks flow. When it’s done wrong, it just makes me angry. More »

I Regret Not Flying My Kids From New York To California For Thanksgiving With My In-Laws

I Regret Not Flying My Kids From New York To California For Thanksgiving With My In-Laws

Traveling with two young children is never fun. There’s no way around that. But if you can brace yourself for the temporary (if not extended) pain of getting there, the benefits go far beyond the effort. Because when I hear my four year old tell me, months later, about the crazy thing that happened at Turkey Dinner, I know they are making memories. It’s sad to know they won’t be adding to those memories this year. More »

FDA Comes Down On Organic Farmers So I Hope Your Kids Like Pesticides

FDA Comes Down On Organic Farmers So I Hope Your Kids Like Pesticides

The FDA sites the cases of sickness and death over the past decade, including Earthbound Farms 2006 spinach E. coli contamination in which 200 people got sick and three died. However, raw manure was not the source of that outbreak so these measures wouldn’t have prevented those incidents. And while we’re at it, do we have to protect against every single avoidable risk? Even when the natural process and its benefits outweigh the risks? More »

I Plan To Tell My Daughter She Can Be Anything She Wants To Be And GoldieBlox Will Provide The Soundtrack

I Plan To Tell My Daughter She Can Be Anything She Wants To Be And GoldieBlox Will Provide The Soundtrack

In my two years as a mother to a daughter, I have found that so many of the “girl” toys look the same (dolls, purses, crafts) while that boys have a range of cars with their tracks, superheros and all their merch, Legos and other building toys. I understand that girls, very generally, tend to prefer imaginative play. But that doesn’t just have to be about baby dolls and princess wands. I want to expose my daughter to as many activities as I can and let her pursue what she loves. Just because we live in a princess culture in the U.S., let’s not underestimate the potential of our girls. More »

Studies Show Kids Need More Time To Play, But Offer No Constructive Guidelines On How Parents Can Support It

Studies Show Kids Need More Time To Play, But Offer No Constructive Guidelines On How Parents Can Support It

Throughout the article, the study and Gray’s essay the conclusion is clear: unstructured and unsupervised play is crucial for our children’s development. Yet when we talk about physical development we have general guidelines to get a sense of what the range of normal is. Just as I wouldn’t give my six-month old a pen and expect her to write or put a book in front of my two-year-old and expect her to read, there should be parameters for parents to understand what levels of play and freedom kids can handle at what ages. More »

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