This week we moved back into our house and adjusted to not having Jeff’s parents cooking for us and helping with the kids (the struggle was real y’all), plus third quarter ended and my grades were due yesterday (#nineweeksleft), and… we had to celebrate our big TWO year old and prep for her party (going on as you read this -check out my Instagram for pictures) so…. it was a bit of a wild week.
BUT, I still took some time (procrastinating, if I’m being honest) to put together a few of my favorite Links & Likes for ya. Enjoy!
Links:
“Teachers, You Are on the Front Lines as Defenders of Truth. Our Students Need You More Than Ever” – this is a couple of months old now – from The Cornerstone for Teachers Blog – but I keep meaning to share it. It is one of the most important things I’ve read in a while. Teachers, make some time to read and think about it.
The Coffee+Crumbs podcast released a great discussion about marriage this week.
“What We Neglect When the Children Are Young” – Lesley mentioned this in the above podcast, and I liked the title enough to immediately track it down…. I’m glad I did.
“Teaching Kids That Women Can Work and Be Moms at the Same Time” – basically I just became obsessed with the Motherwell blog
“‘I’ve NEVER Met a Mom Who Said She Wished She Worked More'” – Laura Vanderkam’s response to this comment on her blog is perfect
Likes:
Kate at The Small Things Blog posted this adorable tassel clutch (you know how I love tassels) a while back, and I just can’t get over it. It can even be embossed with your initials. So cute!!!
I was so excited to find this faux leather backpack from Target recently… I’ve been on the lookout for a “stylish” backpack for a while because #handsfree, but I haven’t been ready to bite the bullet on some of the high price tags I’ve seen. This one is MUCH more up my alley, and I *think* I really like the look of the brown one! (Is it ugly? Dorky? Seriously. Tell me. I’m still torn between this and the Longchamp one I mentioned back at Christmas, but the price difference is huge!)
Also from Target… I tried these shoes on (in blush – which looks more neutral in person) last weekend because I’ve been “needing” something more casual to wear when ballet flats just don’t really go (I’m not a fan of sneakers and jeans usually, but most of my flats seem kind-of mismatched with a hoodie – a real serious problem, I know)… These are definitely making my “wishlist” for spring (more on that coming soon).
Library Card Pillow on Etsy – Wouldn’t this be so cute in a little reading nook at home or school? I want one in every color!
Did you see that She Reads Truth is releasing a Bible? It’s beautiful.
I’m also super excited about this new children’s book by Chelsea Clinton – due out in May.
So, tell me, what do you find/read/love this week? Have a great spring weekend!! See ya Monday – I’ll be 33 by then!
E
P.S. There are just a few days left to get my maternity leave eBook for teachers for less than $6. Grab it here and use code MARCH2 at checkout!!!
I somewhat wonder about teaching kids that women can be a mom and have other jobs too, especially if the mom works outside of the house, like in the article. Sometimes I just think we all take things too seriously. I mean, my 3 year old routinely tells me that he’s going to grow up to be a race car driver one day and a deep sea diver on another. I doubt he’s going to be either. That’s just what talking to a 3 year old is like. The kid will grow up to see that his mom or his friends’ moms have more than one role. I know this isn’t the popular opinion to have right now, but maybe we could just let our kids be kids and not worry so much about what stereotypes we are setting up for them. They aren’t going to live in a bubble, they’ll see lots of situations as they grow. I was born in the 70s, my mom was a stay at home mom, my parents never thought twice about teaching me the first thing about gender stereotypes or how to break them. I still grew up to be a teacher and a mom, no conflicts about what I could or couldn’t do as a woman. Sometimes I just want to tell everyone to relax. Am I alone in this lol??
I don’t know. I think the heart of blog posts like the Motherwell one is the concept of modeling–what are we showing our kids and how are we talking about it when we think they aren’t paying attention? I appreciate that there are parents in this world who are thinking about what their kids are seeing long before they’re capable of rationally thinking through what is or isn’t a gender stereotype and what they are or are not “allowed” to do.
Ultimately, I want my kids to see that Mommy and Daddy are partners and we tag team most roles because that’s what’s necessary. Daddy sometimes cooks dinner. Mommy sometimes has to fix something around the house. We both care for kids equally. There are times we are home and times we go to work. The division of labor isn’t something that crosses male/female boundaries for us; instead, it’s what we need to do to make things work in our household and for our family.
Eventually, my boys will be old enough to have those conversations. And when they are, I hope what we say matches up with what they’ve witnessed.