Jan 7, 2017

Off-site Highlights: Fiction, Grief, and Parenting

(Compiled by Anna)

Dear Readers,

Blessed Epiphany! I am emerging from all the Christmas festivities and am starting to feel sad that I am probably going to have to take my Christmas tree down soon. We procrastinated (I mean, were liturgically correct) and bought it on December 23rd, so it hasn't been up long in comparison with the trees of my childhood.

What are you reading these days? I just finished a long-ish short story by Rachel Kovaciny (who, by the way, is part of the SDMW community!). It's a retelling of Sleeping Beauty set during the gunslinger days of the old West, and it's a lot of fun. You can find it here. I look forward to enjoying the rest of the tales included in the same book.


Here is a collection of recommended articles from around the web.

1. This was recommended by someone I know who lost her baby.

"Yes, You Should Say Something: Overcoming Awkwardness with Grieving People" by Nancy Guthrie


2. Here's a reminder that reading to our children should be part of life, not something we twist into an unnatural, "serious" shape.

Finding Freedom in Reading Aloud with Children by Maura Roan McKeegan


3. Parents are called to love their children unconditionally, but also to teach and raise them. Sometimes this means we must tell them when they are behaving in ugly, selfish, or annoying ways. As another blogger pointed out elsewhere, this article about being a good boss in the corporate world also applies to parenthood.

Radical Candor — The Surprising Secret to Being a Good Boss


4. Eating together as a family is important. But sometimes it's less than relaxing for the grown-ups. I like "Auntie Leila's" advice on slowly making it better.

"Seven Strategies for Dinner with the Barbarians" By Leila Lawler


5. Some useful thoughts here:

Porn Proofing Our Kids: Emotional Investment by Jenny of Mama Needs Coffee


6. Plus, you can read my thoughts on Enjoying Your Toddlers and Enjoying Motherhood over at The Federalist, or listen to me talk about both pieces by going to Issues, etc.

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1 comment:

  1. Oh my stars! You featured Five Magic Spindles here! My whole family spent a week and a half passing a nasty flu bug around, and I'm slowly catching up on reading blogs, so didn't see this until just now. I'm so glad you enjoyed "The Man on the Buckskin Horse"! I had such a great time writing it :-)

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