“Mrs. Basi!” yells Kindergarten Carpool child, upon leaping into the van after school. “Do you want to have a SNOW DAY tomorrow???!!!!” “No, I do not,” I reply. Undeterred, he shouts, “You have to put an ICE CUBE in the TOILET and let it melt! And then you flush it!” “Uh….okay.” Nicholas leaps into the…
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The Problem Of Teaching A Child The Faith
It’s got to be tough to be the kid who has two musical parents who are extremely involved in their church. He has a set of gifts that are his birthright—a great ear, the ability to pick out tunes in multiple keys and sometimes even harmonize them, plus a blossoming skill on the piano and…
Read MoreIn Which The Letter “L” is a Bittersweet Milestone
When I think about my kids, I often have to chuckle at God’s sense of humor. I always claimed that I would accept any child given to me, that health or disability wouldn’t matter. But I didn’t mean it. And I knew I didn’t mean it, although I never admitted it, even to myself. I…
Read MoreCommando Olympics and other Quick Takes
-1- The kids have been entranced by the Olympics lately. Michael calls them “Olymp-kicks.” -2- I’m so glad I blogged about chicken legs a couple weeks ago. Because now when we call her that, we can’t be accused of copying Allyson Felix. -3- Last week my friend Kelley posted this status update on Facebook: Went for…
Read MoreJulianna and the Ticking Clock of Approaching Adolescence
I have this parenting theory: It’s not that a child is too young to learn a particular lesson (like, say, toileting). It’s really a matter of when the parent decides he or she is ready to take on the task of teaching it. When the parent makes it a priority, the child learns.* I…
Read MoreOn The Wrong Side Of Mercy
I suppose it was inevitable that sooner or later, I was going to run into someone who would threaten to call the police on me for child endangerment. I mean, the odds were not in my favor to raise four kids to adulthood without encountering someone who would take issue with the laissez-faire style of…
Read MoreBoys Have Drama, Too
Let no one, me especially, claim that boys come without the drama attached to raising girls. Every child loves his first grade teacher. It’s an unspoken rule, right? You must be hopelessly, gaga-eyed in love with your first grade teacher. So when your first grade teacher gives you a bag full of gummy worms on…
Read MoreI Give My Kids Experiences
It turns out that physical things don’t buy as much happiness as experiences. It’s experiencing things together that binds us. This makes sense to me. My kids want an Xbox. We’ll let them earn money to buy it themselves, but we’re not buying it ourselves. We don’t have room in our living room for any more…
Read MoreThe Problem(s) With Mother’s Day
The problems with Mothers Day are legion. 1. It’s not fair to the dads. Mother’s day is way, way, way bigger a deal than Father’s Day, and that’s just not okay. 2. Everybody wants to give mom gifts for one day, make these adorable crafts that you’re expected to keep for all time, and it…
Read MorePlaying Favorites
I can’t be the only parent who lives in dread of playing favorites. Especially of having a “favorite child.” The online “soundtrack” of parenting reflections has presented me more than once with the theory that you butt heads with the child who resembles you most. But I think this is only true for certain personality…
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Kathleen M. Basi 