Mama J on February 19th, 2010

OK, I said I was only going to blog about my book chapter topics for now, but I’m so excited about a group I’ve become part of that I had to share. I’ve written before about the concepts behind The Mother-Daughter Project, an initiative to keep mothers and daughters close and supported along the road [...]

Continue reading about Mothers and Daughters Stay Strong

Mama J on June 28th, 2009

Today is a milestone; one I kept thinking about the entire week prior.  My nine-year-old just left for her first sleepaway camp.  As I told my husband after she was whisked away in the carpool van, “This is harder than the first day of kindergarten.” 
OK, it’s only two nights and three days at 4H camp in [...]

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Mama J on April 7th, 2009

Sometimes it’s hard to separate my daughter’s identity from what I remember about my childhood identity.  She is a competitive swimmer, and I was too.  She likes to draw, and I did too.  She shares enough of my physical features to elicit comments like, “we know whose daughter that is.” 
So even though I know, conceptually, [...]

Continue reading about My Daughter is not Me

Mama J on February 10th, 2009

“A lot of how kids find themselves by exclusion, as in ‘I know what I’m not.’”
 – Brian M., Psychologist
I’ve read several articles in the last year or so that indicate young adults are “taking
longer” to find themselves and figure out what they want to do for work.
And parents are kind of worried about this trend.  [...]

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Mama J on January 26th, 2009

One way to be involved with your kids is to become involved with an
activity they are passionate about.  This doesn’t mean that you
actually do the activity with them (although you could).  What I’m
talking about in this post is volunteering with an organization your
child is a part of. 
This comment connects directly with a book discussion group [...]

Continue reading about Being Involved is a Blessing

Mama J on November 11th, 2008

As my mother is aging she has moved closer by and I’m spending
more and more time with her.  Something I’ve become sharply aware
of in recent years is that she’s one of my biggest fans.
Sometimes I don’t need this kind of validation, but who am I to deny a
little praise?
She frequently comments favorably on my parenting [...]

Continue reading about Let’s Be Our Daughters’ Fans

Mama J on September 8th, 2008

Dorothy said it best during her time travel from Oz:  “There’s no place
like home.” 
A recent vacation to New York City, where I grew up, was such a
relaxing and rejuvenating experience that it sparked me to think about
the significance of home.  Home may be where you actually grew up. 
Or, it may be another place or even [...]

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Mama J on September 3rd, 2008

Today’s post is in response to comments about the dramatic
differences between raising boys and raising girls.  Why do tears,
raised voices, and sudden mood changes occur more often with girls?
“For many of us, understanding girls is like trying to fathom aliens who
just got off the ship from outer space….We misunderstand who girls
are because the dominant culture [...]

Continue reading about What’s all the Drama about?