We are expecting (twins) and we are devouring parenting books. We're not overly beholden to these books - we trust our own instincts. But it seems like a lot of these books are anecdotal, or old-fashioned. We'd love to find a book that is modern, research/data-driven, and at least a little enjoyable to read. The kind of book that someone who enjoys Lifehacker, RadioLab, BoingBoing, etc. would respond to. Any suggestions?
posted by Anonymousness
on May 14, 2013 -
13 answers
My tween daughter recently had a minor but serious accident that required a visit to the emergency room and a few days on narcotic painkillers. During this time she missed school, skipped homework and other normal activities, and basically got a lot of attention and concern from relatives and friends, and of course me, her mother. Now, having recovered, she's articulated that she misses all that special attention and has explicitly said that she wants to get hurt again.
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posted by marionett gjorda av strumpor
on Apr 30, 2013 -
19 answers
My wife and I are wrestling mightily with parenting our four-year-old daughter, who is an asshole. I use the word "asshole" because we are taken aback by how mean and insulting and nasty she can be. I know we are supposed to love her unconditionally but we are struggling to deal with who she
is rather than how she
acts... Help!
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posted by mindsound
on Mar 1, 2013 -
51 answers
I don't want to miss out on things in my last month of being home with my daughter before going back to work. Is there anything you wish you did before starting work full time? Anything that you wish you didn't do?
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posted by derivation
on Feb 2, 2013 -
10 answers
How do atheist or otherwise non-religious parents teach their kids about the Abrahamic mythology?
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posted by looli
on Jan 24, 2013 -
44 answers
I feel like I’m getting hit in the gentlemen’s region by my baby/toddler more often than is probably normal. Also a lot harder than I would have expected. I have some questions…
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posted by French Fry
on Nov 29, 2012 -
17 answers
AdviceFilter: What life experiences (or fun things) should my partner and I make time for, before having a baby?
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posted by amoeba
on Sep 19, 2012 -
19 answers
How can I encourage my adult daughter from my first marriage to voice her opinions in my current divorce proceedings (of my second marriage) without it feeling like I'm dragging her into battle?
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posted by punocchio
on Aug 22, 2012 -
22 answers
My twelve-year old is asking me to install Hamachi so that he can play Terraria over the Internet. Should I do it? What are the risks?
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posted by cross_impact
on Aug 18, 2012 -
10 answers
My Mother-in-law is sending her children to my house as punishment and it makes me very uncomfortable and I need help figuring out how to get her to stop.
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posted by julie_of_the_jungle
on Aug 15, 2012 -
43 answers
A little more than a month ago, I started a full-time telecommuting job that I thought was my dream job. When I took it, I was working part-time (and had been since my son was born two years ago). This is my first full-time job since becoming a mom. I now think I made a big mistake.
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posted by trillian
on Aug 14, 2012 -
21 answers
My father and stepmother have rejected my son, after I placed him in an Open Adoption following his birth earlier this year. How do I deal with important family events where both parties would be welcome and invited? Snowflake details within.
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posted by erasorhed
on Aug 6, 2012 -
21 answers
Tomorrow I find out if my two-year-old son has Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy. There's no "good" form of MD, but this is definitely the "bad" (and most common) version. Most children with this diagnosis are wheelchair-bound by age 12, and the average life expectancy is 25. There is no treatment and no cure. How do I, as a father, deal with this?
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posted by math
on Jul 10, 2012 -
31 answers
Need help finding resources for parents of adult children with Asperger's.
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posted by sonika
on Jul 6, 2012 -
7 answers
My wife wants our daughter to have a makeover party for her 8th birthday. Manicures, pedicures, hair-styling and all that. Am I being overly-sensitive in thinking it's a bad idea?
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posted by ColdChef
on Jun 13, 2012 -
97 answers
How to help my four-year-old better cope with his extreme shyness, so he doesn't keep missing out on things he wants to do?
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posted by Ausamor
on Jun 2, 2012 -
14 answers
My brother and his wife are having a baby! How do I become
a good best epic uncle? What are some nice or useful things your siblings have done for your children? What are you own favorite memories involving your uncle?
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posted by Foci for Analysis
on May 29, 2012 -
23 answers
Parenting filter: I have two kids, 11 and 9. I'm a divorced dad trying to figure out a plan for their accountability for their chores when they're with me. The biggest stumbling block seems to be division of labor. On the one hand, assigning individual chores (Daughter, you wash the dishes. Son, you dry and put away) and rewarding for completion seems simple enough. But I want to teach them teamwork, negotiation, time management (who does what part first) and shared responsibility. So sometimes I say "Clean the kitchen, you figure out who does what". The latter seems better for a shared reward like a trip to the movies. Does anyone favor one approach over the other, and why? BTW they're coming from a household where their mom and I differed on how to handle chores, so they're a little used to coasting.
posted by punocchio
on May 17, 2012 -
22 answers
I currently work 20 hrs./week at a local nonprofit in field "XYZ." My husband works full time (8-6, usually), and we have a 2-year-old son who goes to my parents' house while I'm at work (3 days a week). However, yesterday I was contacted about a full-time job that's very appealing, and I don't know whether to pursue it.
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posted by trillian
on Apr 20, 2012 -
21 answers
My kid wants to play Minecraft. I am not a gamer. Please help me answer questions regarding system requirements, appropriateness and how to get him started when I really don't want to get involved at all!
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posted by BlahLaLa
on Mar 15, 2012 -
30 answers
Have you discovered your child has seen online pornography? What did you do about it?
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posted by amoeba
on Mar 5, 2012 -
25 answers
Help me tame our 7 year old daughter before she makes all of the boys in her second grade class cry.
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posted by mosk
on Feb 8, 2012 -
36 answers
My almost-3 year old, who is normally quite sweet, has started melting down about EVERYTHING and refuses to climb/go down stairs, and walk reasonable distances. Physical issue, school adjustment issue or just a phase? How do I grit my teeth and get through it?
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posted by kpht
on Dec 14, 2011 -
36 answers
I'm looking for advice on how to help my five year old with some behavioral issues.
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posted by Cuke
on Nov 22, 2011 -
19 answers
What can I say to a 5 year old, when his parent is mentally unwell?
How can I explain, what can I do with him, and what structures can we put in place, to make his mother's (temporary, but severe) illness easier on him?
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posted by Elysum
on Nov 20, 2011 -
19 answers
What shall I do with my 3 yr old's tooth cavity? I am feeling depressed over it
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posted by akomom
on Nov 15, 2011 -
25 answers
How did you instill confidence in your children? How did your parents help you become a confident child and adult?
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posted by Nickel Pickle
on Oct 19, 2011 -
37 answers
Parents who were still cosleeping at one year: can you give me your stories of transitioning your little darlings to their own beds/rooms?
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posted by rabbitrabbit
on Oct 16, 2011 -
28 answers
I'm looking for support groups for soon-to-be-parents with Asperger's Syndrome. Both individuals are 20ish and haven't had a lot experience being self-sufficient, have had difficulty organizing their lives, keeping jobs, etc. They are very excited about having a child, but could use some guidance on parenting, setting up a home, etc.
posted by ms_rasclark
on Aug 8, 2011 -
4 answers
Is there anything a divorced mom with primary custody of three kids could say to their dad to get him to pay attention to his kids?
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posted by kinetic
on Jul 25, 2011 -
32 answers
How do we have a satisfying long-distance relationships and visits, parent and in-law version?
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posted by Elsie
on May 11, 2011 -
19 answers
Background: I've been the step-dad to my boys for almost 10 years. They are now 12 and 13 and have no interest in spending time with their Bio-dad.
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posted by snsranch
on Mar 4, 2011 -
26 answers
Parents who had/have to study with young children around: what strategies did/do you use to help integrate the kids into your study sessions?
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posted by angiep
on Feb 7, 2011 -
6 answers
One of my 4-year old students broke his arm on Saturday, and is now in a cast. The parents, and school directors, are encouraging him to still come to gym class (which I teach), and play soccer and run around.
Am I alone in thinking this is a bad idea?
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posted by hasna
on Feb 6, 2011 -
21 answers
I am looking for a great baby sign language book for my sister, to start using with her wee daughter. Suggestions? And bonus question about parenting magazines!
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posted by sabotagerabbit
on Jan 13, 2011 -
12 answers
Book-filter: My husband and I are expecting our first child in early May. He would like a book on parenting, especially along the everything-you-need-to-know-about-infants perspective, as he has never really been exposed to babies.
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posted by questionsandanchors
on Dec 14, 2010 -
33 answers
Parents of 3+ year olds! How do you deal with being tired *all the time*? I've gone from being single and childless and in my early 30s to being the boyfriend of a mother of two boys (3 and 7). Things are astonishingly good between us, and the boys are great (albeit a lot of hard work, even according to their Mum), but I'm *so* tired after helping out with the boys - it's all the games of tag, the nerf gunfights, the question and answer sessions, etc. We're really enjoying ourselves, but ohmigod I'm exhausted. Help me not feel like I'm letting the side down at home with my housemates, at her place, out and about with my friends and at work. Other than 'coffee', 'more sleep' and 'less time with the girlfriend and the boys' (done, done, and ain't gonna happen), what are your protips for fighting off tiredness and irascibility?
posted by MarchHare
on Nov 2, 2010 -
26 answers
You grew up in a loving, healthy home. Your parents were normal, in that they were imperfect and made mistakes, but did a pretty damn good job raising their children. What was the nature of their mistakes? How did they affect you? What does a good, real family look like?
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posted by moira
on Oct 5, 2010 -
69 answers
I recently read about a study that found the brain thinks in more security-oriented ways after the birth of one's first child. I can no longer find it. Folk wisdom seems to say that once you have a child, your values usually change and you are a different person. Is there research for or against chemical and neurological changes in parents?
posted by matt_arnold
on Sep 10, 2010 -
9 answers
