Thursday, February 26, 2015

Raising White: Recognizing Privilege and Becoming an Ally

You might not know this about me, but I'm white. Like pasty super white. My husband is impossibly whiter than me. And our kid?

Kiddo glows.

I love our son. He is a sweet boy and I hope he grows up to be a wonderful human being. That is why I have to reconcile myself to the fact that I have to work to make him recognize how white he is.

Somehow, against every male disregard for bodily care I've encountered, I have to convince him to use sunblock. Now it's easy because he thinks it's a game and it's an excuse to get attention from Mommy. So it works - although the added treat of going outside doesn't hurt.

Of course, getting him to wear sunblock is one thing. One minor thing in the course of life when compared to the fact that he is white. HE is WHITE.

A white boy, who will hopefully grow into a white man. I gave birth to a potential white man.

Some people will ignore the issue. White moms will ignore the issue. White dads will ignore the issue, as though it doesn't bear talking about. It isn't a thing. Except of course, it is. Being white is definitely a thing.

I like Louis C.K.'s bit about being white. He says not that white people are better than other people, but that being white is absolutely better because it comes with the privilege package. The privilege package means white people can pretty much go anywhere and do whatever we want. We are part of the dominant culture of America. Institutions function under WASP rules. The more WASP you are, the better things are for you. The more WASP you are, the more likely doors will open for you, even if you get caught doing something really, really, bad.

So how, as a parent, do I show Kiddo this privilege? How as a parent do I help him to realize where he fits in this crazy social hierarchy? How as a parent do I show him how he can be an ally? A respectful, compassionate, educated ally?

Well, first, I think Sesame Street is a good start. Seriously. Sesame Street is my new favorite show. It's got families of all different iterations. It's got kids of all different iterations. It's got different cultures represented. Everything in that show emphasizes diversity without coming right out and saying that.

Except for the preponderance of white actors doing the word of the day thing it's perfect, but I think we can chalk that up to Hollywood's failure and not Sesame Street as an enterprise.

So after Sesame Street? Well, I'm sending Kiddo to public school, despite people like Scott Walker or Andrew Cuomo or laws like No Child Left Behind.

Why? Because public school is awesome.

Public school is one of the places where different classes, ethnicities, and family structures can be discovered. Exposure is one of the best ways to understand diversity. Exposure is one of the best ways for people to feel comfortable and embrace difference. It was definitely part of my education, even though no curriculum was involved.

And along those lines, I'm taking Kiddo to cultural festivals. As soon as he's old enough, we're going to volunteer at different organizations that address social justice gaps in society. With any luck, we'll live in a diverse city. If not a diverse city, I hope we will have a home in a location surrounded by people who do NOT look like us.

I am convinced this is the best way for Kiddo to learn about his privilege and to respect the diversity and beauty of American pluralism. I feel it is my responsibility as a parent to make sure he is not isolated in a bubble of whiteness in some suburban ranch home, working on his white male entitlement.

Children are our future. That is true. But nurture helps to shape them. As parents we have to ask ourselves, what kind of future are we raising?

Monday, February 23, 2015

The Introverted Mom

For a day without people...
I am an introvert. I can put on a good show, and a lot of extroverts will claim I am otherwise but no. I can assure you, I am an introvert.

As an introvert I have needs. I need alone time. I need time to observe a situation before diving in. I need people I know around me to feel comfortable in social settings, and even then, I may run away as fast as humanly possible.

Now that I am a mom, small talk is much easier for me. I don't have to reach for topics of conversation. I can always mention Kiddo. Someone always has a question or comment, and I can always spit out a witty one liner and be on my way. It is convenient, but it is absolutely an introverted crutch.

I fear I have lost my small talk skills I learned with two extroverted parents.

But that is a small problem. The bigger problem is the fact that I don't get alone time. Being a stay at home parent, it's not the lack of sleep, or the excessive toddler stubbornness, or even the difficulty in finding time to work on my projects that bothers me. It's not even the lack of adult conversation about completely adult things (though that is something I do need).

No, the problem for the introverted stay at home parent is I never get a break. I am always surrounded by people. And as a mom, I am always needed. Extended breastfeeding, cosleeping, and the waves of excessive clinginess are taking their toll on my emotional and mental health.

If nap time could last four hours safely, and I could be in a locked room alone with my computer, journal, or weights, I would be a happy person. If I could assure several hours a day of total isolation, with no specific demands on my time except taking care of myself, I would be relish it.

As it is, when I do get the house to myself, I close my bedroom door and curl up in my bed. Not even my cat is allowed in. Sometimes I sleep. Sometimes I just lie there thinking. Sometimes I paint my nails. Whatever I do, it is slow and methodical, purposeful in its simplicity and self-centeredness. Whatever I do, it is for me, and me alone.

But even in those moments I feel pressure. I feel pressure to be "mom" or to do some household chores. I feel the pressure of the clock ticking away, my isolation counting down until there is none left and I am forced out of my solitude to face responsibility. My stomach roils with anxiety. I hate thinking about it, yet I can't stop. I want my isolation to continue. And I feel guilty for wanting that, for needing it, because it is taboo. Because moms are supposed to enjoy being with their children all the time.

But I am an introverted stay at home mom, so even though it is isolating to stay at home meeting the demands of a toddler, it is not isolating enough. It is not reclusive enough. Not the way I need. So as much as I would love to talk about adult things with adult people, give me an hour in an empty house, in a locked room, to be completely by myself.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Video + Pics: Climbing the Couch


For some sheer fluffy fun, a video of Kiddo kicking it on the love seat, which he climbs up and down, up and down...regularly.

And a couple pics of what he does climbing the love seat...because why not?
Self-satisfied
reading his magazine

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Toddlers and Valentines

In order to focus on a day of love, I thought I would share some of our preparations.

I grew up with valentine boxes. You decorate a box with a cut a slit big enough for cards in the top, and then everyone in the family puts their valentines in the box. Mailed valentines also go in the box to be opened as a family on Valentine's Day.

Unfortunately, Kiddo was more interested in ripping the box than decorating it, so I ended up decorating the box, which compared to my childhood designs was positively simple (and much too symmetrical).

However, we were able to decorate some valentines together. I did my own, which I will not post here because several recipients do read this blog. I will however, highlight my envelopes.

Because I am an upcycle kind of person, I decided to take some old index cards and ripped out Ducati brochure pages to wrap my valentines. I didn't want people to pull out valentines and have to read the insides in order to hand them out. It just was better to have them in envelopes. Thus...here is Christian's for your inspection...

The front of my upcycled envelope

The back featuring a sexy Ducati motorcycle
Kiddo did pretty well with his own valentine decorating.  Through a mixture of crayons (which he chewed on repeatedly), toddler markers, and colored pencils he made a few scribbles here and there, which I augmented through some choice stamping and drawing. Mostly he just explored the media and played with the stamp blocks.


I tried to do handprints and I tried to do finger prints, but Kiddo is independent. I can't place his hands somewhere. I can't convince him to do one thing or the other. He does what he wants. He has ideas and that is what he implements. I don't know how all those pictures of toddler valentines got on the internet. My only guess is either the kids were asleep or heavily sedated. I can't imagine Kiddo doing anything so guided. Better to let his spirit come through in his cards...so scribbles it is.

Happy Valentine scribbles....from Kiddo.

What success have you had making cards with toddlers or preschoolers? Any tips or tricks? Leave a comment below!

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Super Toddler Verbal Explosion!

Reading the headlines
I knew it was going to happen, I just never expected it to be quite so much so quickly.

Kiddo is talking. I don't mean, one word here or there, but full three word, complete sentences.

Apparently it's inherited. My mother informed me that by the time I was 18 months old, I was communicating clearly with polysyllabic words as well as complete sentences.

Let me remind everyone, if you forgot, complete sentences need at least a subject and a verb (i.e. I go). If you want to get a little fancy, you can add an object (i.e. I go there).

Kiddo's sayings at this point are:
  • Apple
  • Nana (banana)
  • I go
  • I get
  • I get it
  • I get her
  • I do 
  • I do it
  • I like it
  • Again
  • Up
  • No
  • This
  • Hi
  • Hello
  • Kitty cat
  • Java
  • Dog
  • Duckie
  • Pop
  • Mommy
  • Dada
  • Granda
  • Granma
  • I love
These are things he consistently says. Although, I have heard him say "1,2,3" and "E,F,G" among other random words.

Just to make things really cool, he also carries melodies, matching pitch perfectly. These include the tune for "ABCs" as well as Brahms' "Lullaby." When he hears a song for the first time, he can often mimic certain musical phrases and frequently sings along.

Oh, and he tries to read. Like really. He spends hours looking at books, pieces of mail, and the newspaper. If you saw the picture I sent around recently, you saw him holding a paper like an adult. He does that regularly. He understands there is something on the page that indicates words, he just doesn't know quite what that entails.

The process is miraculous and wonderful. It truly is a joy to watch. I am so grateful my biggest problem is watching my words. It's a nice problem to have.