| No Images? Click here  This has been a hard week to think about raising good children. On Wednesday, the U.S. had yet another school shooting, which means America is averaging one every 63 hours. It’s tragic and horrific, and most of all shouldn’t be happening.As a parent — and a citizen — I find myself struggling to come to grips with these events every time. That’s when I turn to a poem called “Good Bones” written by a mother of two named Maggie Smith. “Good Bones” first went viral after the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando. Last year, HuffPost’s Caroline Bologna caught up with Smith following the Manchester attack. Parents often share and quote the poem, with its clear message of hope in the face of cruel reality. It rings especially true when children are victims, like the shooting at Parkland, Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The first line alone will get you: “Life is short, though I keep this from my children.”Hope is the thing. Bringing a child into this world, especially now, is the ultimate act of optimism. I have to have hope — much like the students who are planning a massive march for gun control in March — that we can take action and change things for the better. The last line of “Good Bones” sums up so much of parenting, not just in the days after something as horrific as a school shooting, but what you want your children to accomplish: “This place could be beautiful, right? You could make this place beautiful.” All most of us want is for our children to be kind, smart, successful, but I also want my children to make a difference. It doesn’t have to be in something as big (though necessary) as gun control; I’d be happy with them being compassionate citizens who stand up to bullies and help others when they’re down. That’s what matters. Right now, that’s all we’ve got. Birth photography blog and community, Birth Becomes Her, conducts an annual photography contest of the “best” maternity, birth and postpartum photos. Here’s this year’s winner and check out the other top pics here.Goodness is everywhere
For when your kid is keeping you awake So your kid has been diagnosed with a nut allergy. Now what? Caroline Bologna interviewed experts and parents of children with these allergies to help others new to this world navigate what to do first. More stories from the trenches:  A guide to helping you raise the kind of person you'd like to know.Love what you see? Send it to a friend. Did someone forward this email? If so, subscribe here. Can't get enough? Check out (In)formation and The Good Life. |
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