unnecessarywisdom
In the News (or not)
The Hypocrisy of China: A Culture Promoting Infanticide and the Case of Baby 59
This week the world was shocked to see images of a newborn infant trapped in a sewer pipe, allegedly flushed away by his own mother. The little boy survived this heinous act and is recovering in the hospital as the incident is being discussed internationally. How could a mother do this to her child? What … Continue reading
The Circumcision Decision: A Tale of Two Boys
Every expectant parent of a new baby boy is faced with the decision of whether or not to have him circumcised. Years ago we believed that this was a helpful procedure, designed to protect our young men and promote hygiene. When I was expecting my first son, many of my hours of research were devoted … Continue reading
When There Are No Words: Parenting Through Disaster
Yesterday, May 20, 2013, a massive tornado destroyed a small suburb of Oklahoma City causing widespread destruction and an estimated death toll of twenty-four. The images broadcast worldwide showing schools that were demolished and homes that were crushed are shocking to say the least. What makes this even more difficult is that this is just … Continue reading
Tomboys and Cross-Dressing
Growing up, I was called a tomboy. I don’t know where this label came from, but we all know what it means – a girl who climbs trees, plays sports, gets dirty, wears pants, wrestles, and just generally likes “boy stuff.” Raising my now-grown daughter, I never heard the term and thought it had been … Continue reading
Boys and Violence: It’s Not the Problem…It’s the Solution
I consider myself a peaceful, non-violent person. I don’t like violence. I am against war. I don’t spank. When my first son was born, I remember cuddling him and thinking, This is my little child, a human, not a boy. Just a soul who has been given to me. I will love him for who … Continue reading
This Plan B Just Plain Crazy
Plan B is an oral emergency contraceptive that has been all over the news lately. Better known as “the morning after pill,” the medication has stirred up quite a bit of controversy. A federal judge ruled on April 5, 2013 that Plan B was to be made available to all “women,” over-the-counter, regardless of age. … Continue reading
Vine: Harmless Fun or a Parent’s Nightmare?
Vine was introduced a few months ago as the latest and greatest social media application. It’s a video-sharing service owned by and similar to, Twitter. I heard about it from my teenager as a fun new way to share videos with friends and the world. All videos are six-second loops. Sounds harmless, right? I downloaded … Continue reading
This Just In: Vaccines Don’t Cause Autism
Once again, the debate has been stirred over the possible link between vaccines and autism. There are firm believers on both sides of this argument, but I am not one them. I have yet to see any research to answer the many questions that swirl around the efficacy of vaccines or their safety. But this … Continue reading
Cream Fudge or Clear Face? You Decide.
I love science. Research, data, proof, evidence. I rely on these sources to inform my decision-making every day. But sometimes a study will come out that gets me pretty heated. This is one of them: Bittersweet News: Chocolate May Trigger Acne I took the bait and read the article. Then I went to go read … Continue reading
Children of the Unequal
With marriage equality being such a hot debate, I’ve seen two disturbing trends. One is that both sides have tended toward hatefulness and name-calling and two, neither is addressing fully what marriage is about. Marriage is not exclusively designed to promote procreation neither is it soley for the purpose of honoring love. Marriage is a … Continue reading
unnecessarywisdom 
Recent Comments