Bunch Family

Meri Perra blogs about the challenges she and her partner face in trying to raise their girls with feminist values

When I interviewed queer parenting expert Rachel Epstein, the coordinator of the LGBTQ Parenting Network at the Sherbourne Health Centre last summer, she told me what I had always suspected. “We don’t usually hear about problems at daycare,” Epstein said.

It’s good news, and despite us being the only queer family at our day care centre, it’s been our experience as well. Back in the summer, I didn’t know we were about to lose the kindergarten wait-list gamble we choose for our four-year old. I couldn’t imagine, that after we lost, I would feel part guilt (for depriving Rosa of a JK experience) and part relief (thank you God, public school is delayed another year!)  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Toronto Star columnist Catherine Porter’s kid stuck a Lego up his nose. Twice. And so they made a trip to the hospital while Porter asks the experts about all the other things that kids put up their noses and in their ears.

2. Kids of queer parents in Washington State and finally start bugging their moms or dads to get married. Well, almost. The state Senate passed a Bill that has to be approved by the House. Good work, Washington!

3. When siblings attack! No, really, when should you intervene when two of your kids just can’t seem to get along?

4. Earlier this week we heard that engaged kindergartners made for more successful kids/adults, so how to you increase that engagement?

5. And speaking of identifying early success, may we present to you the future table tennis gold medalist of the 2028 Olympics:  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. One mom asks if having fertility treatments makes her selfish. We’re wondering when strangers are going to stop asking moms of twins if they’re natural.

2. Does consuming too much media make tween girls unhappy? We think Rob Gordon once posed this question.

3. A study has found that attentive kindergartners grow up to be attentive workers.

4. Have bedwetters? It might be that your kids just need to poop.

5. This is basically what we want to happy at every Bunch party:

Photo by massdistraction via Flickr

Meri Perra blogs about the challenges she and her partner face in trying to raise their girls with feminist values

Maybe. And maybe I should also teach my kids it’s ok to talk to strangers and chase a ball onto the street. I’ll start sending them out to buy cigarettes. No, these are all bad ideas, just like queers sending their kids to Catholic school.

Let me explain.

In the past, I’ve met queer parents who’ve sent their spawn to Catholic school, and I’ve done what any other level-headed queer parent would do. I assumed they were nuts, never asked why they made their decision, and moved on.  Read more...