(Photo by sebastiaan stam on Unsplash)
Did you know the average woman drinks 3 cups of coffee a day? 5 if her children are home on summer break.
Did you know there is nothing sweeter on God’s green earth than waking up, checking your phone in a groggy panic, and realizing that morning is still 4 hours away?
Back in the day, the song went like this:
The wheels of the bus go round and round
round and round, round and round
The wheels of the bus go round and round
All through the town.Continue reading“Round and round.”
(Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash)
In new situations, I often flounder. As articulate as I like to think I am, my default mode is awkward mumbling when put in an unfamiliar or stressful scenario. I need a few minutes of back and forth before I relax enough to speak without sounding like a chump. I imagine it is the same for many adults (if not, I’m jealous, because how?)Continue reading“The chatterbox and the chump.”
He has always been a cuddle bug. As a baby, he loved to burrow into the crook of my neck, let out a milky sigh, and nod off to dreamland. He will snuggle in bed, on the couch, and latch on like a sloth if you’re on the move.Continue reading“Hold me tight: #thisisAutism”
Nirav almost always joins us on family hikes. Up and down the windy California coastline or deep inside massive redwood forests. He enjoys the exercise, the outdoors, and our company. Putting one foot in front of the other while the wind sings in his hair, echoing the cadence of his sister’s voice. There is no pressure to participate, so he ambles long, at peace with everything. Even if he doesn’t say a word, we know he’s watching, listening, and living every part. Continue reading“30 laps- #thisisAutism”
April is a special month in the Raman household. We prank each other silly on April fools’ day, and the rest of the month, we do our bit in talking about Autism acceptance.
As Nirav grows older, the uncertainty of his future as an adolescent and later an adult looms over us. I worry about societal support for autistic adults, job opportunities, and housing. And I wonder if he will still be accepted when he’s no longer this goofy kid with faint traces of baby fat. The statistics don’t paint a promising picture, so we must move past awareness and talk about acceptance.Continue reading“This is autism.”
(Photo by Call Me Fred on Unsplash) Now that all the serious discussion is out of the way, I’ll share some ridiculous things the kids have told me during our conversations or in inconvenient situations. Since my son is the brooding, silent type, most of these faux pas feature …
The second part of this installment deals with topics traditionally considered “not for kids.”
So you’ve put in the hard work and raised your children to know human bodies — anatomy, bodily functions, and menstruation. They have asked you questions, and you’ve done your best to answer them. So what’s next?Continue reading“Sex, death and big little things – part 2.”
(Photo by Evie S. on Unsplash)
(Edited and updated from an old article I’d written for a parenting website).
When I was growing up in the 80s and 90s, there were so many taboo topics. Even my reasonably progressive family had its share of we-don’t-talk-about-that. As a child, I found all the hush-hush both fascinating and exasperating. Continue reading“Sex, death and big little things – Part 1.”
(Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash)
Kids his age bike down our streets. Flipping back their faux hawks, all lean shoulders and easy smiles. They chatter about Fortnite and Roblox and things I am too uncool to know. They yell and joke, their laughter carrying faint traces of the men they will soon become. Their parents worry about grades and missed projects. After school piano classes and weekend soccer practice. Pre teen boys, caught between disappearing childhoods and middle school crushes. How complicated they seem to me!
