Writer's BlockWritten by Abigail Dotson
Eighteen months into my daughter’s life, I sat down to write. About something. Anything. Two years ago, I had considered myself a writer. I knew that having a baby would mean less time to write; I anticipated tired bones dragging an aching body to computer at three in morning after a midnight feeding, or disregarding pile of dirty dishes in sink for twenty minutes with keyboard during an afternoon nap. I had a romantic notion of an affair with my typewriter, finding each other in darkened hallways and spending a passionate five minutes touching, our time together always abruptly ended before we were ready. I knew I would be bursting with words desperately trying to come out, searching for outlets in each of my ten fingers; I imagined sleepless nights prolonged by an unrelenting urge to write wild fairytales that I would sprinkle with glitter and bind in a book for her sweet eyes to peruse as she grew. I thought that although time would be sparse and of course I would never get to write everything I wanted, I would grasp those precious moments of peace with unheard of gusto, filling pages with drawings and poems and stories and other such craftiness. Never before had I had reason for such inspiration; coming months would provide me with a wealth of creative fire, which I would put out little by little in stolen minutes while she was napping or frolicking with her father. Imagination had been my buoy through life so far, keeping me afloat during even most vicious of storms. I had felt love and death and brokenness travel through my blood and limbs to exit on a page of often sappy poetry and stories. And so, of course, in this most momentous time I was sure to be filled with such ideas as I had never experienced likes of. So I knew there would be little time, maybe even no time. I was prepared to feel frustrated and loaded with a traffic jam of creative genius. What nobody told me, what I didn’t anticipate, was complete lack of creative genius I actually felt. In all classes and books and conversations with authentic mothers, no one ever told me that writers block was a possible side affect of giving birth. Those first few weeks when I sat down to excitedly to write story of my daughters birth (an absolutely perfect night), I was shocked to find myself afflicted with writers block. For first time in my life, I had nothing to say. But how could this be? Perhaps more than any other time in my life, there was so MUCH to say. And yet time and time again I hurried to computer anxious to let prose flow only to sit paralyzed. I eeked out miserable paragraphs, struggling with each sentence and never feeling fulfilled.
| | Develop Your Child's Critical Thinking SkillsWritten by Marie Magdala Roker
1. Encourage Questions. Don't answer every question, instead ask what do they think. Asking questions stimulates conversation between you and your child. 2. Don't Criticize. Criticism invites low self-esteem. Children feel that they have failed or disappointed their parents when they are criticized. Find alternate ways of correcting problem. A child will likely shut down communication if they feel that their parents are not supportive. 3. Respect Your Child's Opinions. Your child is not an extension of you. Although it is difficult to accept at times, it is normal and healthy for your child to have their own opinion. Children who are confident in expressing their opinions are less likely to join gangs or succumb to peer pressure. 4. Teach Your Child To Embrace Diversity. Encourage your child to learn about different cultures and ethnicities. A well informed child can will understand and respect other people's values. 5. Teach Your Child To Set Personal Boundaries. Children need to have their personal space respected in order for them to respect other people's personal space. Help your child to establish their boundaries and insist that he/she enforce them with their peers. 6. Establish A Nurturing Environment.
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