Medium writing of the week: Parenting, Self-Love, Food Stamps, Magic

I've got three new pieces in Medium this week! With my kid starting kindergarten, I've been doing a ton of parenting writing.

Toddler throws a box of crackers into a mini shopping cart. Cropped Photo by David Veksler on Unsplash

Stop Telling Your Kids You Hate Your Body

Your children’s self-esteem depends on your own self-love.

Published in Home Sweet Home on Medium
---------------------------

I’m Not Ashamed to Use Food Stamps, But Trump Wants Me to Be

In a nation as wealthy as the United States, yes, we are ‘entitled’ to a basic standard of living.

---------------------------

My Kid Believes in Magic, and Maybe I Do Too

You can’t buy magic from a store, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real.

Published in P. S. I Love You on Medium
---------------------------

Debut essay for The Jewish Forward -- Can My Jewish Culture Survive My Intermarriage?

Can My Jewish Culture Survive My Intermarriage?

Here's my debut essay for The Forward--aka The Jewish Forward--which is published in both English and Yiddish (I wonder if my essay will be translated to Yiddish!)

Update: And here's a longer version of that same essay, republished on Medium!

My daughter’s first Hanukkah. Photo by my husband Charles Reeder.

All My Medium Pieces This Week! Parenting, Gratitude, Gender, and the Meaning of Life

I've been publishing up a storm!

Photo by Tetiana Shadrina on Unsplash

Say Thank You: Your Loved One Might Die Tomorrow

I’m horrible at thank you’s, but it’s never too late to start showing gratitude.

Published in P. S. I Love You on Medium
---------------------------

What’s So Bad About Gender Reveal Parties?

Even the inventor of so-called gender reveals thinks it’s time to move past them.

Published in Home Sweet Home on Medium
---------------------------

The Meaning of Life, According to a 4-Year-Old Philosopher

She’s full of questions, and some pretty wise answers too.

Published in P. S. I Love You on Medium
---------------------------

The First Day of Kindergarten is Harder for Parents Than Kids

Our children are going to be (more than) fine. And so are we.

Published in P. S. I Love You on Medium
---------------------------

I’m Excited My Kid’s Learning to Read, But Afraid of What She’ll Learn

We had cereal boxes, but she has the internet.

Published in Home Sweet Home on Medium
---------------------------

My daughter on her first day of kindergarten (photo by me)

My 67-Hour Homebirth Was a Psychedelic Labor of Love -- All the Details and Why I Share Them

My 67-Hour Homebirth Was a Psychedelic Labor of Love

I thought I knew what to expect, but nothing could’ve prepared me for “natural birth.”

These two pieces go together. The first is an intimate 21-minute telling of the 67 hours I was in labor with my daughter. The second is a much shorter discussion on why I share vulnerable stories.

An Editor Told Me My Birth Story Was Too Personal to Share

Vulnerable TMI stories are often the most important to tell.

Photo by JR Korpa on Unsplash