Category Archives: Parenting

Parenting is hard

Only when you have wrong expectations.

It is so easy to know what is right action but sometimes so hard to do it.

Ayden is having rough morning. Well he was having good morning until we took him to his soccer match. He got shy and didn’t want to play. I spend 45 minutes encouraging him. Getting frustrated. Getting embarrassed. Getting angry.

I wanted to leave.

I don’t know what is right behavior. What should have I done. Is it too much to expect your child to do what they wanted to do. If you don’t push your child will they never get out of their comfort zone and never grow. If you push too much will that cause them unnecessary anxiety when they will naturally grow up at their own pace.

Is it okay to punish your child who experienced anxiety through no fault of their own.

I have read so many books on parenting, they all have answers to these questions. Yet, I cannot remember anything.

Hunt, Gather, Parent

Just reading this book. It is really good and thought provoking.

It basically shows how children of indigenous people are so much more mature than children in the west and from my experience, also the east.

The reasons might boil down to respecting children, parenting by compassion instead of rules and discipline.

One thing I would have liked to see was some long term studies. Are these children growing up to be happy adults? Healthy? Financially secure?

But still a good book.

Affiliate link:

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Parenting Hack: What would your child do as a parent

It’s often challenging for a young child to articulate what they truly desire. Their whims may range from implausible wishes like going on vacation right after school to mere indifference with a shrug and an “I don’t know.”

Instead of directly questioning what they want to do, engage them in a different way. Ask them to envision what they would do after school, on weekends, or for vacations when they are older and have their own children. Alternatively, engage in pretend play with them.

This approach may yield answers that are more insightful and realistic than directly asking what they wish to do.

Reevaluating Daycare

I have sent my kids to daycare. At first, I didn’t think much about it. Everyone does it, and I always thought that daycares are good for kids because they will make kids tough and social.

But that was before I knew better. After my first kid, I started to read more about child psychology and development. Psychology is not a very clear cut science; there are various contradictory studies. But one thing quickly became clear: humans are the only mammals that put their kids in the care of strangers, away from biological mothers.

The more I dug into it, the more I learned about modern childcare practices that I think are completely against nature, such as parents and kids sleeping separately or even in different rooms. No other mammal does that. Unlike humans, when an animal offspring is ready, the it leaves its parents on its own, not pushed away.

Now obviously, millions of people have gone through daycares. But personally, it makes me wonder if the rise in mental health issues is related or just coincidental with better awareness.

Sometimes you have no choice but to use a daycare. Governments around the world are improving and subsidizing childcare. But I think governments should work on improving their economies so that most children can be with their parents, most of the time. One parent works, and one stays home, or they both work part-time with staggered schedules. Probably it is not good for GDP or the stock market, but it would definitely be better for children.

Daniel Sanabria, psychologist: ‘The best predictor of professional success isn’t cognitive performance, it’s whether your parents have money’ | Science & Tech | EL PAÍS English

The University of Granada researcher talks about the limitations of studies showing beneficial effects of sports and other physical activities on brain function
— Read on english.elpais.com/science-tech/2023-04-13/daniel-sanabria-psychologist-the-best-predictor-of-professional-success-isnt-cognitive-performance-its-whether-your-parents-have-money.html

Oven Baked Beef Ribs

Found this receipe online, modified it a little and it is our favorite food right now.

Ingriedient

  1. 3 lbs meaty beef ribs, (grass-fed)
  2. 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
  3. 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  4. 1 tablespoon onion powder
  5. 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
  6. 2 tablespoons sugar
  7. 1 teaspoon chili powder
  8. 1 teaspoon salt
  9. 1 teaspoon paprika
  10. 2 teaspoons oregano

Instructions

  1. Rinse ribs and dry COMPLETELY with paper towels.
  2. Lightly coat ribs in olive oil.
  3. Mix together seasoning and sprinkle generously over ribs, front and back.
  4. Place the ribs in a large ziplock bag or covered bowl and marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 250 F.
  6. Place the ribs on a foil lined baking tray in a single layer.
  7. Add another piece of foil on top to create a pouch for the ribs to cook in. Be sure to seal the edges of the foil so that it’s tight and steam won’t seep out.
  8. Bake on the middle rack of 3 1/2 -4 hours.
  9. When the ribs are done to your liking, drain off the excess fat.
  10. Serve hot and enjoy!!

via https://divascancook.com/easy-oven-baked-beef-ribs-recipe-bbq/