parenting Archives - Life Bites

Being a Good Mother: Who’s better than you?

The subject of being a good mother is a tricky one. As if parenting weren't challenging enough, every year now a book comes out to tell us who is doing a better job than American moms. Last year it was Tiger mom, with her best-seller "Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother." It is the story of Amy Chua, the Chinese-American mom who suggested letting her strong-willed child go out in the snow without a coat was superior parenting at its best. Not to be outdone, this year Pamela Druckerman, an American mother living in Paris wrote “Bringing Up Bebe.” According…

Latino parents and education: debunking the myth

I received a call the other day. It was an old classmate from the Dominican Republic whom I talk to from time to time after reuniting via Facebook. She says she has read some of my articles and wants me to write about education in the U.S.: how underfunded the system is, bullying, cases of child abuse and molestation by teachers, school shootings, etc. When I told her I needed inspiration to write, she proceeded to tell me a story different from the topics she previously mentioned. It was the story of an immigrant Latino mother, who cares very much…

Merrily, merrily… life is but a dream

Philosophy finds its way into our lives through unexpected sources, such as children songs. ¨Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily. Life is but a dream¨. The first time I heard this song (not long ago) I was listening intently. I needed to learn the lyrics so I could sing them to my daughter. The profoundness of the last rhyme wasn't lost on me. I quickly wondered why someone would teach a child such a song. A native Spanish speaker that I am, I can't hear a reference to life being a dream without…