(Nota bene: the pictures in this post have almost nothing to do with the content. This is mostly because my husband refuses to take pictures of me, also because I find selfies to be too self-aggrandizing to bother taking any, and because it's winter in Sweden and the light is shit.) I'm just over 32 weeks into this...
Motherhood
The Underachieving Mom's 2016 Holiday Gift Guide for Tiny Human Boys
This is my first-ever attempt at a gift guide, and I'll be honest: it's pretty basic. There are a couple reasons for this: 1) you know your kid better than I do, so you probably know what s/he likes better than I do, so who am I to give advice?; and 2) listing a bunch of stuff...
The Fox and the Bear: Telling Stories
You know how some people, when they hear "tell me a story", can rattle one off instantly? With no preparation, no outline, nothing? I am definitely not one of those people. When August asked me recently to tell him a story, I had no idea where to begin (or end). I stammered and said, "I don't...
Happy 4th Birthday, August!
Today my sweet, hilarious, moody, ridiculous, beloved boy August turns 4. When I dropped him off at dagis this morning, most of the other kids and the teachers came to him saying grattis and congratulations. He was enveloped in hugs, and then he lavished dozens and dozens of kisses upon me. What a way to start...
Maternity Leave in Sweden vs the US
In my first post about having kids in Sweden, I laid out the basic benefits of having babies in Sweden: generous parental leave; chances for social connection while home with a baby; affordable, high-quality daycare, and more. Now, I want to lay out a theory I'm developing about the benefits of the generous parental leave policy.
Spending 1-on-1 Time With Kids
I'm finally back. I was a bit ambitious to think that I'd be able to get right back to posting on Wednesday, the day after we returned from the US. I was essentially immobilized by exhaustion and jet lag our first day home (I cannot sleep sitting up on airplanes), and just as I was beginning to feel...
I Abandoned My Family, and It Was Marvelous
Today is the final contributor post on Dear Sabrina for this period. We travel back to Sweden tonight, and I plan to get back to my regular posting on Wednesday. Thanks for sticking around during my absence, and checking out the words and stories from my friends. Lisa Ferland is another American mother living in Sweden. I...
On Rape, Consent, and Raising Boys
Rape, consent, and sexual assault are hot topics right now, with the recent release of Donald Trump's disgusting comments about women and Brock Turner's release from jail after serving a three-month sentence for sexual assault. It's estimated that one in five women in the US has been the victim or rape or attempted rape, and that nearly to one in two women has experienced sexual...
Did You Find Out Your Baby's Gender?
We had the (approximately) twenty-week ultrasound yesterday, the one where they check the baby's anatomy and size and make sure everything's developing normally. Of course, this is also the ultrasound when you can find out the gender. And we're having...
Preschool in Sweden: the Basics
Let me start by saying that I never know whether to use the word daycare or preschool when referring to the place where kids spend their early years here in Sweden. I suppose that's because it's sort of a mix of what we know those two places to be in the US. While I will continue to use the word preschool here, do...