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parenting

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Adult Supervision (not) Required

March 8, 2019 By Sonia Ruyts

Chances are you have a memory of something you did as a child that made you feel free, independent, brave, capable. Something that society has now decided is unsafe. Where once children were allowed to play outside unsupervised, such an action is now perceived as negligent and possibly criminal.

Mom and kids on couch reading

What Would You Include On Your "Mom Resume"?

March 9, 2018 By Jodi

Does anyone else ever feel that going to work is like taking a vacation compared to being home with three-foot-tall tyrants all day? That parenting is the most difficult thing you've ever done, far more challenging than any job? Further, that being a parent has forced you to develop skills, strategies, and coping mechanisms you...

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Jodi with babies in lap

What Do You Most Wish for Your Children?

December 11, 2017 By Jodi

I was flipping through a local magazine for moms last week when I came across an interview with the cover mom, a local business owner. One of the questions, thrown unceremoniously into the middle of the interview, was, "Your biggest wish for your kids is..." Can you guess the answer?

Fredhalls plaskdamm

Spending All Day At the Playground

July 21, 2017 By Jodi

We needed a mini-adventure today, so we packed everyone into the car and drove into Stockholm. Our destination was a new (to us) playground in a part of town we've never visited. We stopped at the grocery store on the way down and picked up enough snacks to last us the day, and then we...

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Best parenting books

Great Parenting Books That Don't Make Me Feel Like a Shitty Mother

April 6, 2017 By Jodi

I have to admit: I'm a fairly confident parent. Not confident that I do everything perfectly, or that every decision I make is Right, or that I couldn't possibly be raising my children any better, but confident that I'm mostly doing the best that I can do and that my children are emotionally and physically healthy. I generally trust my...

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With August as a newborn

Maternity Leave in Sweden vs the US

November 25, 2016 By Jodi

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.

Leif painting with yellow

Spending 1-on-1 Time With Kids

November 4, 2016 By Jodi

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...

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Rocky outcrop in Swedish archipelago

I Abandoned My Family, and It Was Marvelous

October 31, 2016 By Jodi

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...

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scrawny carrots picked by a toddler

On Growing Carrots and Children

August 18, 2016 By Jodi

This is the first year that I've had my own garden. We have enough space on our deck to put in a couple large planter boxes, so I lugged a couple home and filled them with dirt. I wanted to show the kids (and learn for myself) how rewarding it is to grow your own food. I also...

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About Jodi

I just repatriated from Sweden to the US with my British husband and three young kids. I started this site while living in Sweden to build the conversations and community we've had with loved ones around the world, and to create a space to share thoughts about life, beauty, motherhood, and everything else. read more →

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Recent Posts

Why September is Great for Projects

September 5, 2016 By Jodi Leave a Comment

autumn-leaves-falling

While I'm preparing tomorrow's post about making resolutions for my happiness project, I wanted to share this wonderful, timely piece with you. It comes from The Pool, a smart web publication from Britain that my friend Sophia turned me on to. (It's definitely worth subscribing to their email list!).

Having Kids in Sweden: The Basics

July 14, 2016 By Jodi 3 Comments

baby-on-fathers-shoulders-stockholm

This is the first in a series of posts outlining the general structure of life in Sweden for a family.  You've probably heard or read about the amazing parental leave policy in Sweden and wondered if it's true. It is. Maybe you also heard about the affordable universal daycare and wondered whether that's true, too. It is. And while these...

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Have You Ever Written to an Author?

June 13, 2016 By Jodi 8 Comments

David-James-Duncan-writing

A few years ago I was sitting in a cafe in Santa Barbara and felt an overwhelming urge to write to David James Duncan. I had just read a piece by him in The Best American Essays 2009 about birds and extinction and disintegrating marriage, which left me weeping at my table.

Thoughts on Family, Geography, and Home

November 17, 2016 By Jodi 2 Comments

August and Lee carving a pumpkin

While we were in Michigan after my father's death, we had the great fortune to spend time with extended family. One of my favorite moments was the Saturday before Halloween, when James and I took the kids to a pumpkin patch and brought home a haul of pumpkins to carve with my Uncles Lee and Chris. Carving pumpkins...

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About Dear Sabrina

Welcome! Dear Sabrina is a lifestyle blog for the thinking woman (and man, if men read lifestyle blogs). I hope that visiting this site gives you something to think about, makes you laugh, or shows you something new. If you want to further connect, find me on one of networks below or send an email.
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