One of the biggest reasons to read fiction with a child is to develop his capacity for empathy: a good novel will put you into another person’s mindset. That’s a vital life skill. Empathy helps with everything from navigating relationships to negotiating business deals and peace treaties. If we all taught empathy to our children, […]
emotions
What’s The Opposite of Fear?
Many emotional states have polar opposites. Happy, unhappy. Excited, calm. Accepting, resisting. But what’s the opposite of fear? To my mind, these are the top contenders: Courage, Faith, Hope, and Logic. Courage is the most obvious choice. The opposite of something should be capable of combatting it. If you feel courage in the face of fear, […]
A Pacifier For Adults
I’ve been struggling lately with what to do about Edwin’s pacifier habit. I think it’s fine for him to keep using it during nap and nighttime (I am NOT disrupting the sleep routine when we finally have something that works!) but I’m worried that having it in his mouth during the day might delay his […]
Parenting Boot Camp
Edwin’s first birthday on Saturday was a success! We had a nice evening with just his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and Edwin loved all the attention (and the few bites of chocolate cupcake). Ever since Saturday, I’ve been re-living the events of Edwin’s birth and first few days of life in my mind. I think […]
A Change Of Sowul
Tomorrow, August 28th, is the 1-year anniversary of Words from the Sowul! I can’t believe I’ve made it this far! And now I’m using that milestone as an excuse to make a change. As the anniversary approached, I started to think about what this blog has meant to me, and what I’ve learned from it over […]
Another Piece of my Heart
I’ve been reading Jane Green for years. She’s one of the few contemporary authors that I’ve enjoyed throughout my entire twenties and now into my thirties. Her style and characters have changed from urban and gritty to suburban and neurotic, and her settings have gradually migrated from England to New England to the West Coast, […]