Category
Parenting
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07.01.09Innocence and ResponsibilityInnocence and Responsibility © 2009 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net Originally published in International Family Magazine My wife and I both feel that our society has gone overboard in making people afraid. One very destructive message inflicted upon children is that they should fear strangers. In a planet as overpopulated as ours, even extremely rare events provide plenty of copy for the press. As awful as they may be, abductions are rare. When they occur, someone the child knows (a relative or an estranged parent) is usually the culprit. Strangers intending harm are few and far between. As parents, we were much more concerned about the physical and ...
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01.01.08Permalink: Love is a MotherLove is a Mother © 2007 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net Originally published in International Family Magazine After we decided to move to Tokyo but before we all did, I went by myself to find us a home. I started by looking at playgrounds and parks. Arisugawa Park is a lovely place, named for a Japanese prince. It has a flowing stream that starts at the top of a hill and ends at the bottom with a fishing pond. Its wonderful playground had many barefoot children playing in the clean dirt and on an assortment of equipment. I observed two mothers and their young boys. One mother ...
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06.01.07Advice for GrandchildrenAdvice for Grandchildren © 2010 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net Originally published in International Family Magazine After my dad died, I went through his hard drive and found this in a folder named: adviceforgrandchildren Title: Boys and Girls Until about 2 years old I have noticed that children at this age carry on soundless interested communication sometimes pointing and laughing and crying from their strollers regardless of whatever color (blue or pink) they are wearing 3 and 4 years of age Very friendly to all their peers regardless of age sex or economic level. Not very intellectual communication except for world shaking ...
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02.01.07Imagine a FutureImagine a Future © 2007 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net Originally published in International Family Magazine In January of 1996 our two sons were six and eight years old. Being a dad wasn't working out as I'd hoped. I grew up on Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best. Our home was more like The Simpsons or Married With Children. That January I found myself on an airplane sitting next to a woman who is a psychologist and an expert on rearing children. I asked her for advice on how to be a better dad. We talked for hours and she had many sensible suggestions. As we approached ...
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06.01.06Time to Get MarriedTime to Get Married[*] © 2008 Brooke Allen brooke@brookeallen.net www.BrookeAllen.net We had been dating for a year when I began to wonder to myself, “Is this the woman I should marry?” I started asking everyone I came across, “How does one tell if someone is ‘the right one?’” A young female squealed, “When you speak baby talk to each other. Isn’t that right daadeee?” “Goo goo.” He replied. Yuck. “When your hearts join as one,” was the simultaneous reply of an old couple on a bus. I was enthralled… until a fight broke out between them. “I was speaking.” “You always interrupt me.” “Oh, shut-up.” “You’ll just know.” ...
