Mom Enough or Too Much?

Did you see the new Time cover?  A little shocking, huh?  I think the idea of "attachment parenting" is interesting, and I'll likely incorporate some elements of it when we have a baby, but I'm concerned by some of the attention it has received lately.  It isn't that the media is running it through the muck, or that some people are shocked - that happens with any issue.  Boring stories don't sell newspapers.  Frankly, I'm concerned with the increasing animosity and one-up-man-ship among new moms.  Look, I don't know a single mom that has it all figured out or that is perfect.  We all need to get over it - there is no perfect mom.  But each of us are imperfectly wonderful for our children if we just try our very best.  And no, it isn't required that you breastfeed to age six or sleep with your kids until they are in middle school in order to be a good mom.  It is more simple, yet more divine, than that.  It just means that you put them first and look out for their best interest.  Do that, and I think, in my humble opinion, that you'll be just fine.

Follow up: Attachment Parenting

Last week I posted about The Continuum Concept, which advocates a form of attachment parenting, but just today (while wasting a little time watching The View!), I saw an interview with Mayim Bialik on the same subject. You might remember Bialik from her iconic TV role as Blossom, or from her current gig on The Big Bang Theory. But, before you dismiss her book as another piece of celebrity fluff, note that Bialik has a Ph.D in neuroscience. Has anyone read the book yet?

Cheers!

Morgo

The Continuum Concept

According to sociologist Jean Liedloff in her book The Continuum Concept, in order for a baby to completely develop properly mentally, physically, emotionally and socially, they need constant physical contact with their mother. Have you seen folks walking around with baby slings on? Some of them are not just wearing those in place of using a stroller, but are practicing this concept, in which mothers literally strap a baby to them constantly until the infant begins to crawl (including sleeping with the parents at night!) Liedloff came to this conclusion by watching primitive tribes in South America and the ancient ways they reared children, and by noting the lack of emotional problems they had in comparison to people in modern society. It is an interesting theory – what do you all think? It sounds hard and weird to Western eyes, but could this be a lost primordial practice that needs to be reintroduced into society, or is it just too impractical for today’s world?

Roasted Garlic Black Bean Hummus

Hummus is a weekly thing around here. Easy, healthy and delicious, it is without a doubt, our go-to snack. We eat it so much that the standby chickpea version just doesn’t always cut it, and we’ll mix it up with various legumes: lentils, adzuki beans, green pea, and my favorite, black beans. Sure, hummus really means “chickpeas with tahini” in Arabic, thus a few etymologists out there might dislike me applying it to other beans. I’ll let them call this “roasted garlic black beans in the style of hummus,” but for minimalism’s sake, the rest of us can stick with my original title. If you read the Pregnancy Super Foods post, this recipe contains a few of those magical foods!

Roasted Garlic Black Bean Hummus

(vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free)

2 cups cooked black beans or 1-15 oz can, drained and rinsed

About 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

2 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, skin on

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp tahini or almond butter

2 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

Small pinch of cayenne pepper

About 1 tbsp water

First, roast the garlic cloves with the skin on in a dry pan over medium-low heat. Turn occasionally until the cloves are soft (don’t worry if the skins burn a little). Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, give the cilantro and green onions a quick spin in a food processor and then add the remaining ingredients, except the water. Once the garlic cloves are cool enough to handle, discard the skin and add. Process about a minute or until smooth, adding water as needed to thin out hummus.

Spoon hummus into serving bowl (if you have time, cover and let the flavors meld in the refrigerator for a couple of hours for the best taste) and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with cut vegetables, tortilla chips, pita wedges or crackers.

Cheers!

Morgo

Do you worry too?

For those of you who aren’t pregnant yet, do you worry about conceiving? We’ve just started trying, but I can’t help but think about it…all the time. My husband and I are in our thirties, so time is not necessarily on our side, and neither of us has ever tried before, so I have no idea what to expect. I’m worried that if it doesn’t happen in the first couple of months, I’ll tie myself into so many knots worrying about it that I’ll just drive myself crazy. I know this type of thinking does me no good, but still, I can’t seem to help myself. I know, I know…I need to do other things to get my mind off of it. I’m trying.

If you are in the same boat as me, or if you need a little positive escapism for another reason, here are a few projects from around the web I may try out this week:

Green your home with these DIY ideas.

Ingenious way to reuse toilet rolls and get organized.

Create an online masterpiece.

Make an outfit mash-up for pinterest or just for fun.

This looks like a great way to recycle old magazines.

Have a great week!

Morgo

Image: Craftyjoe / FreeDigitalPhotos.net