Which of the following situations is disturbing, distracting, or inappropriate in shul? Cracking open a bag of Bamba for a toddler, who proceeds to distribute the contents around the shul Hansel and Gretel style. Shoving chairs right and left while pushing a monster stroller through the aisle. Blocking the shul entrance with an unattended stroller. Chatting loudly. Repeatedly shushing noisy and restless preschoolers. Allowing preschoolers to run back and forth among their friends. Remaining with a crying baby in shul, even during the shofar blowing (the central observance of Rosh Hashanah). Standing quietly in place, noting that the baby is getting restless, and discreetly … [Read more...]
Why I made a career out of motherhood–The Early Years
December 8, 2006 by 3 Comments
You can find the introduction to this series here.I'll spare you the gory details of the mistakes I inflicted on my oldest through my inexperience, particularly the destruction of a particularly excellent breastfeeding relationship thanks to the ignorant advice of my pediatrician and others. Truth is, I blame myself for listening to them; I should have known better. Then there was the babysitter I sent him to unnecessarily because I was told that I needed "time for myself." Let's not forget the battles over food, toilet training, and discipline. The breastfeeding couldn't be repaired, but I did wise up in time regarding the others (although with discipline, it took me much longer to find my … [Read more...]
Why I made a career out of motherhood–Introduction
December 5, 2006 by 9 Comments
In this series, I want to explore issues regarding home and career from a very personal perspective. I know that all mothers work, and perhaps I work harder than many--as one friend said I don't always make things easy for myself. While challenging at times, staying at home is definitely the easier option for me.My mother, whose yahrzeit is this week, stayed home with us. In the early fifties, even married women rarely went out to work. She told me that at their wedding my father, a Holocaust survivor, had $300 in his pocket and owed $300 to his aunt Shirley. Still, she stayed home and scrimped and saved while my father taught in a Talmud Torah and earned a PhD. She took care of my father in … [Read more...]
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