The Alternative Parenting Community

Are you fed-up with garbage, full-of-shit sites where nobody actually communicates, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter? Do you wish your old friends who've migrated to those sites would return to LiveJournal? The the_lj_revival community has been set up with that aim in mind, and you are invited to join it. If you are already on LiveJournal and still have a Facebook profile, and would like to see more people returning to LJ or setting up accounts here, we invite you to post a link to this community on your Facebook Timeline. If you would like to find out who is still using LiveJournal and make contact with those who are already here, you are invited to copy and paste the 'about me' questions on the profile page and post them with your answers to the community.

Hi everyone,

1. How old are you? 31
2. How old is/are your child/children? (for the pregnant, use the number of months/weeks left to go) I'm 11 weeks pregnant (this is my first)
3. Boy/Girl? N/A
4. Did you always want children, and were your children planned? Nope, and nope!
5. Do you ever wish your experiences of parenthood were different? Why? A good question, for a future-me.
6. What do you think your children will be like as adults/older children? I'm happy to think that I have no idea (that their personalities will be theirs to shape), beyond inquisitive, challenging humans.
7. Name three things you wish for your children. I wish for my children to never take for granted they were born in a part of the world that has access to clean water and other resources, and I hope that they never stop fighting against hegemonic powers that keep other parts of the world lacking in such things.
8. Which attributes have your children taken from each parent/family member? Another good question, for a future-them.
9. Did your experience differ from what you expected? How so? Despite my debilitating morning sickness during the 1st trimester, the experience of pregnancy has been incredibly emotional, in ways I never expected.
10. Do you want more children? Nope!


A quick note: I recently resuscitated my LiveJournal presence after I found out I was pregnant. Maybe a weird choice, but after futile searches online for websites and forums that aren't hellbent on body-shaming, misogynist-consumerism, I thought I'd dip my toes back into this world. I found your forum, which seems like a wonderful, safe and open space.

I'm currently 11 weeks pregnant, and this is my first. I've been really struggling to find literature (online and otherwise) that favors not only natural birthing, but isn't so crazy heteronormative on all fronts. So I thought I'd begin by asking, if there are any reading recommendations that anyone has of any shape or form, I would be hugely grateful!

Thanks so much, and I'm happy to be here!

xo
Brooke

1. How old are you? 25.
2. How old is/are your child/children? (for the pregnant, use the number of months/weeks left to go) My oldest daughter is 4 1/2 and my youngest daughter is 2 1/2.
3. Boy/Girl? Both girls!
4. Did you always want children, and were your children planned? I've always wanted children, although my daughter's were not "planned".
5. Do you ever wish your experiences of parenthood were different? Why? The only thing that I wish were different is I wish my daughter's both had the same father. Or at least, they both put in the same effort to be a part of their lives. My oldest daughter's father and I are very close and treats my youngest no differently (he tells people he has two daughters, not one). And I wish my youngest's dad would be more actively involved.
6. What do you think your children will be like as adults/older children? Hahaha, this is a complicated question, especially where they are both vastly different. I foresee my oldest as an adult being very caring and empathetic, yet very strong. My youngest... head-strong and very stubborn.
7. Name three things you wish for your children. Strength emotionally and mentally, confidence and resiliency.
8. Which attributes have your children taken from each parent/family member? My oldest inhereited her sense of humor from me and her imagintation from her father. My youngest inherited her ability to comfort from me and her short-temper from her father.
9. Did your experience differ from what you expected? How so? Yes, and no. I hoped that having multiple children that they would be a bit more alike than they actually are. :P
10. Do you want more children? Absolutely! But not until I am married this time! Ha!

1. How old are you? 35
2. How old is/are your child/children? (for the pregnant, use the number of months/weeks left to go) 2 months
3. Boy/Girl? girl
4. Did you always want children, and were your children planned? I have wanted children more than anything for the last 15 years but never could conceive... then I did, not planned though, but a miracle
5. Do you ever wish your experiences of parenthood were different? Why? I wish my husband had not turned out to be a worthless loser who I'm divorcing so he doesn't destroy my daughter
6. What do you think your children will be like as adults/older children? feisty. just look at my profile pic.
7. Name three things you wish for your children. peace, self-love, resilience
8. Which attributes have your children taken from each parent/family member? a little hard to tell as she's only 2 months old
9. Did your experience differ from what you expected? How so? ugh... a thorough answer to that might take up all the data space reserved for the entire LJ universe
10. Do you want more children? I don't know yet, we'll see ;)

Hello! Oddly enough, I found this community while searching for body modification comms. I thought that this would be a nice place for me to plop myself down at, and so I am here. It's very nice to make y'all's acquaintance!

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I knew not going through the Terrible Twos would come back to haunt us.

Boy is just finishing first grade; we held him back a year to give him time to learn to focus a little better, and I think it was a good decision. Now, though, he has started the lying I expect from a kid, along with not listening to teachers or parent-figures. Removing privileges doesn't seem to do much, and I've only spanked him once, although that may be on the table today after a discussion on how throwing things at the teacher isn't really an acceptable way to deal with being mad because she made you give yourself a mark for not listening. 

Lines? Time out? Eight minutes time out hardly seems enough; eight days grounding punishes his mom more than it punishes him. His stock answer in discussions about why he doesn't listen is "I don't know."

Argh I say again.

I have been married to my husband for 3 years. After 3 years of battling with his ex-girlfriend and being sent to Iraq he finally has a court order to be able to see his son. I have never had any kids. I have babysat but now I am trying to figure out how to prepare my house for my stepson. My stepson is 5 years old. This is the first time we will get to bond and know each other. My husband hasn't been able to see his son since we were married due to the ex. So I am excited and ready to get to know my stepson and provide a good place for him when my husband and I get him. Do I get a toddler bed for him or do I get him a regular twin bed and put up guard rails on it? Do I get him stuff to draw us pictures? Any advice would great! I am very very new to being a stepmom of a 5 year old.

x-posted to alternparents 

Thank you everybody for your participation in our FEAR OF CHILDBIRTH SURVEY!   We are still looking for pregnant women in North America to complete a short, online survey about their preferences, concerns, fears, and expectations about childbirth.

This research is being conducted through the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Here is a link to the 15-minute survey: http://www.motherinfantwellness.ca…ry/Fear_Of_Childbirth.pdf

For more information on the Mother-Infant Wellness Lab visit http://www.motherinfantwellness.ca/

Please message me if you have any questions or concerns. And thank you again for your participation!

** We apologize for cross-posting! We are trying to reach pregnant women in as many different communities as possible!

Our new baby showed up last week, and this week, was christened into the pack.

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We are a three-parent family, with two moms (who aren't involved with each other, but are with other people) and one dad (involved with both of us), and this is our first baby.

Our baby is due in a week or two.
I caught up on the blog here: http://familyvalues.dreamwidth.org…
I'm nervous and not, totally excited but somewhat mellow about it, busy and tired already, and just overwhelmingly happy. My life is really beyond my wildest dreams.