Links to Love

1.  I just adore this article, I Don't Own My Child's Body.  We don't force or even ask Cole to dole out hugs or kisses to relatives or friends, per recommendation of the AAP for preventing sexual abuse, and it's nice to have an article that highlights manners vs. forcing a kid to use their body in a way he/she is not comfortable.

2.  One of my favorite songs, rewritten with Disney villain characters - I love it!

3. Since Christmas is rapidly approaching, I really loved this blog post about gifting experiences instead of more STUFF.  This is a common refrain for me, but I always try hard to remember it, especially around the holidays.

4. Here is 26 of the Most Thought Provoking Photos of All Time.  So fascinating, so tear-jerking, and so powerful.

5. What happens when you've got one chance:

 

 

 

6. And my favorite of the bunch: this article here about allowing your child time to play.  There is seriously NOTHING that makes me more frustrated and irritated than when someone "plays" with Cole.  You know why?  Because that ruins kid's imagination and play time.  When an adult "plays" with a child, the adult is the one using ideas and imagination, and the child is the one who is following the adult's lead.  Isn't it so much better to just stand back and OBSERVE the child's own creativity, discovery, and ideas instead of projecting (however unintentionally) your own ideas onto the child?  Cole has had some major problems with entertaining and playing by himself lately, and I'm sure one of the reasons is because of how much adults in his life "play" with him, essentially teaching him to not be able to entertain himself.  Just watch, just observe, don't interrupt such an important skill being learned.