Literary Mama Blog

"Bad" Mothers discussed on Writers Revealed Radio

Last week, writer Felicia Sullivan launched her new radio show, Writers Revealed. This week's edition was all about family, particularly the notion of the “bad mother.” Felicia led a lively discussion with authors Elissa Schappell (Use Me), Liesel Litzenburger (Now You Love Me), Sabina Murray (A Carnivore’s Inquiry) and Victoria Redel (Loveryboy). Topics included the authors' books and the mother characters in each, "good" mothers, Dina Lohan and raising children in this age of influence (internet, tv, movies) and influential marketing.

American Public Media Seeks Your Input

Balancing fertility treatments with the cost
American Public Media is working on a story for public radio looking at the choices couples face when they have trouble having a baby.

Have you or someone you know had infertility treatments? How did cost factor into your decision? Have you considered other options?

Please share your insights with us at www.americanpublicmedia.org/pin/fertilitytreatment

What do you do when you see a parent about to lose it in public?

It happens in grocery stores, on airplanes and at shopping malls. A child is having a temper tantrum. You see a frazzled parent on the verge of losing it.

What do you do? And, what if that parent is you?

The Wakanheza Project in Ramsey County, Minnesota, teaches that strangers can diffuse a tense parent-child situation by stepping in. A kind word, an unrelated question, a helpful gesture – any of these can distract the parent for just long enough to help her regain composure and prevent the situation from escalating.

We're working on a public radio story exploring this practice which seems to go against our natural inclinations, or what we've been taught: to mind our own business.

If you're a parent who's witnessed a parent losing it with kids in public, or been that parent, we'd like to hear from you.

To share your story, please visit: www.americanpublicmedia.org/pin/publicparenting

We'd also appreciate any ideas you have for future stories on family issues. To tell us what you'd like to hear more about, please visit www.americanpublicmedia.org/pin/family

MomsRising

Editor and Columnist Caroline Grant has a post on MomsRising called Ice Cream and Consciousness-Raising. MomsRising is getting a lot of attention these days; see the recent article about it in The New York Times.