joyeux International Women's Day

via http://made-in-italy.tumblr.com/

I finished reading "Bad Mother" by Ayelet Waldman just in time for International Women's Day. Seems appropriate. One of the most damaging things we do to women is to constantly judge and criticize them for the way they raise their children. (I've done it enough - to myself and to other women - I feel like a bad person sometimes.) From breastfeeding v. bottlefeeding, spanking v. positive discipline, daycare v. homeschooling, there are a million different ways to be a mother, and to get in an online flame war about which method is more evil.

And then there's all that unsolicited advice. But if it were as easy as just saying "non" firmly and only offering 4 square meals a day, being a bonne maman would be a cake walk, no matter where you live. (This rebuttal of the French superior parenting book cracked me up: "Bringing Up Bébé? No Thanks. I'd Rather Raise a Billionaire")

As my wonderful friend and mother Hannah asked as she handed me Waldman's memoir, why is it that being a good mother requires super human skills, while being considered a good father bascially requires presence?

Gender equality in parenting. That's something to celebrate on International Women's Day.