Strollerderby : parents of multiples

Blogger Defends Kate Gosselin -- and So Do I

Amy Kuras — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:30:00 GMT

I’ll admit to only having watched maybe ten minutes total of “Jon and Kate Plus 8” ever. I have issues with people who abuse fertility treatment (you don’t end up with sextuplets if you and/or your doctor are doing what you’re supposed to) and then parade their kids around and accept a bunch of free goodies. And these two were apparently chasing the gravy train from the minute the doctor said “There’s six in there.” In other words, I have no respect for them and think they are exploiting their kids for their own personal gain.

That said, the vitriol directed toward Kate Gosselin with this latest controversy is quite surprising to me. The general line seems to be “Of course he cheated on her because all she ever does is bitch at him –she’s soooo meeeaaannn.”

I’m sorry, people – have you seen Jon Gosselin and the way he talks to her? He seems like a wussy little passive-aggressive jerk, and I’ll tell you what, if I was married to that guy, I’d be a bitch on wheels too. I mean, he’s all but admitted to cheating on her with some 23-year-old, and one of things he’s said to have done is wander uninvited into a college girl party and hit on 19-year-olds. He’s, what, 40ish? What normal adult male, married or single, thinks that’s remotely appropriate and uncreepy?

Blogger Lisa Daily over on HuffPo said nearly as much on her own take on the show, She also made a good point – Jon hasn’t worked since before the sextuplets were born. He says it’s because his employer didn’t want to pay the insurance premiums for six babies; his former employer says it’s because he spent more time trolling for freebies than actually working. They’ve been pretty much supporting themselves solely on income from the show and the attendant book deals.

Daily writes, “A friend of mine has five children, and she runs a pretty tight ship. I think Kate is probably the way she is because if she doesn't take charge, no one else will.

If my husband seemed incapable, or unwilling to provide for our family, I'd do whatever I needed to do to make that happen. Even if it made me look like a bitch on national TV.”

I hardly think Kate’s a hero – they are both essentially famewhores who are selling out their kids and I hate to think what life in that family is going to be like once the cameras are off and the gravy train has stopped a’comin’. But there’s a nasty little antifeminist undercurrent in the “blame the woman” tone of much of the discussion I have read, and think we need to examine why Kate’s being painted as the monster in all this.

Vote on Jon and Kate's Divorce Goes Too Far

Leashes to Crib Tents: 5 Ways to Keep Toddlers Out of Trouble

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:16:00 GMT

The first time I toured the neighborhood with my 13 month old twins on leashes, I looked around shamefully, worried I'd be judged a horrible mother. Truthfully, it was our first mommy-daughters walk that didn't evoke pure mama panic. The harnesses kept them safe from their curiosity about traffic, and the taste of rocks, and the neighborhood pit bull. It was a revelation!

Despite the excuse multiples provide parents, we've used similar methods of restraint to keep our singleton toddler safe and our sanity in tact. Here are 5 favorites:

1. Crib Tent - This product is nothing short of miraculous! It keeps your kid in their crib (all nice and contained) long past when they learn to crawl out and into your bed.

2. Baby Gates - Of course baby gates are well used by most savvy parents for stairwells or fireplaces, but if you use the right kind, you can gate off whole portions of your home or apartment, ensuring you won't have to endlessly chase your new walker hither and yon. If you have bunkbeds, you can also attach a gate to keep the younger child from wandering the house at night.

3. Playpen - Today's free-range children are all fine and good, but playpens, when properly employed, can free you up to do the things you need to do (like go to the bathroom or cook dinner or take a phone call). If you put in sufficient playtoys and activities, you and your child can experience a new world of freedom.

4. High Chair - Most folks have figured this out already, but we used to put our youngest in the high chair in the yard so she could watch her older twin sisters play in the pool without drowning. Plus, we could run in and out of the house juggling cooking, phone, and computer, without fearing for her life.

5. Playmate - Of course the best method for keeping your toddler safe and entertained is to have a babysitter or grandmother or neighbor kid over to play. Or, you could figure out a way to set up a modern family threesome....

[Photo Credit: Surviving Twins]

Hacks for Parents of Multiples

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 20:14:00 GMT

As a mother of twins, I tend to frequent blogs by other parents of multiples. One of the one I read is a fairly new blog called Letters to My Daughters. Shawn has young twins and she had a great post the other day about hacks for parents of multiples.

She has tips on getting into and out of the car, going up and down stairs and how to deal with busy parking lots.

To this I would like to add my own parking lot tip (and this works for parents with one small child too). If you park by a cart return you can put one child directly into a cart and then you roll the cart around to the other side of the car to pick up the second (and third and fourth if applicable) kid. This is especially valuable if your children are mobile. My twins are three and I still do this so they don't make a run for it.

(Psst. Don't forget to check out our new twin mom Baby Squared on Babble.)

Strollerderby : parents of multiples

Blogger Defends Kate Gosselin -- and So Do I

Octomom to Kate: Don't You Judge Me

Vote on Jon and Kate's Divorce Goes Too Far

Leashes to Crib Tents: 5 Ways to Keep Toddlers Out of Trouble

Hacks for Parents of Multiples