| Leslie Morgan Steiner is the editor of the best-selling anthology Mommy Wars and the brand new memoir Crazy Love. Steiner is a frequent guest on the Today Show, MSNBC, and regularly contributes to The New York Times, Newsweek and Vanity Fair. She lives with her husband and 3 kids in Washington, DC. In this column, she will offer her Two Cents on issues relating to modern motherhood. |  |
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Free Birth Control - In Your Home?
Not surprisingly, recent headlines about free birth control really caught America’s attention. A St. Louis research team tracked more than 9,000 women, many of them poor or uninsured, from 2008 to 2010. The women were given their choice of contraception at no cost - from birth control pills to foolproof, long-term options like the IUD or implants.
Kids and Cars
When my kids were little, I worried about three critical safety factors, which in fact were the top three causes of preventable deaths in children ages 1 to 14:
- Accidental drownings
- Traffic accidents
- Bicycle, skateboard and scooter-related head injuries
Candidate Wives Debate
President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney’s first debate is scheduled for this Wednesday, October 3. The vice presidential debate kicks off Thursday, October 11.
However I, for one, think we’d probably glean more insights about what America needs by watching Modern Family reruns than by hearing rhetoric from the four male candidates.
The people I’d like to hear debate? Their wives.
Michelle Obama vs. Ann Romney. Jill Biden vs. Janna Ryan. Woo hoo! more
Elite Deadbeat Dads
Thanks to Court TV, most of use can define the term “Deadbeat Dad.” We know the dismal reality that over 50% of single moms do not receive the financial support they are owed by their children’s fathers. Our country is united in the belief that fathers must support their children, financially at least.
Breastfeeding on the Job
When my first child was two months old, I decided to take a chance and breastfeed in public for the first time. When it came to nursing, I barely knew what I was doing, even in private. But when a few friends hosted a small July 4th barbecue for families, I figured I’d give public lactation a try.
Five Short Years
This past week, my three kids went back to school.
Two of my kids celebrated by throwing parties for their classes.
Two, thank God, not three.
First, our ten-year-old daughter invited 33 fifth graders over for swimming, pizza and ice cream. I sent out an email to the class cheerfully labeled: Welcome to fifth grade! At the front door, I made all the kids leave their shoes and backpacks, lest they jump into the pool with them.
What if There Were No Men?
“Ooooo,” I said when I saw the recent New York Times Op-Ed piece, provocatively titled, “Men, Who Needs Them?”.
The author - a man - argued the following (although I have rearranged the order of his points):
My Celebrity Summer
Twenty years ago, when my darling husband and I were first in love, we lived in Manhattan. He spoke often of his wonderful childhood summers in nearby East Hampton, New York.
Should Your Kids Tell You When They Start Having Sex?
When you first had sex, did you tell your parents? Either parent? BOTH of them?
In my case, being a 70s child, I never discussed sexuality (my own or others) with my mother or father. After I had three kids in my 30s, I assume they figured out I knew what to do between the sheets. But the subject continued to be an unexplored, let’s say completely closed, family topic.
Spotlight on Single Moms
At just 16, Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas is the first African-American since Dominique Dawes to represent Team USA on the Olympic gymnastics team. However, in my mind, her mom, Natalie Hawkins, also deserves a medal. A lifetime achievement award of a different stripe.
