Creative Nonfiction by Andrea Badgley
Last summer, I had big plans on one of our family camping trips. A friend had told me that as she struggled with raising her teen son, she realized she had never talked to him about values. She demonstrates her values to him through her actions, but a lot of times it’s the things we … Continue reading We talked to our kids about values
“Hey Mom, are trees living things or living beings?” Our nine year old son looked into the forest then up at me as we hiked side by side along a gurgling brook. His dad and sister walked a few steps ahead of us. Upstream was the Glade Creek Grist Mill in West Virginia, a rustic wooden … Continue reading We talked to our kids about souls
“Alright, kiddos, we’re changing the structure of your allowances.” I leaned forward on the couch with my elbows on my knees. My hands were clasped, and I opened them to say, “You get a raise with the new year” – our children bounced and clapped their hands – “BUT with the condition that you put … Continue reading We talked to our kids about charity
“Hey Dad, how much money do you make?” Our 9 year old son stood in the doorway to the kitchen, his fingers tented. Calculating. My husband paused, the milk jug in mid-pour, and looked at our son. He set the plastic gallon down. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable talking about that, buddy.” He turned his … Continue reading We talked to our kids about money
One morning, when the kids were 5 and 7, and I was standing at the chopping block cutting crusts off sandwiches, I heard our son say to his little sister, “Do you know the ‘D’ word?” He and our daughter slurped cereal at the kitchen table a few feet behind me. I paused imperceptibly, remained … Continue reading Do you know the “F” word?
When we lived in Minnesota, we enrolled our daughter in the state sponsored Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) program. We paid a small fee, sent her to preschool two mornings per week, and twice a month I joined her in her classroom. On parent days, the moms would spend an hour with our kids, then … Continue reading We talked to our kids about sex
