From the category archives:

General

Plastic Bags, Part 3: The Good News, Plus Cute Reusables for Your Kids

Just joining us?  Catch up by reading Part 1 and Part 2 of this 3-part series. *** So now, here’s the good news on the plastic bag issue: governments and organizations are starting to take measures to encourage (or demand) decreased consumption of disposable plastic bags.  San Francisco literally outlawed them – over two years ago.  D.C. [...]

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Plastic Bags, Part 2: Rethinking Cost and Convenience

Just joining us?  Catch up by reading Part 1 of this 3-part series. *** Having addressed the sanitary issue, I’ll now address the other two concerns: “I don’t want to pay for them” and “They’re not convenient.” I pair these two together because they’re both about personal cost: monetary cost, and time-and-effort cost.  Well, in [...]

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Examining Both Sides of the Plastic Bag Issue, Part 1, Or: How My Noisy Night-Owl Grandma Turned Me Green

Dear Red Pill Readers: in honor of Earth Day, we’ve chosen one environmental issue that we believe is a good one for parents to examine in their own households, and which presents a great opportunity to join together with your kids to make a positive change (for the environment, and for yourselves).  We’ll be publishing a 3-part [...]

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Jamie, Dawg, Nancy and You

It’s funny how related things often end up in my lap at the same time, and the message I get from them is somehow greater than the sum of the parts.  This weekend, we finally watched the preview episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, and then I picked up the latest issue of The Week

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Peep! Red Pill Readers Respond

We got a great response to our candy-free Easter alternative call for ideas.  Without further verbose ado, I will henceforth share some ideas with you that will help you make the basket-and-egg part of the holiday less of a mad clamor for sugary treats and more about welcoming Spring. (I will add one brief bit [...]

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Achieving Childhood Dreams, Part 2 – I Met Gene Simmons!

Red Pill Parents, I have to share a dream fulfilled with you being that I recently wrote about achieving childhood dreams. I believe that keeping our childhood dreams, at least the one that are still pertinent, in our hearts as we travel through adulthood, helps keep us feeling young and prevents us from becoming cynical. [...]

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Promises, Promises (Perhaps a Bit Premature)

I am embarrassed and laughing at the same time over the fact that not ONE of our readers sent in a candy-free Valentine suggestion (not even Louisa!  Not even Anastasia!).  You are all clearly a bunch of Red Pill Slackers (I am SO kidding).  Perhaps you’re all so ingrained in the candy culture that you [...]

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Red Pill Readers: How Do You Handle the Springtime Candy Onslaught?

Valentine’s Day and Easter — other than Halloween, nothing rivals these two springtime holidays for sheer terror in the heart of a sugar-averse Red Pill Parent.  My household is by no means ‘clean’ of the offending substance, but I do try to not get carried along by the prevailing cultural insistence that these two holidays represent [...]

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Movie Ratings – Half the Story, or More Like 5%?

Last year I purchased a kids’ movie (rated PG for “momentary language”) based on a book that I read and loved as a child, and have read over and over with my daughter especially.  I figured the movie was based on such a fantastic book that it was a pretty sure bet, and in general [...]

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Specifying Gifts: Party Invite Faux Pas, or Conscious Parent Protocol?

Anastasia (faithful reader, commentor and Red Pill Parent) brought up a really interesting point after reading my It’s Time to Fall Out of Love With Cheap post.  She writes: It’s difficult to control children’s possessions when well-meaning family and friends give gifts that you wouldn’t buy for your children (i.e., cheap plastic). Not only cheap [...]

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