Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Parenting in Cohousing

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On 14 Jun 2011, at 12:36 PM, Liz Ryan Cole wrote:

> any Nana's who have cookie jars should still have cookie jars.  There has to 
> be a happier ending to this story. 

I may be being too sensitive, but it does come back to me when I hand out 
cookies. The latest was "I only allow her to have cookies based on what she has 
eaten earlier in the day." Of course I was babysitting for the child in the 
evening and had no clue what she had eaten earlier in the day except what I had 
fed her for dinner. She had apparently had a birthday party at school and eaten 
a dreaded cupcake.

I think parents believe that food is one thing they can control and that if 
they can do that all will be well. No other calamities will befall them. Since 
parenting is hard, focusing on food is easier (sort of). And since parents in 
cohousing are parenting in a fish bowl, it's all hard. 

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org