Avant Parenting Archives
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Avant! Welcome to my parenting blog archives
As you can see by the dates below, this blog is no longer being updated. However, there’s lots of good stuff here, much of it as true now as when it was written. Please feel free to browse, or follow these links: One last piece of parenting advice: Enjoy today even if it’s a rough…
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Transgender support: healthcare, education, and community
Recently, Rep. Jimmy Panetta reached out to PFLAG to suggest a listening session about issues faced by transgender people, their families, and their communities. The meeting took place in the back yard of the Diversity Center with representatives from PFLAG Santa Cruz County and the TransFamilies of Santa Cruz County,. We were graced with the…
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Taking aim at alternative ed…again
UPDATE: I am pleased to say that AB 1316 is dead on the floor. Thanks to activists like Legislation Take Action for helping to raise awareness of this bill. However, the threat is ongoing. Read this piece about the proposed changes to independent study law. Read this piece about supporting educational choice for all students.…
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As we progress, let’s not regress
I walked up to the front door of my health club and waited. The owner opened the door and beckoned me in; he was not armed with a touchless thermometer. “You can just walk in now,” he said. “Well, that makes your job easier,” I replied. “Yours, too!” he said. “Just scan your card and…
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Why I don’t teach to cancel culture
Life doesn’t offer trigger warnings and won’t cancel history as you walk through it. I want my students to be confident messengers for their viewpoints. And in order to do that, they will have to face what the world offers them. Most of the time—let’s not forget—this world offers natural beauty, kind people, and an…
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Are you suffering from outrage addiction, my friend?
I am a strong curator of my social media feed. When people I follow post back-to-back ugliness, I unfollow them. I’ve read the research and I know that a steady peek into the ugliest parts of their souls is not good for my mental health. But then the 2020 election happened, and everyone was outraged.…