To the Editor:
I used to be moved by “I Wrote Jokes About How Parenting Stinks. Then I Had a Child,” by Karen Kicak (Opinion visitor essay, Dec. 25).
I’ve marveled at my baby and couldn’t carry myself to complain about evening waking or tantrums. I stayed quiet at birthday events when mother and father lamented lacking out on grownup time and mentioned they needed to get away from their kids. I felt so happy with my daughter and needed to be round her on a regular basis, but I discovered to push that half down.
Ms. Kicak is true that after we downplay our parenting abilities and our baby’s greatness we rob ourselves of pleasure.
Our self-effacing language could also be an try to cowl up how proud we truly are of our children. We may be preemptively self-critical to keep away from feeling judged by different mother and father.
These insecurities are getting in the way in which of celebrating collectively, and Ms. Kicak reminds us what we have to hear, that we’re “doing nice.” She calls us to nudge the pendulum again so we are able to stability the true challenges of parenting with its tender and fleeting glow.
Possibly we may join extra deeply if we allowed ourselves to speak the components of ourselves that love being a dad or mum, too. I hope we are able to, earlier than our little ones develop up.
Elaine Ellis
San Francisco
The author is a college social employee.
To the Editor:
Many due to Karen Kicak for her essay about parenting and positivity. After I was in sleep-deprived chaos with two babies, my neighbor, a public faculty artwork trainer and artist, requested how I used to be doing. I replied, “Surviving,” and he or she replied, “Ah, effectively, I feel you’re thriving.” That sort remark made me take a look at all the great issues happening and made a world of distinction.
I too make solely constructive feedback to folks. Thanks once more for reminding folks that sort and reassuring phrases go a good distance in serving to mother and father really feel assured and supported by their group.
Angel D’Andrea
Cincinnati
To the Editor:
I respect Karen Kicak’s piece about our tradition’s overemphasis on the negatives of being a dad or mum. It goes together with the give attention to kids’s “dangerous behaviors,” as folks outline them, which oldsters use to disgrace and mock their children, regardless that they’re nonetheless growing into who they may grow to be. As if kids are dangerous folks on a regular basis.
Life is nice and dangerous, simple and laborious. So is motherhood. Why not observe the deepest joys of this exceptional, intimate relationship alongside recognition of how laborious it may be? We owe that to moms. Admiring the love and care and pleasures and new identities that motherhood provides doesn’t should negate how laborious it could get at instances.
I inform mother and father, “Take pleasure in this glorious and difficult journey of parenthood.” It’s each of these issues.
Tovah P. Klein
New York
The author is the director of the Barnard School Middle for Toddler Improvement and the creator of “How Toddlers Thrive.”
Aligning Election Calendars to Enhance Turnout
Final month, New York took an enormous step towards addressing this when Gov. Kathy Hochul signed laws shifting some native elections to even-numbered years. Aligning native races with federal or statewide races that sometimes see increased voter turnout will improve voter participation, diversify our voters and save taxpayer {dollars}.
Los Angeles held its first election in an even-numbered yr in November 2022 and noticed voter turnout almost double. Different cities which have made the transfer have seen related turnout good points. Analysis reveals that this reform helps slim participation gaps, significantly amongst younger voters and in communities of shade.
Sadly, the New York State Legislature can not shift all elections by itself, however lawmakers have dedicated to passing extra complete laws by way of a constitutional modification that strikes native elections to even years throughout your entire state. That would come with municipal elections in New York Metropolis.
Good authorities teams should proceed to advocate this reform, which might create an elections calendar that higher serves voters and strengthens our native democracy.
Betsy Gotbaum
New York
The author is the manager director of Residents Union and a former New York Metropolis public advocate.
To the Editor:
Re “Determination on Pure Fuel Challenge Will Take a look at Biden’s Power Coverage” (entrance web page, Dec. 27):
The Biden administration has a option to make on local weather coverage: obtain its coverage aim or proceed to rubber-stamp fuel export terminals. Hardly ever in politics is a selection so simple. On this case, it’s.
It’s easy. The fossil gas trade is advertising liquefied pure fuel (L.N.G.) as “pure.” It’s a “transition gas,” they are saying. It’s not. It’s principally methane, probably the most potent greenhouse gases. The fuel could emit much less smoke and particulate matter than coal, however exporting it causes extra greenhouse fuel emissions.
One of many newest reviews on U.S. fuel exports by Jeremy Symons says that “present U.S. L.N.G. exports are adequate to satisfy Europe’s L.N.G. wants.” So why approve extra vegetation? In the identical report, it’s additionally revealed that if the administration approves all the trade’s proposed terminals, U.S.-sourced L.N.G. emissions could be bigger than the greenhouse fuel emissions from the European Union.
How can we add one other emitter of greenhouse gases — one that will be a much bigger contributor than Europe! — and meet the administration’s local weather objectives? We will’t.
It’s time to embrace science, cease listening to the trade’s entrepreneurs and say “no, thanks!” to extra fuel.
Russel Honoré
Baton Rouge, La.
The author is the founder and head of the Inexperienced Military, a company devoted to discovering options to air pollution.
Embracing the Semicolon
To the Editor:
Re “Our Semicolons, Ourselves,” by Frank Bruni (Opinion, Dec. 25):
I really feel like Frank Bruni when he writes about how he prattles on “about dangling participles and the like.” My college students should additionally “hear a tragic evangelist for a foolish faith.”
In additional than three many years as a writing professor, I require my college students to learn my seven-page mini-stylebook, “Sweet Schulman’s Crash Course in Fashion.” My mentor used to chastise me in pink capital letters within the margins of my essays. “Between You and I?” he’d write; lastly, I metamorphosed from “I” to “me.”
Discover the semicolon I simply used? I really like them, like Abraham Lincoln, who revered this “helpful little chap.”
Kurt Vonnegut, nevertheless, felt in another way. “Don’t use semicolons,” he mentioned. They characterize “completely nothing. All they do is present you’ve been to school.”
Till the day I retire, I’ll proceed to show my college students that correct writing isn’t texting — the place capitalization, punctuation and a spotlight to spelling are discouraged.
As schools de-emphasize the humanities, I’ll nonetheless be preaching from the whiteboard of my classroom, drawing colons and semicolons to distinguish them, optimistically conveying my pleasure for correct grammar. Between you and me, I’m holding the religion.
Sweet Schulman
New York
The author is a part-time affiliate writing professor at The New College.
