To the Editor:
I used to be moved by “I Wrote Jokes About How Parenting Stinks. Then I Had a Kid,” by Karen Kicak (Opinion visitor essay, Dec. 25).
I’ve marveled at my youngster and couldn’t convey myself to complain about evening waking or tantrums. I stayed quiet at birthday events when dad and mom lamented lacking out on grownup time and mentioned they wished to get away from their kids. I felt so pleased with my daughter and wished to be round her on a regular basis, but I discovered to push that half down.
Ms. Kicak is correct that once we downplay our parenting expertise and our youngster’s greatness we rob ourselves of pleasure.
Our self-effacing language could also be an try and cowl up how proud we truly are of our youngsters. We might also be preemptively self-critical to keep away from feeling judged by different dad and mom.
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 steadiness the true challenges of parenting with its tender and fleeting glow.
Possibly we might join extra deeply if we allowed ourselves to speak the components of ourselves that love being a guardian, 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 because of Karen Kicak for her essay about parenting and positivity. Once I was in sleep-deprived chaos with two young children, my neighbor, a public college artwork trainer and artist, requested how I used to be doing. I replied, “Surviving,” and he or she replied, “Ah, properly, I feel you’re thriving.” That sort remark made me take a look at all the nice issues happening and made a world of distinction.
I too make solely optimistic feedback to oldsters. Thanks once more for reminding individuals that sort and reassuring phrases go a good distance in serving to dad and mom really feel assured and supported by their group.
Angel D’Andrea
Cincinnati
To the Editor:
I admire Karen Kicak’s piece about our tradition’s overemphasis on the negatives of being a guardian. It goes together with the concentrate on kids’s “dangerous behaviors,” as individuals outline them, which folks use to disgrace and mock their youngsters, regardless that they’re nonetheless growing into who they may turn into. As if kids are dangerous individuals on a regular basis.
Life is sweet and dangerous, straightforward and laborious. So is motherhood. Why not word the deepest joys of this outstanding, 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 gives doesn’t need to negate how laborious it might probably get at occasions.
I inform dad and mom, “Take pleasure in this excellent 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 Heart for Toddler Growth and the creator of “How Toddlers Thrive.”
Aligning Election Calendars to Improve Turnout
Final month, New York took a giant step towards addressing this when Gov. Kathy Hochul signed laws transferring some native elections to even-numbered years. Aligning native races with federal or statewide races that usually see larger 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 nearly double. Different cities which have made the transfer have seen comparable turnout beneficial properties. Research shows that this reform helps narrow participation gaps, particularly among young voters and in communities of color.
Sadly, the New York State Legislature can not shift all elections by itself, however lawmakers have dedicated to passing extra complete laws via 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 “Decision on Natural Gas Project Will Test Biden’s Energy Policy” (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 gasoline export terminals. Not often in politics is a selection so easy. On this case, it’s.
It’s easy. The fossil gas trade is advertising and marketing liquefied natural gas (L.N.G.) as “pure.” It’s a “transition gas,” they are saying. It’s not. It’s largely methane, one of the potent greenhouse gases. The gasoline might emit much less smoke and particulate matter than coal, however exporting it causes extra greenhouse gasoline emissions.
One of the latest reports on U.S. gas exports by Jeremy Symons says that “present U.S. L.N.G. exports are enough 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 can be bigger than the greenhouse gasoline emissions from the European Union.
How can we add one other emitter of greenhouse gases — one that may be a much bigger contributor than Europe! — and meet the administration’s local weather objectives? We are able to’t.
It’s time to embrace science, cease listening to the trade’s entrepreneurs and say “no, thanks!” to extra gasoline.
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 a long time as a writing professor, I require my college students to learn my seven-page mini-stylebook, “Sweet Schulman’s Crash Course in Type.” My mentor used to chastise me in crimson 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 a different 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 is just not 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 conserving the religion.
Sweet Schulman
New York
The author is a part-time affiliate writing professor at The New College.
