Category Archives: Parenthood

In Praise of the Quiet Ones

Posted on December 4, 2013 by ayvalentine

A decent amount of my identity is as the mother of geeklings (a bit like the mother of dragons, but with less fire. Usually.). I’ve realized, though, that if you primarily know me online, you might think that I only … Continue reading →

Posted in Kids and Gaming, Parenthood | Leave a comment

A Tale of Two Cons

Posted on September 11, 2013 by ayvalentine

This summer marked an evolution for our gaming family—we took the kids to two game conventions, Origins Game Fair and DEXCON. And this was the first year we brought the kids but not my mom (she came to Origins with … Continue reading →

Posted in Conventions, Kids and Gaming, Parenthood, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

“All Ages” Isn’t Necessarily “Kid Friendly”

Posted on September 5, 2013 by ayvalentine

When we were at DexCon, the kids and I got to play a board game in development called Game of Thorns. It combined the themes of hobbits, gardening, and Game of Thrones to see who would be ruler of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Conventions, Kids and Gaming, Parenthood | 2 Comments

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Posted on May 16, 2013 by ayvalentine

It’s really easy to think that however things are is just the way they’re going to be. As the kids grow up and we all have conflicting schedules, stressful mornings and dinners out of brown bags in the car started … Continue reading →

Posted in Freelancing Life, Parenthood | 3 Comments

“Speak”ing Up

Posted on April 22, 2013 by ayvalentine

Trigger warning: This post is about using literature to talk to kids about rape and consent. Some things may be triggery. A few months back I wrote about reading the novel Keeping Corner and talking about it with my daughter … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Parenthood, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Why Are Fairytales “Girl Books”?

Posted on March 27, 2013 by ayvalentine

This is also posted on Reads4Tweens, where I have a list of fairytale books I’ve reviewed. I’ve marked books that I think appeal equally to boys and girls, regardless of what the cover looks like. Jessica Banks also has an … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Parenthood | Leave a comment

Fairy Tale Fortnight!

Posted on March 24, 2013 by ayvalentine

I’m a total fairy tale geek. I’ve always loved fairy tales—Disney films, gorgeously illustrated children’s books, modern retellings, clever novelizations, you name it. In college, I realized that if I combined a Cultural Anthropology major focusing on folktales with my … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Parenthood | Leave a comment

The Problems of Gendering Parenthood

Posted on March 21, 2013 by ayvalentine

I read a great article yesterday about how so much advertising aimed at women is actually advertising aimed at parents. When the infamous “They” say that women like something, what they often mean is “parents may find this convenient.” Obviously, … Continue reading →

Posted in Parenthood | 6 Comments

Perpetuating Cynicism Perpetuates Rape Culture

Posted on January 25, 2013 by ayvalentine

Recently my daughter and I both read a book called Keeping Corner, which is a novel about Leela, a 12 year old widow in India in 1918. (It’s a wonderful book—you should read it. You’ll find my full spoilerific review … Continue reading →

Posted in Parenthood | 4 Comments

The Quest for Characters Like Me

Posted on January 9, 2013 by ayvalentine

I’ve recently read a lot of articles, tweets, and so on about girls not finding female characters in games, movies, etc. I have a geeky daughter, and I’m painfully aware of how common this is. And while she’s not necessarily … Continue reading →

Posted in Games, Kids and Gaming, Parenthood | 6 Comments