Back when we started this website, our focus was fairly clear: we were called to provide encouragement to families taking the road less travelled. For two years now, we’ve shared our path, hoping that our transparency in regards to our family’s walk would glorify God. Over the past 24 months, we’ve been on both sides of the learning curve, cataloging our ups and downs and gleaning wisdom from those of you who have shared your own journeys with us.
What became glaringly obvious, over time, is that our family is far from unique. Large, Christian, homeschooling families with a mix of biological and adopted children are a dime a dozen in the blogosphere. And as we all press on into the next season — the one where our older kids are getting married, but our younger ones still require afternoon naps — some of us, well …
We’re not sure, exactly, how we’re supposed to do this.
Almost exactly two years ago, I posted about my concept of Straddle Parenting:
Day in, day out, I parent across the seasons. I do ortho visits and 6 month check ups. I buy bras and cloth diapers. I play Pat-A-Cake, Uncle Wiggily, Monopoly, and Chess. I count toes, find blankies, praise Lego creations, discuss Predestination, and wipe snotty noses. One foot in the Getting Ready to Launch You Into the Big World camp, one in the Oh, Please Don’t Put That Nasty Thing in Your Mouth group, spread over a whole range of Yes, You Have to Take a Shower and I’ll Read That Book to You One More Time and Then I Really Have to Do Some Dishes.
I Straddle Parent.
After many suggestions, nudges, and outright requests, we have launched a site that deals specifically with the joys and pains of raising a family that spans both ages and stages. Introducing … Straddle Parenting.
While much of the content here at To Sow a Seed will remain the same, you will notice that some things (reviews being the most obvious category) will shift from this platform. Straddle Parenting is designed to be less of a blog and more of an interactive community, with a Facebook page we hope to use as a learning tool where you can ask other parents for their experiences and advice. Content can be sorted by stages, and we are actively looking for contributors on topics of interest to those of us holding babies and teaching Physics. From time to time, the two sites may overlap content-wise, but for the most part, they will be two separate entities.
We hope that you’ll join us at Straddle Parenting. And thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your support and encouragement through To Sow a Seed. Our entire family is blessed through this ministry, and looks forward to many more years of sowing seeds for God’s glory!