by Shawna | Sep 27, 2015 | Overheard
At a coffee and ice cream shop in Edmonds, two little boys and their mom were eating ice cream. A middle-aged couple walked in and ordered coffee. While they waited for their orders, the youngest boy, who was around 1-1/2 years old, caught the man’s eye and...
by Shawna | Aug 11, 2015 | Overheard
When a young child on the other side of the grocery store began crying loudly and angrily, an elderly woman waiting at the check stand said, “That child needs a spanking!”
by Shawna | Aug 11, 2015 | Main Blog
In the most recent post, I recounted personal experiences of adults using their authority to intimidate and belittle me and other children. On the heels of that post, it feels important to tell an older story that echoed within my own childhood. Recently, my dad...
by Shawna | Jul 18, 2015 | Overheard
Mom to 3-year-old boy on sunny day at Edmonds waterfront: “Look, Adam, that little boy is wearing his hat.”
by Shawna | Jul 18, 2015 | Main Blog
Before I was old enough to go to school, my parents kept a willow switch on top of the refrigerator. I don’t remember that they used it much, but the threat of it infuriated me. One day when they were working outside, I got up on a stool, took the switch, broke it,...
