The S File — Parenting: Its Genesis

My Childhood

I am very lucky to have the parents that I have.  They are deeply loving and thoughtful and have done their best to raise my brother and I in the best way that they could, striving to provide us with a better life and better opportunities than what they experienced.  However, by the time my mother was 25 years old, she had two young children, had just moved to the United States, and did not have pre-existing family or friends surrounding her.  At the same time, my father was 27 years old, working long hours in a medical residency (OB/GYN) to provide financial stability for his young family and to send money back to his parents.  So my mother was raising my brother and I on her own for a number of years, while trying to adjust to foreign ways in a new country, while learning English (they are originally from Taiwan) and without much emotional support for a period of time.

Given not just those circumstances, but also what “we” — collectively, as a society — knew in the 70s and 80s, I was fed formula as an infant (which was considered superior to breast milk at the time); ate relatively healthy (based on what “we” — again, as a society — knew at the time) but always suffered from volatile and low energy; do not recall having routine in my life; suffered from constipation and painful stomach cramps throughout my childhood and teens; do not recall ever going to bed early (though my mother did try), and remember classes throughout high school, junior high, and even college as predominantly challenged by: (i) staying awake and alert; and, (ii) managing my volatile energy levels, which led me to be preoccupied by eating.

My Improved Well-Being

After graduating from college and working a generally regular schedule, which then regulated my sleep and eating habits, many of my life-long physical challenges (though relatively minor, they were very distracting, and, really, a waste of time and opportunities) passed.  From this personal — and accidental — experience, I grew to appreciate the benefits of routine.  At the same time, I had always been interested in health — had always read the latest about how to be healthy and genuinely enjoy healthy eating — but was always adapting my diet based on the latest research.  (Please visit The S File — Health to read what I wish I knew sooner about Health, as I’ve learned so much over the past year!)

Since graduating from college and having more responsibility for all aspects of my life, not only have I been continually amazed at all the new things I learn every year but I have been fascinated by how much better I feel every year.  As I experiment with, and incorporate, new information that I read about health, these changes have led my energy, alertness, and general well-being to more stability and balance.

My personal experience has been humbling, constantly reminding me of what I — and , also, we, collectively — still do not know.  Wanting my children to experience this higher quality of life much sooner than I did (as I write this, my daughter is two years old and I’m 9 months pregnant with our second daughter), I have been reading vigorously about how to provide the best upbringing from which they can thrive and have every opportunity to extract as much enjoyment as possible from their potential.

The S File — Parenting

In this blog, I write about all that I wish I knew sooner about parenting.  The tabs along the top of this blog contain notes from my reading, notes that strike me as particularly interesting or helpful.  I share which books and products have been particularly helpful for me, which can be purchased throughout the site, including The Store.  In regards to books, I gravitate towards those that are written by doctors or scientists.  I am interested in those who are most intimately familiar with numerous scientific studies.  From my perspective, that is the most effective way for me to most likely determine “the truth.”

The rest of the content, or “posts,” are more opinion articles on topics or recommendations for products and services.  Having not been around children much until I had my own, I was completely overwhelmed by what essentials to buy (we live in NYC so I hate overstocking our relatively small apartment), which products are safe yet effective, and other parental responsibilities.

There are three main objectives of this blog: (1) To help me track, organize, and remember the wealth of information that I read and products that I try; and (2) to help me get others who care for my children (husband, grandparents, and caregivers) “on the same page; and, (iii) to help other like-minded or potentially like-minded parents whose children may benefit from any of this content.

As each child is unique (as are family circumstances), parents will have different experiences that lead to their child’s success.  As such, I also hope that readers will contribute their experiences in the Comments sections or through emailing me at MsS@theSfile.com so that even more parents may benefit from our collective experience.

Warmest wishes,

Ms. S