8 Seasons of Parenthood : How the Stages of Parenting Constantly Reshape Our Adult Identities

THE 8 SEASONS OF PARENTHOOD DICTIONARY Celebrityn. 1. Someone who is admired and emulated by others. 2. Someone who has achieved a sense of notoriety by virtue of his or her accomplishment: becoming pregnant and preparing to enter the world of par-enthood.3. The center of attention, with family and friends who dote on her every whim "for the baby's sake." 4. A self-absorbed, privileged sense of being special. 5. A sense of notoriety, easily recognized, stands out in a crowd. 6. Shift from common status to being identified as part of a select group. 7. Someone who is expected by others to perform in a certain way (in this case, produce a baby or babies). 8. Someone in a state of feeling ambivalent about life: being exhausted and worried about one's personal well-being, yet being exuberant about one's newfound fame. 9. A state characterized by a lack of privacy as the public takes an interest in one's every move. Spongen. 1. Porous plastics, rubber, cellulose, or other material (in this case, a human being) similar in absorbency to sea sponges and used for bathing, cleaning, and other purposes (in this case, bonding between parent and child). 2. One who habitually depends on others for one's own nurturing and maintenance (in this case, depending on babies for identity, continuation of celebrity status, and loving responses). 3. A state of being in which a parent feels expected to be responsible for absorbing the baby's essence or being. 4. A sense of being wrung out and frequently emptied of absorbed contents by constantly needing to forgo personal needs in order to meet baby's essential needs. Family Managern. 1. One who handles, controls, or directs, especially: a. One who directs a business or other enterprise. b. One who controls human resources and expenditures, as of a household. 2. One who is in charge of the affairs of children in the family. 3. One who is in charge of the training and performance of children within the family. 4. A state of being in which a parent feels expected to be in charge or in control of young family members' behavior, diet, intellectual stimulation, safety, shelter, social development, physical health, and well-being. 5. An emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual state of being responsible for the welfare of children. 6. The person others turn to for information, guidance, leadership, and decision making concerning matters of the family. Travel Agentn. 1. One who acts or has the power or authority to act on behalf of his or her children's social and academic schedule. 2. One em-powered to act for or represent another in home, school, and community who is seen as the family liaison in academic and social settings. 3. One who plans, organizes, and directs the adventures of children with or without their consent or approval. 4. A representative or official of the family in the affairs of children in school, home, and community. 5. The guide and companion on children's journeys through the middle years. 6. One who is responsible for the successful planning and execution of children's itineraries, resulting in their safe and productive travels through the middle years. Volcano Dwell´ern. 1. One who exists in the precarious place or state of being in which adolescent volcanic eruptions (mood swings, rantings, demands, and hormonal surges) are imminent and may occur with little or no warning. 2. One who fears that adolescent volcanic eruptions will ruin the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health of parents. 3. One who lives in a state of being in constant worry, fear, and dread of the potential for teenage volcanic eruptions. 4. One responsible for the care and maintenance of the adolescent and protection of the community from the teenageUnell, Barbara C. is the author of '8 Seasons of Parenthood : How the Stages of Parenting Constantly Reshape Our Adult Identities' with ISBN 9780812930863 and ISBN 081293086X.