Confidence comes at the end of the rocky path, not the paved one. Let them try hard tasks, even if they fail. Model the behavior you want, but let them play. But once we’re on that road, it’s helpful to listen to the long chain of DNA that got us here: you’re an animal. I’ll fight for a woman’s right to choose not to be a mother. Culture and conditioning have taught us other priorities, and obviously I’m glad humans have projects beyond parenting. To nurture, support, and hope fiercely for the best. All this hard work is baked into us – to give ourselves over completely to that small being. Pregnancy is the most natural of processes, not a medical condition, and parenting follows from there. Regardless of our myriad plans, we’re hardwired for reproduction. I can only say what’s worked for me as a parent, and to boil it down to its essence, it’s this: I trust my animal instincts. What wisdom do you have to share with a younger generation of parents who are raising children right now?īarbara Kingsolver: I’m reluctant to give advice to people I’ve never met. My kids are grown now and I have spent most of my adult life providing support and advocacy for young families, as a mother-to-mother peer counselor, community farmer, and teacher. Martha Schubert: I started reading your work in my early twenties, before I became a mother.
We recently sat down with her to reflect on the coming of spring, the practice of wonder, and the work that inspires her.
Barbara Kingsolver’s first article in Orion appeared over twenty years ago, and she’s remained a steadfast voice in our catalog since then.
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