Community Corner
Moms Talk: Same-Sex Marriage and Parenting
How are you talking to your children about the news coverage in Maryland?
Kid 1: "You HAVE to get married when you grow up."
Kid 2: "Unh-uh!"
Kid 1: "Yes you do!"
Kid 2: "No you don't! You don't HAVE to get married. And besides a boy can marry a boy and a girl can marry a girl."
Kid 1: "NO! That would be too weird because then both women would have babies."
Me: "Annnnnd that concludes this play date."
The conversation that took place in my dining room last week is the same one currently being played out in Annapolis. This week, the Maryland Congress will vote on legislation recognizing same-sex marriage. If passed, Maryland will be added to a growing list of states (currently six) that observe same-sex marriage or civil unions.
So my question today isn't a moral/religious one, it's a practical one: How will this impact your parenting? Or will it not impact your parenting at all?
Are you going to tackle this straight-on in a no-nonsense, not-a-big deal fashion? Or will you talk to your kids about different families believing different things? Will you discuss the importance of this historical moment or avoid it altogether? Is it a topic that even needs to be addressed?