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StarWars Fangirl

My daughter is six years old and she's a gamer. Right now she is a level 22 wood elf in Skyrim. She smiths, making her own steel armor to match Lydia, her house carl, and prefers one-handed weapons and magic along with a dwarven bow. She's part of the Thieves Guild, a Companion, a Werewolf and the Arch Mage of the College of Winterhold. She originally started out playing Lego Star Wars which I picked up on a whim when I bought my Xbox 360 with her in mind. Thus began a massive love affair for her with Star Wars. Legos, posters, books, additional video games, the movies and cartoons — she's utterly sold. Ahsoka Tano is her hero.

Gaming and kids gets a bad wrap in mainstream media. It's quickly blamed for violence and killing off kids' imaginations. I've spent months mulling over my own feelings about letting my six-year-old play a relatively grown-up game like Skyrim where she has to kill, steal, and take on dragons, draugrs and wizards to complete quests. I've decided not only am I ok with this, but that it's teaching her some great lessons.

We're currently expecting our first, and on a bit of a tight budget. My wonderful Mum has offered to make cloth diapers for us, but my diaper pattern research has been confusing as hell! I don't know the difference between pre-fold and fitted, I don't know if one-size is best, and I don't know what to make them from or how to hold them shut.

To the casual observer, the Parenting SPY is just the guy making a deposit at the bank or the old lady weighing melons in the store or this very woman staring at me in the waiting room. Sitting next to me in her judgmental crocs trying to figure out if I'm a good parent.

This is what a pinwheel of kids looks like View cuteness »

I am a self-admitted alcoholic… or was until I became pregnant. It took impending motherhood to rid me of my alcohol abuse, and I'm so glad it happened.

Wondering what the best thing to talk to little boys about is? READING. Daughters are thriving and sons are flailing, and it seems like one solution might be to pick up a book and let your kid see you read for fun.