Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
Feisty and Constant
This is about a woman. A woman we can relate to. Maybe she is a friend, a family member, a dream, or even you. But this is her.
Emily ValdezPublished 7 years ago in FamiliesGuilt-Free Distance: Creating Boundaries with Family
Many of my friends in the queer community or those of us who were repeatedly abused by a parent know that there is no how-to manual for making peace with these challenging family relationships. Even years after we have left a situation, it has been my experience and observation that many people who come from these backgrounds feel that they are operating at a loss. I’m here to offer a point of view recently given to me that has been extremely freeing: careful boundary work.
Parenting Problems
Walk into any public venue or walk down any public street and you will find any number of people who have an opinion on how you should parent your child. Read a magazine or go online and you will find a ton of people voicing their opinions on how to raise your child. Co-sleeping vs crib sleeping, breast feeding vs bottle feeding, time outs vs taking things away. As a parent these things can be helpful but also aggravating and very confusing. We all want to be the best parent we can be and we all want to do everything completely right by our children and it can be hard to figure out what the right thing to do is.
Kimberly EssenburgPublished 7 years ago in FamiliesThrough the Eyes of a Toddler
I’ve previously written a blog called “Through the Eyes of a Newborn.” Now I’ll do the same kind of thing, except for it being about the next phase of my life, which was my toddler years. I’ll begin with my second birthday as that is the age a child generally begins to get called a toddler.
Rebecca SharrockPublished 7 years ago in FamiliesTwin Mum Truths
So I’m a mum to beautiful boy / girl fraternal twins. They’re currently coming up to being 14 weeks old. Those 14 weeks have been the hardest ever.
Natascha WainwrightPublished 7 years ago in FamiliesWhat to Say
When a young person loses a parent, it may be difficult to know what to say. From talking to Alison McWilliams, who lost her mother at age 19, we gathered some information to help guide you in the right direction of finding something to say.
Emily McWilliamsPublished 7 years ago in FamiliesHomecoming
When I was a kid and storms woke the family, Mom would come into my room with a lit candelabrum to watch the sky with me. It was only fitting that lightening would dance for her funeral. The heat storm scared away most of the family and friends, but me and a few others stood around the hole in the ground. My mother wasn’t Catholic, but was close friends with Father Welch, so he spoke today in full regalia. My grandmother, a proud Protestant, would have rolled in her grave, if she had one. Father Welch finished his prayer and the crowd dispersed. He came over to me and clapped his fat hand on my shoulder. His grim demeanor looked wrong on a face cut with laugh lines.
Ashleigh WalkerPublished 7 years ago in FamiliesStaying Together for the Kids
I write this story because I am a child from a household that stayed together for the children. Growing up, I can remember never liking my father. Before I get to telling you why, let me tell you the little bit of the history I know of my father's past.
Audrey WoodsPublished 7 years ago in FamiliesWhen Did It Change?
It was such a beautiful night two years ago, when I got an invite to meet a complete stranger. His name was Derek and his intelligence won me over and made me drive two hours just to see him face-to-face. The moment we met was such a cliche' movie feel; fireworks and fatal attraction. As he cooked us dinner, we just talked. Yes, something that simple stole my heart in complete absolution. He was the most profound human I had ever met. The room was filled with laughter and nervously sent seductive looks. I felt like I was 13 again. We had no idea what this one interaction really was, how huge it would alter our lives.
Shaina SteelePublished 7 years ago in FamiliesTop Ten Ways to Shake Up Your Week as a Parent
I think all parents at some point hit a rut. Life becomes this endless rotation of to-do lists. We switch to auto-pilot and forget just how fun being a parent can be. I understand it is hard, believe me, I know what a midnight cry over ice cream feels like.
Amy JourdanPublished 7 years ago in FamiliesHurt. Abused. Broken.
It all started when I was in the third grade. My dad had a better job offer in a small town in the middle of nowhere. He always worked late or just never came home. That’s when it all started. The long, dark, scary nights. I came home from my first day in third grade at my new school. I was already friends with everyone. That night, I was told by my father’s ex-wife that I was a bad girl and I didn’t deserve anything but the scraps from dinner. She had moved my room to the cold, dark, lonely basement. She tied the door shut with rope so that I couldn’t get out and the cellar door had bricks on it. She’d call me up after everyone finished their dinner (dad wasn’t home) and told me to clean up. I remember time passed and if I was hungry, I had to eat a cold can of peas. I was so skinny, the only way my body knew to protect me was to grow hair. I got sent to school with only an apple and a quarter for milk everyday. I went to school and begged my classmates for just a little bit of food.
Tabitha RzeszutkoPublished 7 years ago in FamiliesBrothers Forever
Tommy Little hated listening to his parents fighting all the time, and as difficult as it was for him to get around on two crutches, he managed to get out the back door and walked down the hill toward the park.
Denise WillisPublished 7 years ago in Families