Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
What Is a Good Mother?
When I was younger, as a child I remember more horrible memories then good from my mother. I remember being three and left alone at a football game house party, wandering, looking for my mother and only finding a bunch of men with beer. I remember being left alone with stranger more than with my mother. My family would take time to raise me and teach me things my mother should have been teaching me. I remember being eight and my mom asking me for sex and relationship advice. At 12, I came out to my mother with a deep, dark secret that I was being raped, and had been for years previously. What did she say?
By Erika Fries8 years ago in Families
The Unknown Infection That Is Leading to Mental Health Issues In Kids
How many mothers out there were told that they tested positive for strep? How many of you knew what that meant during labor? What if the antibiotics didn't work and you passed this "strep" on to your children?
By Jacci Storey8 years ago in Families
Losing Cherish
I was watching her videos and looking at her pictures over and over. Like I did in my downtime every night at work. I was still in awe of being a new mom. I was smitten with her and I adored being a mom. Cherish’s mommy. I envisioned our lives together, how I planned to move to the Ft. Myers area for bigger, more affordable houses. I thought of how her voice would sound when she was older, how much fun I would have teaching her how to go potty, ride a bike, or tie her shoes. I started to call to check on things, but I remembered my husband’s words: “You don’t have to call every two hours, I have to get some rest for work. Our daughter is fine in my care, stop worrying so much. We will both be here when you get home.” He had told me that every night for four months. I just wanted to check in and make sure everything was OK, but he was right, he was her father, he’d been doing a fine job so far, and it was time I stopped worrying so much.
By Tera Summers8 years ago in Families
What It's like to Be the Child of a Single Parent
I don't think I've actually said it to him. I never said thank you. Never said thank you for raising me alone. I know I didn't make it easy. I know I was frustrating from day one, but he did it. My dad raised me alone. He took me to daycare, and then to school. He packed me lunches for field trips and helped me with my homework. He worked so many hours, just to give me the life he never had; the life he thought I deserved. My dad spoiled me because he felt guilty that I only had one parent. But even with all the toys, the thing that stands out to me the most was that every picture I drew was hung on the fridge, and every ugly clay creation was kept. I think the hardest of all was when he comforted me as I cried about the parent who wasn't there. I didn't even know if he was still mourning her. I just knew I was sad about the life I thought to be normal. I was mourning a life I had never got to have, and even though he was mourning the life he did have, he took me in his arms and comforted me.
By Michelle Schultz8 years ago in Families
Useful Baby Items vs Waste of Time!. Top Story - November 2018.
I'll start by saying these are just my opinions, based on my experiences in preparing for the birth of three babies so far. I remember trawling the internet for hours, searching for every little thing to make sure I was prepared. Here is a list I wish I had seen.
By Jaz Johnstone8 years ago in Families
Dysfunctional
The title is off putting, isn't it? What could be dysfunctional? Well, it's a difficult topic, Domestic Abuse. For some readers, you'll leave at the mention of that charge, for others, you're curious what it was like, and for some it's the comfort of knowing you aren't alone. That someone went through this like you and made it to adulthood with partial functionality. Why am I still talking? Because I'd like to tell you my story, the beginning, the nitty gritty. The good, the bad, and the ugly side of Domestic Abuse.
By Sarah Carrillo8 years ago in Families
Watching Your Baby Grow Up Without You
I want to start off with saying I wasn't forced into this decision. It is my choice and the best one I could've made. I was 19-years-old when I found out I was pregnant, and 20 when I gave birth to him. The father and I were going through some tough times as it was, and adding a baby into the mix definitely was not our plan. We sat down and talked about what we were going to do and the original plan was abortion. As we were sitting in the clinic waiting for the doctor, I came the realization I couldn't do it. This baby deserves to have a life. He told me about the wonderful woman he worked with and we started setting up the plan to adopt out my baby to her and her husband, and it is the best choice I could have ever made.
By Zoë Pattiani8 years ago in Families
Motherhood
As I sit here staring at my computer screen, anxiously deciding what to write, I am off in a daze. I find myself scrolling through the same Facebook news feed on my phone that was there 10 minutes before. I can hear a faint snore and a heavy breathing as my daughter is swayed asleep in her swing. That is when I realize, I am a mom.
By Emily Grisham8 years ago in Families
