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Most recently published stories in Families.
Life with a Teenager
I remember them placing him in my arms. It was love at first sight. I knew I loved him before I met him. I often had dreams of him before I knew I was pregnant. I knew he was a boy. I felt it in every fiber of my being. I just knew. From the first smile, to the first coo, endless hours staring at his perfect face while he sleeps. Rolling over, his first tooth, rocking on his knees and getting frustrated as he is trying to crawl, then his first steps. I remember seeing it all. His first word was "mama." It made my heart melt, I was his whole world as he was mine. How did I create something so perfect. So pure. So beautiful. Bubba....The nick name is pretty fitting actually. He's such a kind gentle soul wise beyond his years. Always so smart, so intuitive. He embraces the world and everything in it. He sees things from a far better light then most. They say life with a teenager is hard. So many new challenges that come our way. Hormones surging, his life emerging. That beautiful boy placed in my arms can no longer fit in my arms, and not even on my lap. When you become a mother, you go through so many mile stones and so many crazy emotions. You bring home this little bundle and realize, you have to keep him alive. You have to teach him life. You have to teach him everything. Some times we don't realize even with out physically teaching them, we are still teaching them. They see everything we do. Everything that makes you, you. They absorb the world around them and the influences brought upon them. As a mother you hope you are doing it right and they grow up to be wise, to be honest, to be responsible and respectable human beings that one day can change this world for the better. You give them your all. My Bubba is 13 almost 14. Where has the time gone? I blinked and he went from this tiny baby placed in my arms to a teenager. My bouncing baby boy is almost a man. Through the years as a mother, we grieve. We miss our babies. We miss our toddlers, that 4 year old starting pre school. That five year old that just graduated kindergarten. The years start to fly by and before you know it, we realize the long journey we know that still lies ahead for them going into adulthood. We watch them struggle to find their way with out us. We watch them fail, we watch them succeed. We wipe their tears and bandage their knees. As they become a teenager we can no longer hold their little hand and tell them everything will always be ok. Truth to the matter is, they will go through heart aches, they will lose people they love. They will lose the pets they love. We want so badly to shield them from it. We want to take all their pain away. We are mother's, it's in our nature to protect them. Truth is, we can't always protect them from failure, from heart aches. We can't always shield them from life. They have to learn. They have to go through life, feeling life. They have to know what it is to fail so they know what it is to succeed. We can't put them in that bubble we all know we desperately want to keep them in...forever. What we can do is be there to guide them. Be there to listen to them. Just plain be there. It's important. If we want the world to change and be a better place, we have to let them live and let them learn. They don't quite understand what the world is about but this is the most important time in their life for them to seek who they are and what their purpose is here on this thing we call earth. Life with a teenager is not terrible. It's beautiful. It's seeing all your hard work through the years pay off. It's seeing the responsible choices they made because you were there to teach them. I hear all kinds of horror stories about teenagers. I don't know about you, but my teenager is smart. He keeps his circle small and he knows his worth. I can't say he always makes the right choices but I can say he learns from the wrong ones. Why? Because I let him make the choices. I let him live. I don't put him in a bubble as hard and heart wrenching as it is. I am there when he fails. I am there when he succeeds. I am there when he needs to talk or doesn't say a word. I will admit he tells me more then my ears want to hear. You know what though? I wouldn't change it for the world. I want so badly to change the world for him. I want him to be that change. I want him to know right from wrong. If he gets himself into a bad situation, I want him to come to me. I want him to be able to make decisions that are the right ones. I want him to succeed at life. I want him to know that no matter what comes his way, he is strong, he is resilient and he can do anything he puts his mind to. There is no such thing as "I can't" in this house hold. There is always "I can and I will." I will always be there to encourage him as long as I am breathing. I will push him to reach is full potential and he will know that his potential does not have to be everybody else's potential. We are all different. We all have different strengths and weakness and that's ok. Life with a teenager is so good, I promise you. It won't always be easy but in the end it will always be rewarding. To think, I made that. That came from me. So many times I question myself. Was I too harsh? Not harsh enough? As a parent you are constantly asking yourself if you are doing it right. When you have a minute, just think of all the years and the things you've been through with them. Look at that teenager, I mean really look at them. You will be glad you did and so so proud of all the work you put into raising that teenager. This is the time you see the impact you made and realize what an impact it was.
By Nicole Schukraft8 years ago in Families
Living at Home
Now, we have all been there in the same scenario…going away for college and enjoying the college experience and actually living on your own for a bit. On the weekends you would visit home every other week, weekend, or holiday right? Well in my case, I have finished college with my Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, Channel Islands. It was an amazing experience when I was attending the campus. Having the freedom of having my own dorm room and sharing a room with a roommate was a great experience. After college ended, I had to move back home with the grandparents after living on campus for two years to finish my Bachelor’s Degree.
By Alex Osborne8 years ago in Families
But a Dream: Chapter One
It always rained in Brighton. Winter, spring, summer, fall -- it rained. When I was five, it was time for me to start walking to school by myself. So on my birthday, I unwrapped a cherry red umbrella, and a pair of matching rain boots. I loved those boots. When I came home, I always stuck them in the tub and used my yellow pale to pour water on them, washing the mud and wet leaves away. On the rare days that it didn’t rain, I would put my boots on top of my toy chest, whispering to them before I left for school, “Tomorrow”, I’d say.
By something wilde8 years ago in Families
Young Motherhood
There's so much others have to say about people who have a baby early. Some support those mothers while others shun them. There's so many aspects to this that it's hard to draw a clear conclusion. A big part is how it started. Was it on purpose? Do they have jobs or a house? Are they mature? Have they finished school? All of these questions come into play as for how one should react.
By Aleesa Rudder8 years ago in Families
I Can’t Bare to Look
The McKenzie River flowed to the North of my childhood home. Past several farmer’s fields and a narrow strip of trees and brush that each year would ebb and flow as the river carved out its path from the cascades range East of Eugene Oregon to the southernmost end of the Willamette Valley.
By Joseph Shidek8 years ago in Families
Why I Moved Back in with My Parents
If you're reading this, you're most likely at the age where kids are expected to move out soon (or to have already moved out long ago), and wondering if you should or not. I can't tell you what to do—that's your prerogative—but maybe I can help you figure it out.
By Kjia Welte8 years ago in Families
To You on Your Birthday
I want to start this off by wishing you a happy, relaxing and joyous 28th birthday. As my big sister, we haven't always been on the same page but because this is for your birthday I'm not going to dwell on that... Well, too much. I am writing this to explain to you just how much you mean to me in case you don’t already know, and it's a lot. You are a wonderful human being with unlimited potential and such a kind, caring, and outgoing personality and you deserve to be celebrated by all of the people in your life. You always take into account the feelings of those around you and act accordingly, no matter the situation, and that is a rare thing to find.
By Hannah Taylor8 years ago in Families
Baby-Led Solids
Never feed the baby?! Come, again? Are you suggesting I starve my baby? Of course not, people! I'm talking about offering solids and allowing baby to feed himself. This is baby-led solids. It is also referred to as 'baby-led weaning', but in my humble opinion, the term 'weaning' tends to scare moms who have a breastfeeding goal of at least one year. Technically, the introduction of foods means that we are moving away from breastmilk consumption. However, breastmilk or formula should be baby's main source of nutrition for at least the first year of life. Meaning: baby should be getting enough breastmilk or formula, alone, so that if baby isn't really interested in solids for a while after six months, it's okay because they are still getting everything they need from the milk. So, I feel like 'baby-led solids' is a more breastfeeding friendly term.
By Ashley Lichenstein8 years ago in Families
Halloween as a Mom
I am a procrastinator when it comes to everything. Yes, even when it comes to my favorite holiday! This year I had huge plans, I was going to go big and dressing my whole family up. Suddenly I realize, it’s the day before Halloween and I don’t have anything. No candy, no paint and worst of all, no costume for my two year old!
By Catrina Palko8 years ago in Families
