Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
My Life
Just take a deep breath, calm down. I repeat that to myself at least 10 times a day, or tell myself it will get better. Life can’t possibly be this crazy all the time. I am a stay at home mom and well, basically I feel like I could go insane at any given moment. I know you other moms know how I feel. Some days I feel like a complete failure cause I can’t manage to get things done; sometimes I feel like super mom and get everything done. My son is four with the attitude of a teenager and energy like the Energizer bunny. My daughter is almost 10 months old and in a stage where if I’m more than 2 feet away from her she completely freaks out! I love that she’s a mommy’s girl, but some days it’s impossible to get anything done, which goes back to why I feel like a failure. My son is just now becoming jealous, so he’s always doing something to get attention. When we first brought her home he always wanted to hold her, help feed her, didn’t want anyone having her, and now he hurts her, sometimes on purpose but he still wants to hold her and doesn’t like her out of his sight. He’s a sweet kid and loves his sister but oh my gosh he’s non stop with the questions, back talking, bothering his sister, etc... When I tell him "no" he says, “well, I said yes,” or if I tell him I’m going to take his tablet, he replies with, “I take your phone.” Don’t get me wrong, I love being a mom, and I am glad I get to be home with them but sometimes I need a break, something my husband doesn’t understand. He means well, as I’m sure most men do, but in reality, any stay at home mom NEEDS A BREAK! We don’t ask for much, we would just like to make it through a shower without being needed or maybe sit down and eat our food while it’s hot, not get up to get everyone something they forgot to ask for or wipe a butt. Not even going to lie, days that have been completely crazy, after dinner I go hide in the bathroom, LOL. Sometimes you just have to. I’ve tried being the “Pinterest” mom— setting schedules, trying different activities, and baking. But I’m human and so are my kids, so it just didn’t work out like I had hoped, but that’s life. Kudos to those moms who can make it work. My life is chaotic and messy, some days I don’t know how I’m going to make it through and just want to scream, others I love on my kids all day long, when they let me. My son says he’s a big boy, so his hugs and kisses are rare. At the end of the day, I’m glad and proud of who my kids are; they make my world go around and drive me crazy, but I love them and I couldn’t imagine my life without them. I dread the day they don’t need me anymore. I may complain until I’m blue in the face, but I love doing for them and will always do for them. Being a mom is a blessing; I didn’t really have one growing up so a lot of my efforts come from what my dad showed me what a parent should be and what I wish my mother would have done.
By Brianna Brookshire9 years ago in Families
Life of a Practically Single Mom
I was only 16 when I found out I was pregnant. I’d been dating the person who I thought was the love of my life for almost a year and he was going to basic for the Army National Guard. It was rough finishing school when his sisters had told everyone the news. I finished my sophomore year and tried to tough the summer out being pregnant by myself.
By Just a mom Doing her best9 years ago in Families
The Professional Mommy
Wife. Four children. A ten-year career in human resources. Two businesses on the side. I know it sounds like a lot, but there is more. I describe myself as a serial entrepreneur. My brain gets bored easily and I love innovation and learning new ways of doing old things.
By April Stephens9 years ago in Families
The Hardest Goodbye
2017 has been a rollercoaster, full of "high on life moments" while also dragging a stick through the mud. My baggage behind me gets heavier and heavier. Burden upon burden is laid and all I can do is stand taller to keep my head above the clouds. However, September 8, 2017 was when my world was turned upside down.
By Chloe Hoover9 years ago in Families
The Effect My Father’s Suicide Had
Let me start by saying this: I lost my father to suicide in 2014. We hadn’t spoken in just over a year when he took his life. I realise now that this may have been partly because of the mental illness he tried hiding from everyone.
By No One’s Daughter9 years ago in Families
My New Life as a Single Mum
I don't ever know how to start these posts, but here I go. I started this new, crazy life as a single mother to a four year old son and I am having another boy due the end of January or early February. This pregnancy has been so different compared to my first son. My first son, I had his father, my ex- husband now, and had all the support in the world from a lot of my friends and my family. However, with this pregnancy, I don't have a father figure for my son; he left when I was 23 weeks pregnant. That is when I had to figure out at that point in time that I didn't need a man to help me with this baby. Then, a couple weeks after he left, I was told my normal pregnancy wasn't so normal after all. At 25 weeks, I was classified as a high-risk pregnancy due to my unborn son having developed a C-PAM or a Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation. Okay, for those that aren't medical professionals like myself, it is described as a benign lung lesion.
By Kayt Peaslee9 years ago in Families
Coming Face to Face With Me Part Two
There was a lot that has happened in those eight years that I was in foster care. The system that was meant to help people did not seem to help me that much. I think in my whole time within the system I was in four group homes and seven foster homes.
By Lizz DeBow9 years ago in Families
It Doesn't Get Easier
Blessings come in many ways. For me, one major blessing is that I was able to have my grandparents in my life into my forties. I know many people can’t say that. They say losing someone that you’re close to gets easier as time passes, but I don’t believe that to be true. Your life just changes. My blessing is having grandparents for as long as I did, and my three kids were able to make some memories with them.
By LR Hatfield9 years ago in Families
On Being a Runaway
Growing up, I lived a seemingly perfect life with a perfectly normal family. Everyone knew we were not high class, but definitely not low class either. We were religious, but in a respectful manner, not a pious one. All of my friends, as well as myself, were homeschooled and hung out just like "normal" 21st century American kids: playing games, calling each other names (that our parents would approve of... never cuss words), and getting into typical childish arguments (about God's vast, unpredictable universe and the meaning of His words in our manual, the Bible.) Everything was normal and great on the outside.
By Leia Martinez9 years ago in Families
I'm Naturally a Sh#$$y Mom
Every woman's dream is to get married and be financially secure enough to stay at home with their children and put their careers on hold until the kids reach school age. Being a stay-at-home mom is a full-time job without a paycheck. I guess you can't really put a price on being home to witness every little milestone your child reaches. Being a mother is a natural instinct we just have, right? WRONGGGGG!!! I might be the only one but I have to work very hard to be a good mom. It doesn't come natural to me. I love my kids, that's not what I'm implying at all, it's just I'm not naturally good at it.
By Karlee Demrow9 years ago in Families
Pesky Mother-in-law?
Mother-in-laws! Sometimes they are great and supportive, sometimes you get one that despises you. Unfortunately, I got the latter. I love my husband, but his mother is absolutely the thorn in my side. She is very judgmental, selfish, and opinionated. I am a young mother to a wonderful 22-month-old boy. I am also a full-time college student. I don't work right now because my husband and I both agreed that I should focus on my studies and our son. My mother-in-law hates that I stay home. She is one of those types of people that you can never please though. Right now, her argument is that if I stay home, we will miss out on the extra income. But if I went back to work she would hate the daycare I choose, or think I'm not spending enough time on my son.
By mommy time9 years ago in Families
Monsters and Me: Growing Up with Abuse
There are days that I forget the memories rattling around in my head are mine and not some bad movie I watched. It's hard for me to imagine that the scared little girl always looking for an exist was a key part of who I was. But then there are days that I feel myself returning to her, as if I never grew out of her shoes. On those days I find it hard to get out of bed and face my life now, the depression being an uphill battle I'm never 100% sure I want to win. Some days I'm in my room, singing along to whatever song I'm listening to on repeat for the next few days, huge smile on my face, as I dance like nothing in the world can touch me. Other days I'm hiding under a mound of blankets, not eating for days, crying at the memories that berate me. On those days I think of all the questions that were left unanswered to me. Why did he love the bottle more than he did me? How come my sister was perfect but I was nothing to him? Why hasn't he changed after the drinking stopped? Where did everything go so very very wrong?
By Lilli Behom9 years ago in Families
