advice

It takes a village to raise a family; advice and tips to make the most of yours.

The Night I Stopped Being the Boss of Our Marriage
The coat was dark wool, the kind that would last ten winters if you took care of it. Claire tried it on in front of the three-panel mirror, turned left, turned right, and looked at Mark over her shoulder.
By Jinabout a month ago in Families
You Should Sleep Together Because You're Married.
"Do you love your husband?" This is a question I get asked by people who have known that we have been married since 1999. These people who ask, don't understand why I don't sleep with my husband, and personally it is none of their business, anyway.
By Carol Ann Townendabout a month ago in Families
8 Expert-Approved Steps to Building Compassion Fatigue Resilience for Nurses with Barbara Rubel
As Told by Barbara Rubel, BS, MA, BCETS, DAAETS, Board-Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress: Insights from the ConceiveAbilities Podcast
By ConceiveAbilities Egg Donor and Surrogacy Agencyabout a month ago in Families
Unscalable Walls
Have you ever tried to scale a smooth, lubricated wall? The wall is immense and almost vertical, too high to grapple. You have no purchase. You try, but fail. At some point, you accept it’s there and cannot be taken down once it’s been built. There are tiny steps you can take to chip away at the wall, but no matter how much you try, you gain little ground. It might have been better never to have tried to scale it, but once you did, you couldn't undo the experience, even if you accepted that there was little you could do to reach its summit. This is how lies feel.
By Alexandra Grantabout a month ago in Families
I Couldn't Afford to Say Goodbye
The phone rang while I was staring out the window. Plane tree leaves outside had turned yellow, and the wind sent them rustling down like letters full of old stories. I knew that call would come. When it did, the world went quiet. The nurse's voice was soft: "Your father's condition is not good. If you can come, please try."
By Jin2 months ago in Families
The 3:37 AM Call That Broke Me — And How I Finally Took My Sleep Back
The phone buzzed twice on the nightstand, the device itself shifting half an inch across the wood. I reached out, my fingertips touching the cold edge of the screen, then pressed my whole palm over it to block the glow. The third buzz was a call—a different vibration, like a fly trapped in a glass jar, battering against the walls. I picked up, didn't speak, heard a brief, faint voice on the other end. I said, "Mom, I'm sleeping." Then I hung up.
By Jin2 months ago in Families
How Do Single Parents Do It?
This post is a bit of a rant, a bit of an apology, and a bit of a request for help. Most of you know that I have a bright, cheerful, and energetic 15-month-old at home.
By Sasha Desideri2 months ago in Families
Garbage In, Garbage Out
Everything We Take In, Molds Us I often hear people, especially young kids, say, “That doesn’t affect me.” The truth is, everything affects us. The only difference is in how. Some things affect us positively, and some negatively. Either way, what we listen to, look at, or experience always changes us. This is important because garbage in means garbage out. If you listen to bad things and see them constantly, the result is that bad things come out.
By Alexandra Grant2 months ago in Families
I Almost didn't write this tonight
I almost didn't write this tonight. I missed my dedicated writing time this morning, and I feel disappointed. Part of me feel as though I'm falling behind, while another part of me feels like it's fighting a losing battle. For a while now, life has been getting the best of me, and my writing was placed on the back burner. I haven't forgotten about it but realizing that I haven't written anything or edited my book makes me feel as though I'm failing.
By Kristony Green2 months ago in Families
Can Money Buy Everything? What Financial Struggle Has Taught Me About What Really Matters
Can money buy everything? When you're struggling financially, the question can feel almost ridiculous. Of course money matters.
By zenGaze2 months ago in Families
Do We Get Sadder As We Age?
Listening to Cari complaining to Lora as they enjoy their latte at Coffee Heaven in their community. “No matter what I do, my grandmother is never happy. What, happiness doesn’t like old people?” Cari complained.
By Annelise Lords 2 months ago in Families
My Daughter's Best Friend Has a Mother Who Cleans Offices
My daughter first mentioned that classmate on a Thursday evening. She was holding her rice bowl, lifted her eyes from the rim, and said, "Mum, she draws really beautifully." She stressed the word she , as if the name had been sitting in her mouth for days and she'd finally decided to let it out.
By Jin2 months ago in Families