parents
The boundless love a parent has for their child is matched only by their capacity to embarrass them.
Our Moment
“Hey, Johnny. Do you like applesauce?” Johnny was sitting right next to his dad, but his mind was almost 3,000 miles away. Johnny and his dad had gone on an “adventure” to Baja, California, and Johnny got no joy out of it. He would rather be back at home online gaming. He played super smash bros religiously as a Donkey Kong main (as they say in the smash community). Out of all his friends, Johnny was the best, and they all knew it. He would spend hours playing Super Smash Bros on his Nintendo Switch and studying all the game mechanics. Johnny would come home from school and play until the wee hours of the next day, and in the summer, it was almost a 24-hour affair. Sometimes he wouldn’t change clothes and even forgot to eat. He loved it.
Kawan GloverPublished about 13 hours ago in Families
Being Alone with My One-Year-Old Still Terrifies Me
There is no feeling in the world that is quite like the love that I feel for my child. At about 16-months old, he is now finally reaching the stage where he’s developing a very defined personality. He speaks only in a few words that he struggles to pronounce, but still somehow manages to make his little baby jokes. For instance, after asking him to not pour his juice on the table, he then proceeds to pretend to do it again, stopping just before tipping it completely — all of this with a mischievous grin on his face. Little bugger.
Paul BrousePublished about 13 hours ago in Families
Baby FAQs: The Most Common Concerns for First-Time Parents
There are millions of first-time parents around the globe that are asking the exact same questions as you are. With this said, there are some FAQs that are more commonly searched for on Google than others.
Adam JohnsonPublished a day ago in FamiliesLife Is Not Over
Some days I just want to give up. I want to say "Screw it, I don't care anymore." I'll wake up to my morning alarm, press the snooze button, roll over and pretend nothing matters, that I have no responsibilities, that there are no children who rely on me, no job I need to go to, no apartment that requires cleaning. I'll put every effort into forgetting about the dishes in the sink that need to be washed or the basket of clean clothes that need to be folded. I'll imagine I'm just an empty shell taking up space in this vast universe.
Lexys GutierrezPublished a day ago in FamiliesHandle Parental Preference
My child only prefers me/my spouse. They scream when the non-preferred parent comes close. They tell us to go away. Feelings are being hurt. What can we do?
Baby Weaning Foods
Baby weaning is an exciting stage in a baby's development, as this is the beginning of introducing the baby to healthier foods other than his mother s milk or breast milk. Baby weaning usually begins when the baby first receives his first solid food. A healthy start to this crucial stage is to use nutrient-rich supplements and food to supplement the baby s food intake. Most of these nutrients can be found in whole grain cereals, and baby rice. The baby rice cereals are a better option because they contain more protein, fiber, vitamins B and C, and iron.You will want to avoid introducing artificial sweeteners into the baby weaning foods. These sweeteners may have artificial coloring and flavoring, which are not good for the baby at this young age. You should also avoid fruit juices and natural sugars. This is a good time to introduce cereals, fruits, vegetables, and wheat pastas into your baby s diet. Avoid fruit juice and natural sugars such as honey, maple syrup and molasses as they contain a high amount of fructose. This sugar can increase the risk of tooth decay, weight problems, and tooth decay.
foodquality assurancePublished 3 days ago in FamiliesWhen the glue is missing.
She was hungry again. This time there was something else added. She did not know where she was going to sleep. It was scary to be out at night. A small, short-haired girl with a large knapsack on her back was a moving target. What was she to do?
Lydia Seales-FullerPublished 3 days ago in Families
A Lifelong Gift
When gifts are rare and unexpected, they are at their most powerful. However, when they become too frequent and predictable, they lose their true meaning.
Adults With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
The change in diagnosis rules for ADHD from childhood to adulthood means that more adults are being diagnosed with this condition. The DSM-5, released in 2021, added criteria for ADHD specifically designed for adults, expanding the criteria for diagnosing and treating this condition. As a result, adult patients are now seeing a much broader range of symptoms and potential treatment options than they once did. As the focus has shifted to adult ADHD diagnosis and treatment, the expense of such a diagnosis has also increased. This is due to a greater number of professionals who now require training to implement the treatment recommended by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the American Psychological Association (APA).
Cynthia DeanPublished 4 days ago in Families
Strings Too Short to Use
Ever since I can remember, even as a child, that brown paper box sat on a shelf in my mother’s closet. It was a high shelf, above the clothes racks, where she kept her hats. Back in the 1950’s women wore hats to town, to church, to teas or to any sort of event or gathering that required dressing up. It was the fashion and my mother fancied herself fashionable. Mom was born in 1897 and when she and my father adopted me, she was 45 years of age.
Elizabeth PowersPublished 4 days ago in Families
THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER
The screen door suddenly flung open, causing her to look up from the chair where she sat curled up with her feet up under her. We were home from school, loud and eager to be free of our school clothes. As we all clamored through the door, Mom asked each one of us how our day went and if anything interesting had happened. As children, we didn’t notice that she was somewhat pale and moving just a bit slower than usual. We went on in our normal routine, throwing our book bags down on the table. Each of us emptying its contents; each of us producing papers to be signed and displaying those we were proud of. In her own wonderful mom way, she congratulated every one of us individually and beamed with pride at our hard work. One by one, we disappeared to our rooms to change our clothes and then start our homework. That was the rule. One by one, we all re-appeared at the kitchen table with our books and assignments in hand. As we gathered at the hub of our home, our mom started preparing dinner. She was always close by in case we had a question or needed help. She should’ve been a teacher. Every day passed the same as the last and we were none the wiser.
MELISSA E. PROPERPublished 4 days ago in Families
Special From the Start, Forever in Our Heart
From day one he had my heart. A boy who may not have suffered like some but had his own burdens to bare. Within the first month of his life Charles began having rhythmic kicking in his legs. His doctor visit sent us for blood tests. It's hard to express what you feel watching your little one month old baby being stuck with needles into their tiny veins. Results came back with high ammonia levels. I was instructed to nurse him every hour and we were sent to Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, TX for evaluation. They told us he would most likely be sent to Dallas to a higher care facility.
Teresa LittigPublished 4 days ago in Families
