Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
The Keys to Writing a Touching Story for Children
Stories play an important role in the development and growth of children. For one, stories serve as a great learning tool. They can improve children’s literacy and understanding about life in general. Aside from this, they are also a good source of fun and entertainment. Children generally enjoy reading about different characters and plots in stories. Whether through picture books, fairy tales, or songs, stories are one of the most fundamental ways in which children learn and have fun at the same.
By Lydia Dean6 years ago in Families
UNOFFICIALLY DEAD
It’s his birthday today, you know. We should be out there somewhere celebrating, but instead, I look down at his body and say, “Happy birthday Grandpa.” His eyes are cold and dark but I still see a flicker in them, his soul still dwells there. The wires protruding from his body under the pale light of the hospital room K21, a nightmarish vision. The relentless beep of the heart monitor makes me feel weak yet it is somehow comforting. I look at his pale, cold being and the sounds of the lively hospital begin to distort into a single monotonous ringing in my ear and my mind drifts to the thought: “Is this the end?”
By Jonathan Visagie6 years ago in Families
Slaying Virtual School
Like many parents, when COVID-19 made its initial appearance, I was cautiously optimistic that we were looking at a Swine-flu kind of situation that would pass fairly quickly and not alter our lives so drastically. The week before Spring Break in March, I pulled all 4 of my children from public school after instinctively feeling that the outbreak was going to get out of control. The "hush hush" of the school district and the clear lack of direction from government entities, local and federal, guaranteed that my kids would not be back in classrooms for a while.
By Tiffany FC6 years ago in Families
LIVE YOUR PREGNANCY A COOL DIVA STYLE
“Cool Ways to Own Maternity Style” Expecting a child may be one of the most beautiful things in the world. Knowing you’ll soon be holding that little bundle of joy in your arms and love it more than you’ve ever loved anyone or anything in this world is truly exceptional. And if it’s your first time around – that’s even more exciting! Still, even though you are becoming a mother doesn’t mean you should be letting go of everything you were up until that point and turning into a parent-puppet.So here’s our suggestions over how to Live Your Pregnancy a Cool Diva Style.
By Govind Dhami6 years ago in Families
Gasping for air
I think at points and particularly this year with the changes COVID-19 has brought to our lives that many of us have felt like this for similar & different reasons. I know I have certainly felt like this many times, been overwhelmed by the moment, the pressure building up so much that I have slammed doors, thrown things across the room, made funny animal noises to get the stress out, screamed and shouted. Yes this is not to say I’ve totally loved other moments it’s certainly been a tale of 2 halves, being with my babies and step children having the time to adventure with them; chase sun sets, jump in puddles, explore woods and run on beaches. All of that has been completely delightful and given me some of the best days of my life. But this blog is about those points when your chest gets tight and you are struggling for air as you assess the challenges in front of you... dogs poo by the kids play area in the garden, smashed glass in the lounge, eldest son needing help with his maths and never being able to fit in that one to one you promise to make cookies with you step daughter. You pause, grab the dustpan and brush and get back to it. Knowing you will face the same thing again maybe that day, or it might be tomorrow if you are lucky. It’s a merry go around. Emotionally I never seem to meet anyone’s needs and I know that’s ok but it hurts to hear my eldest son telling me I don’t put him first knowing that he is right because he is bigger he can wait that hour for me to trouble shoot all these urgent things before I get to him. He feels unimportant and unloved. I explain & think of solutions to make him feel better. He’s also the one that senses my stress and anxiety before I do and can say mum just lie down for 5 mins and listen to your favourite song, you’ll feel better. Bless him, he’s also the son that can be mean and spiteful to his step dad and sisters, not understanding because I love them to I don’t love him less. This year we also got our lovely puppy Lexi, perfect timing in so many ways and she has been so good for us all but sometimes and I feel desperately bad for saying this I do struggle with the constraints that she imposes on me, the additional mess, stress and admin. Someone else to look after and love, it can spread me thin. The loss of freedom in an already busy life. She’s also got used to us all being home and so it’s horrid having to leave her to wine and cry which she does even if we are out for such a short time. But my word the unconditional love we all get in return and the wonderful adventures we have had all across our Island paradise. I know she is a factor which has tipped me over the edge on occasions but I love her so much. I know I knew how our lives would change with her and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I know to many it looks like this year has been a jolly holiday and in ways it has been, I’ve never had such a good tan in adulthood but behind the scenes there are points I have drowned, bills to juggle that you only get around to at 2am in the morning, forms to fill in to get the financial help you need but requiring documents to be uploaded putting another barrier in the way, contracts to win and jobs to find. But the blessing for me has been to have such wonderful friends and family where we catch each other at these burn out points, love each other unconditionally, are kind to each other, listen and don’t judge, listen without providing solutions unless asked. I wouldn’t have survived without those people and it’s given me the fire in my belly to carry on, the permission to have that bubble bath guilt free but most of all it has kept ‘Loz’ alive when I have drowned in laundry and the like. This morning I cherish the early morning, my time, my space, my sanctuary! I feel blessed to have this little break before the chaos of another fabulous day in paradise begins. I end with when you are grasping for air, reach out... to me, to your neighbour, to your friend, your family as those helping hands will enable you to breath deeply again and know you are not alone! So find your rope to cling onto and offer a rope to others as well to grab hold of #Covid19Challenges #FamilyLife #TakeaBreak #Friends #family #itsoktonotbeokay
By Lorraine Lawton-Berry6 years ago in Families
Shadows In The Hall
Chapter 5 Shadows: with great love comes great pain: Part 2 Becoming a House Parent Because of this great job, I was able to truly feel like a mom. I was spending precious time with my own children I didn’t have so available when I was working as Nurse. I didn’t have to leave any of them and be gone all day or sometimes all night, be called in on my day off because we were short staffed, stay over 16 hours for the same reason, work on holidays or choose which holiday I wanted off and hope I was able to get it, I didn’t have to wear a uniform or have special equipment like my stethoscope, drive my car every day, just to go to the store or appointments and I was getting to cook all the time, I loved that a lot! It was worth it to me to take a lesser paying job with all these precious benefits.
By Linda Pavlos6 years ago in Families
The Impression of Light
Penny leaned on the doorframe, assessing the room. Lira had a way of bringing the forest green walls of her room to life, like flowers blooming for the sun. Since she’d been gone, the walls sulked in their intended darkness. That was Penny’s favourite thing about her sister. Lira had this power; she could revive anything with a smile or find that which lingered in the dark and coax it back to the light again. It was as if Lira sucked up all the darkness so that light could exist. Penny had a different kind of power, one that relied mostly mostly on disrupting natural order. She was the darkness and Lira seemed to be the only anchor in her storm of chaos.
By Jessica Harvey6 years ago in Families
