Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Families.

The Surprise of Her Life (Pt. 1)
In the Beginning It had been a rough couple of years for the woman who owned the salon down the way. Opening a business in a small town is a struggle in the best of times, but in Small Town, Texas, it was even more difficult. A small, sleepy farm town with only a couple of narrow roads and two stop signs was hardly fit for a prosperous beginning. But, she was determined to grow this business. The salon business, the business she studied hard for and made excellent grades in. Why, now that her husband was back from the war, he wasn't well and she was going to have to tow the load. He was no longer able to work full time to support their little family. He had nightmares every night, horrible scenes from the war, reliving the blood and gore in his head. It was enough to cripple any man. Yes, she would have to do most of the work in an effort to support them all and there was just no way God set her up to fail.
By Paula Walker Baker6 years ago in Families
Simply My Life
Chapter One The first memory I have from my childhood is riding my tricycle in the basement with gardener snakes slithering around. I had probably just turned four. We had an unfinished concrete basement, with a couple steps down to a dirt floor room where our washer and dryer were. I thought this had been a dream until one day my mother mentioned it. Now, I don’t know about you, but I think this is a logical start for my fear of snakes. This house also is the setting for another “dream” I had of a large tire filled with sand that was my sandbox. There was a snake in that too. I have no idea if this was a dream, or if this was also real.
By Jenn Pautsch6 years ago in Families
The People Who Left
The history of our family has been a major work for over twenty years now. The patterns of people and places, over several generations moving in the UK and overseas have completely changed the way I look at each branch of the family.
By Catherine Anfield6 years ago in Families
The Bus Leaves in 5 Minutes
For the most part, it always happened in the pre-dawn hours. You know, the time of day when the moon has almost faded from the sky... it’s still dark out, but birds are chirping and the sky is starting to get a slight tinge of a dark purplish, pink. That’s the time of day it would normally happen.
By The Wise One6 years ago in Families
Creative Ways for Parents to Make Reading and Writing for Their Children Fun
Parents are often busy and devote very less time to their kids. Even if they are at home, they are confused about spending time with the kids creatively and productively.
By Tiffany Harper6 years ago in Families
The Toddler Years
They said it would happen and I tried to listen. I didn’t really believe it could be possible. They had gone before me, and were the voice of wisdom. The “elders,” they had been where I now stood.
By Laurie’s Front Porch Stories6 years ago in Families
Online Gaming and Kids: Risks & Prevention
Since it is challenging to verify the true identity of the person behind the phone screen or desktop monitor, children end up exploiting this loophole to access online casinos and gamble using their parents’ or siblings’ accounts. Although this phenomenon is not new, a recent report by the UKGC reveals shocking details on how rife underage gambling is. And the problem is getting worse by the day.
By Julia Beyers6 years ago in Families
How Can You Predict Your Pregnancy Due Date?
When you’re an expecting mom you definitely want to know your due date. The sheer excitement of knowing when your bundle of joy will arrive is priceless. However, your next doctor’s appointment may be a few weeks away, and yet you want to know your baby’s birthday right now.
By Thomas Wright6 years ago in Families
Mothers Working from Home: Is It Really Worth the Risk
Women have pushed the boundaries of the norm in the 21st century, perhaps more than ever. According to CNBC, the number of women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies broke records just last year. You don’t have to look far to see that times are evolving worldwide as many working mothers have refused to be left behind. Whether a mother chooses to work in the office where she can feed off of comradery, or on the other hand, if a mother chooses to thrive off of intimacy with her children while working from home one thing is for sure, women are making bolder moves than ever. We are not here to claim that one work environment is better than the other. Instead, we’ve listed some details to consider, on your individual journey.
By Sasha McGregor6 years ago in Families
Parents of LGTB, Don't Lose Focus
Parents of LGBT, don't lose focus Let's stay focused on our job as a parent. I have joined some LGBT Parents groups and I have been thinking of how needing to protect our children from others has lead us to misunderstand our job as a parent. Yes, there is a lot of hatred against this community, but through history, there has been always hatred against other groups: overweight, disabled, race, religion, you name it, and our children are not the exception. Back in the 80s when the world started to learn about HIV, it was a worldwide earthquake! Take a look at them now, take a look at your LGBT friends, how are they doing now professionally, in their overall lives? Look at Ellen Degeneres, a strong lesbian; she did not have all the support our children have now. They are doing well, because though they had to hide and were terribly judge by society, they also had to build up their character and face many things by themselves, hidden from the society.
By Nancy6 years ago in Families
Father of the Year
Sometime in June, the local newspaper will announce the Father of the Year: a dubious honor bestowed upon a man who has been nominated by his family. I have no idea who the judges are, or what qualifications are needed to judge the fatherhood of any other man.
By Dub Wright6 years ago in Families
My Dearest Son
My Dearest Son, I remember when we were always on edge with our nerves, worked to the max, uncertainty of when you were arriving. How the contractions hurt, and yet I just wanted to see your face. January and cold, it had been snowing off and on. Hours before we got to the hospital, I couldn’t sleep. We had false alarms and your dad wasn’t sure if this time was legit. I tossed and turned all through the night and the pain was unimaginable. Unknowingly, I dilated to a five before throwing in the towel; telling your dad to let’s go, it’s time.
By Scarlett Price6 years ago in Families