Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
How to Minimize Your Part in the Emotional Trauma to Your Children During Divorce
Just remember once upon a time there was something you saw and loved about your ex spouse, and that my friends is what is important for you to remind your kids about! You do this so that their little hearts may mend and their minds will understand that they came from something so good and meaningful it created them. Teach kindness, and build them up. Refuse to cause your child additional pain while they are experiencing grief over the breakup of their family, while their whole world falls apart and changes forever. Give them a reason to be secure in their place in your life; they come from you both.
By Cheryl Chastain6 years ago in Families
Surviving Your First Year as a Stay-at-Home Mom
Congratulations! You’ve taken the plunge into the zany SAHM (stay-at-home mom) pool. While expecting your baby, you may have envisioned days of doing exactly what you wanted to do while your baby snoozed away, but you have probably by now realized that your tiny, new—permanent—houseguest is running the show. Now what?
By Kerrie McLoughlin6 years ago in Families
8 Signs Your Child May Need a Hearing Test
How can you know if your child is hearing properly? Perhaps your child is getting ready to start school, and you want to make sure they'll hear the teacher. Or maybe you've noticed your child's speech is behind that of other children of the same age. Possibly your child is displaying behaviors that are unusual—or you've noticed they aren't responding in their usual manner. Are any of these things indicators of an underlying hearing issue? They could be.
By Janette Brazel6 years ago in Families
Summer Evening
The evening glow lit up the dining room table. It was warm in the house, and a soft tapping sound could be heard. A younger man in his late 20s sat at the table. He had short, red-tinged hair, and freckles speckled across his face. His deep, brown eyes were looking off in thought. There was a stack of papers with writing scrawled all over them. The handwriting was messy.
By James Slocum6 years ago in Families
Da New Piana
Aunt Flo played the old piano as if she was shoeing a nag tied to the back porch. Well meaning Christians saved the piano from a fire of suspicious origins. It seems the blaze started in an upstairs bedroom of a local brothel. At my young age I neither knew what the word brothel meant nor why any of the local Christian men knew that a piano was located inside the ornate Victorian structure located on the outskirts of the village of Lizard Gulch.
By Dub Wright6 years ago in Families
Baby Blues or PPD?
If someone had asked me before I gave birth to Lorenzo what it felt like to be depressed, I honestly would not have known how to answer them. This is my story of how I felt after giving birth for the second time, and the progress that I have made in dealing with my emotions afterwards.
By Monique Griffani6 years ago in Families
Barnwood Sign
Hurricane Fran took the roof off of the barn back in 1996. For days after that we wondered around our swampy property and the nearby area picking up debris. Because we had used the barn as a storage place, our belongings had become airborne and had subsequently been deposited over much of the countryside.
By Dub Wright6 years ago in Families
Forget Me Not
So, a girlfriend asked me the other day what my go to baby products were so she could create a little gift basket for a friend of whom was expecting as a baby shower gift. After chatting about it, she expressed that I really should post these products to share my experiences and explain why these are my favourite products and also some items that not everyone thinks about but they are the things that you use every day.
By Monique Griffani6 years ago in Families
Because They Deserve It: Making Your Aging Parents Happy
Whenever things get rough in life, and you have to turn to somebody for help or comfort, the first people you think of are usually your parents. You know that their love for you is unconditional, and that they are always there when you need advice, a kind word, or you have a problem you don’t know how to handle on your own. However, at some point, they become the ones who need your attention, time, and sometimes even help. Here are some ways to give some of that love back to your aging parents and treat them with the kindness they deserve.
By Isla Wright6 years ago in Families
Are Puddle Jumpers Safe?
I have four children, ages six, four, four, and two, and we live where pools are a common escape from the high summer heat. As a physician, I take swim safety very seriously, which is why when I witnessed my four-year-old daughter remove her Puddle Jumper without help, I came to realize just how dangerous these can be.
By Dr. Megan Babb6 years ago in Families
