Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
Getting Pregnant Naturally
Menstrual cycle The first way to conceive naturally is to make sure that you record the frequency of your menstrual cycle. This is one of the best things that you can do when you are trying to have a baby naturally. This is especially true if you have a regular period, where the days of the period are on the same amount of days each month. You will be able to predict better when you will be ovulating if you are tracking this information on a calendar. When you ovulate, this is when your ovaries will be releasing an egg every month.
By Paisley Hansen7 years ago in Families
A Prayer for Happiness: Five Things to Tell Your Adult Children
As any parent will tell you, watching your kids grow up is, at once, the most wonderful and most difficult thing in the world. On the one hand, you get the sheer joy and amazement of experiencing your children develop their own personalities, seek out their own passions, and discover their own path in life. On the other… well, feeling them gradually move away from you, gradually becoming less dependent, and gradually turning their back on your home is something which most parents find really, really tough—even if they understand completely that in order for them to become well-rounded and happy adults, it’s all just par for the course.
By Jilian Woods7 years ago in Families
Why Is Traveling with Your Family Beneficial
Are you going to have all those small fights as you do at home, and how will you find the space for all of you? Well, the situation is completely opposite, because traveling with your family is actually beneficial, and here it is why.
By Isla Wright7 years ago in Families
The Mountain and The Mushroom
Birds sang their melodies high in the pine trees bathed in the hot sun of mid-spring. The silky strands of web connected grass to twigs, branch to branch, making a hammock for a spider who’s just looking for a place to relax, and for lunch to be served. If I had to let my imagination run wild I would accuse him of looking for a larger snack than a few flies who happened to pass through. Probably something a little more like my face wide eyed with sweat trickling down my temples, as I meticulously scan the soil for any signs of life besides more spiders and caterpillars. The ground was dirt dry, the river was roaring, and somehow the wild flowers found enough water to grow, but the mushrooms laid dormant deep in the earth without even a strip tease of what may come. It was the second time this year my boyfriend and I went Morel mushroom hunting, and found nothing. My brain tried to reason that it was still too early, and maybe the conditions weren’t quite right yet. The other half of my brain played on repeat how I had no clue what I was doing, and half the locations I sought after were merely guesses on maps I threw darts at. It was the beginning of my fourth year as an active forager, my first year as a pregnant forager, and I kind of knew the basics of what Morels needed to thrive, one of them being a recent forest fire. Since our valley is notorious for fires—every year we brace for the damage—I was not lacking in the need of fertile, scorched earth. I just wish I could put the wild in wildfire, since that would be a natural and common thing in our forests to occur on their own, but more often than not it’s caused by a stoner ashing a pipe with too hot cherries, an owl flying into power lines in an electric spark of feathers, or plain intentional arson. Whether it was caused by pure thoughtlessness of human, or a freak accident of birds, it still gave all of us foragers a reason to look forward to every spring, and whatever bounty may follow.
By Jesemynn Cacka7 years ago in Families
Ways to Create Long Lasting Happiness With Your Children
Introduction: Kids Deserve to Be Happy Your children deserve to be happy, and to know that they're loved. You don't need to show this in big ways. In fact, making them happy can occur in small moments instead of big gestures. In order to do this, think of things they like, and show them that you're thinking of them each and every day. When it comes to special moments and holidays, take the liberty to do bigger things to make them happy. These are also ways to bond the whole family together, and boost morale inside the home and out. Follow these tips to make your children happy.
By Sasha McGregor7 years ago in Families
My Friend
My brother, he was my friend, my protector, father figure. When I lost him it felt like I lost everything, he passed away in September 2017. That day was the worst time of my life, it’s like I felt it. I felt it was coming, something inside me kept saying his name as I sat at my desk. I looked at his picture and just smiled. My mom called in the frantic, most hysterical mood that I have ever heard. All I remember are the words, “Marvin, your brother, my baby... gone."
By Drea Williams7 years ago in Families
Eco-Parenting—Easy Tips
In the past few years, my obsession with health and wellness has increased tenfold. I trained to teach yoga five years ago and started living an entirely vegan lifestyle. I began to look into the things I put on my skin and in my body, from medicine to body lotion. I wanted to be as natural as possible for both my own health and that of the planet. When I fell pregnant with my little boy, my interest in a more eco-friendly lifestyle increased (much to the dismay of my partner, who goes along with it, but would probably rather I wasn't so hellbent on saving the world one cloth nappy and vegan dinner at a time).
By Samantha Bentley7 years ago in Families
Family Court Review
On 21st May 2019, the British Government announced there would be a review of the family courts and how they do not protect children from abusive fathers. The review will be run by Ministry of Justice and will run for three months. The panel will include leading academics, charities, and senior members of the judiciary. This follows an investigation by the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, and a call for a full independent review by MP Louise Haigh, Shadow Minister for Policing. The Prime Minister Theresa May rejected calls for a full independent review saying that there was no evidence that the Family Courts weren’t putting the safeguarding of children first, despite four children having been killed in court ordered contact with their father despite him being a domestic abuser.
By Clare Scanlan7 years ago in Families
6 Reasons Why I'm Not Scared of Giving Birth...
Here I am, in all my 38 week pregnant glory. This was last week though, so imagine me marginally more pregnant now. This baby is very much wanted, so although I appreciate that accidents do happen, in our case it was planned and prepared for, so maybe that has something to do with my mentality. From the day I found out I was pregnant I've been excited, and haven't had many negative thoughts at all. I've had a relatively easy ride of it too, which can't hurt.
By Natalie Fairypants7 years ago in Families
