Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Families.

Becoming a Parent - A Daddy's Perspective
If you're reading this then you're in a good place, because soon enough you'll discover that most things you see will be through exhausted and fragmented eyes.
By Jord Tury7 years ago in Families
Child vs. Child
Dear Readers, Have any of you ever felt that your parents were choosing one of your siblings over you? Or even just someone else? Well, I get that feeling. Before I explain, I want to point out that my mother is a very strong and independent single mother of four. She married into a family of three and with me and my younger brother in the picture we made a perfect American family. After 13 years of being a single mother, she finally met the man of her dreams and got married, with him came twin girls who my mother practically adopted. Their mother had left the picture and only came back after my mom stepped up to the plate. I won’t lie, I have no compassion for this women, she has shown me and my family, time and time again, that she is nothing short of a villain towards us. So while my dad (the man my mother married), Steven, was alive, Stacy had no custody of the girls. All choices regarding my sisters were my mother's and my father's to make.
By Abigail White7 years ago in Families
The Forgotten One (Ch. 3)
Once we were moved into 8341 Henry Circle and settled, it was time to explore new surroundings. Our neighborhood consisted of two cul-de-sacs. We lived in the second house on the right.
By Nalana Phillips7 years ago in Families
Renovations for a Kid-Friendly Home
If you live in a home for more than 5 years, you’ll probably end up renovating something about the house. You might realize that you want more storage space, and so you add on a few more feet to the side garage. Or, maybe a wall in the kitchen has been bothering you since you moved in. Or, maybe the home isn’t child-friendly and so you’re changing things to encourage your children to have a more fulfilling and meaningful childhood. There are a lot of reasons why people change things about their homes, and there are a lot of different ways that you can change things about your home. For those who are looking to renovate their homes to make them more child-friendly, here are the best ways to do it.
By Mia Morales7 years ago in Families
Rebuilding Unity
What is a family? A simple definition would be, a group of people, that consists of parents and children living in the same house. But in reality, everyone knows family does not mean just that. A family is more than just a group of people, it is a group of people who love and care for one another. There are billions of families that live on this earth, but not every family is the same. The reason could be because of religion, culture, or family morals. But one trait that all families experience are the ups and downs. In addition, families are not as close to each other as they use to be or would like to be. As children grow up, parents may start to feel disconnected, unlike when they were little. As parents, they may also feel that they do not know anything about their child or what goes on in their lives at school, work, or with friends. On the other hand, children may feel as if their parents do not care about them because they are not close to each other. In fact, the children may feel neglected. What could be the reason for these feelings? Could it be because there is no trust or no love? That could be the answer; however, these feelings reflect poor relationships and lack of communication. The real problem is there is no bond between the parents and children; there is no unity. There are many causes for this problem. It could be because everyone has a different schedule and they come home at different times. Perhaps parents are too busy with work or are too tired to do anything. The lack of communication and too little time spent together could also be a few other reasons, as well as the growth of technology. Many families bypass these issues because they do not realize it until it is too late. Having no bonds in families can be a big problem because it contributes to broken relationships and separation between spouses. Many families lack unity; however, this can change if they spend more time together, communicate very frequently, and limit their time with technology.
By V7 years ago in Families
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
The blood on his hands dripped into the water. The sound of the first drop falling had startled him, as the surrounding forest was dead silent. But now, as he stared dazedly at his bloody hands, he found tranquility in the steady drip, drip, drip. He crouched down and fully submerged his hands in the ice-cold lake, watching the hot blood swirl off and stain the clear water. The blood on his hands wasn’t his.
By Anne P.7 years ago in Families
Diary of a Dad Aged 51¾ - Part 13
This is about the love of screen, be it large, big, medium and small sized! It’s really funny, but I realised the other day that as a family of four we hardly ever sit together as a whole four and watch the television together. This includes any type of television show. Everyone has their own subset, that they enjoying watching. Among some of the programmes watched are:
By Steve Atkins-Linnell7 years ago in Families
Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifting Ideas for All Tastes
The saying "it’s the thought that counts" is often used negatively in response to someone receiving an inadequate gift, implying that the effort that’s gone into giving something is more valuable than the gift itself. But I believe there’s no reason why the thought that goes into giving shouldn’t be as wonderful as the gift itself. That’s why I’ve done a little exploration and come up with some alternative gifting ideas for different "types of mum" that demonstrate the thoughtfulness that’s gone into choosing them—I hope you find it useful!
By Nathalie Martin7 years ago in Families
Boy or Girl
The word "easy" has never been in my parenting vocabulary. Being a parent, in all situations and circumstances, is hard work. Parenting also brings satisfaction, happiness, fulfillment and a myriad of other joyful benefits too numerous to list. That being said, I must tell you truthfully, raising girls is easier than raising boys. I speak with no prejudice, for I have children of both sexes. For me, it was easier to raise daughters because I have a frame of reference. I was a daughter, a girl, a sister, and I understood firsthand what was going on in each stage of my daughters’ growing up years.
By Joseline Burns7 years ago in Families
My Daughter's Valentine's Day
I have never been a huge fan of Valentine's Day. I believe it's a hallmark holiday and makes a lot of people feel bad. Some people celebrate it with their family, and our community center always does a daddy-daughter dance. Which is why I always try to do something fun for my daughter on Valentine's Day every year. Whether she has a Valentine and someone to go to a dance with or she's single, I want her to look forward to Valentine's Day. Granted, she's two, so I have a few years before these problems hit, but I still want her to look forward to it.
By Michelle Schultz7 years ago in Families
I Remember
They say some things will come and go as time progresses. That we will learn to either cope or let go and forget. I chose to blindly ignore the pain and let it eat at me for years, simply pretending it did not exist. So many therapists have tried to pry these memories from the darkest parts of my brain. To teach me to that maybe this pain is temporary. But, frankly, this is not temporary. This is something that will weigh heavy on me and my heart for a very long time. And I may learn to cope eventually, but for now, this is the best option.
By Bailey Theismann7 years ago in Families
Dear Dead Beat Daddy
Dear Dead Beat Daddy, This is a thank you letter to you, who does not feel it is necessary to be in our lives because it is more important to you to run the streets than help raise a kid.
By Nalana Phillips7 years ago in Families