Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
5 Things I Want My Baby to Know
1. You Will Find What You Look for The World can be a scary place. It can be an awe inspiring, overwhelming place too. There is such a huge scale variety of sickening, tragic things happening on a daily basis; so much loss, pain, destruction and cruelty dished out that it is enough to knock the breath from you and make you feel like never stepping outside again. The world also has within it natural phenomenon and natural beauty, acts of kindness and life changing moments so big they make you pull back from the moment and look at it with a mixture of wonder and amazement. Too often, feeling unable to cope with things or overwhelmed by things comes from too much of one perspective. We live in a time where information is available at the touch of a button, where we are more aware of things on a global scale, where a person living across the world is not a thing you ponder mysteriously, but someone you can search up and send a message to within minutes. This opens us up to possibilities, but also to a total onslaught of over-stimulating information. Your mind will grow on what you feed it. Take time to pull away when there is too much sorrow to wade through, and wrap yourself in comforting things when something seems too big to process. It's OK to unplug for a while, in fact it is necessary.
By Jaz Johnstone7 years ago in Families
The Life of a Mom
Well, one thing I know for sure... It's not easy being a Mom of two young babies who are only 10 months apart. We have a routine. We definitely need a routine. First, We wake up in the morning, change diapers, get breakfast, then it's play time. My youngest normally naps around 10:30, while my oldest destroys the house I had just cleaned while they ate breakfast. I don't understand how she contains so much energy in such a tiny little body. Although I probably never will.
By Maddison Whitman7 years ago in Families
My Boots Are My Roots
I could say all the cliche things to grab your attention. I could paint a fake image of the cowboy life that I grew up in. But, none of that would be me, and that would be a disservice to the way I was raised and taught. I grew up surrounded by my parents, nature, and literally, on horseback. Don't quite get what I mean? Check out the main picture... yup. That's me in the knapsack with my dad at eight months old out in Kananaskis country in Alberta. Most of my childhood memories revolve around nature and family. If we weren't camping, we were on horses. If it wasn't that then it was helping dad with projects around the house. My world was learning, all types of skills, from how to hammer a nail to asking critical thoughtful questions about tough topics like politics, history, and philosophy. I was always encouraged to do well in school and if I was curious, at the time, "Google it" wasn't a phrase yet, grab a dictionary, or an encyclopedia and learn about it.
By Steven Altman7 years ago in Families
25 Self-Care Ideas for the Busy Mom
So one question I always get it is what can I do to take care of myself? Another one is I can’t think of any self-care ideas. The ideas are limitless if you are creative. More important than what you do during your “me time” is how it makes you feel. If you are not a bath girl, then taking a bath is NOT going to make you feel relaxed. Don’t do things that you don’t enjoy just for the sake of self-care. Unless, it is things like going to the doctor and dentist, drinking enough water, moving your body in some way and eating a balanced diet. Those things are very important but are going to vary from person to person.
By Jessica McCarty7 years ago in Families
Foods That Can Increase Your Chances of Getting Pregnant, and The Ones You Should Avoid
Everyone knows that substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine can seriously negatively affect a woman both prior to and during pregnancy, but nobody ever thinks about the food a woman is constantly putting into her body. Fast food dominates every part of the country, and a woman’s pregnancy cravings can be absolutely bizarre. However, with the rise of increased, overarching nutritional awareness across the nation, it is no surprise that researchers have begun to study the effects of different types of foods on a woman’s fertility. Studies have indicated that there is a direct correlation between a woman’s fertility and the food she consumes, particularly in regions of the country in which hormonal infertility runs rampant, such as the Midwest where diets are particularly dairy heavy. As a result, many women have begun to look into diet options that will allow them to have the quickest and healthiest baby possible.
By Lorna Vause7 years ago in Families
Our Parents
As I sat there in my bed, the night before this speech was due, my mind started spinning. What topic interested me? What topic would captivate my audience? After not being able to think of a good topic, I began to think about my previous speeches. I remembered asking my parents what their opinion was on millennials when I was in the midst of writing that speech and with their answer it led me to realize how different our mindsets are. And with that thought in mind I had a topic to write about.
By Shterna Botnick7 years ago in Families
The Final Act
I think about my dad the most when I am driving. When the windows are down and the sun is up and the music is too loud. I think about him driving, and how my driving is very similar to his. I don’t weave in and out of traffic, I rarely speed more than a reasonable amount, and if the car is not a standard my left foot is almost always on the dashboard. I always roll the windows down, and never use the air conditioning. I always have music or an audio book on and I am forever doing something else. It used to be that I was smoking and looking at the map, but these days, in my old age, it has turned to drinking coffee and checking the GPS. Like him, I prefer a standard shift, but I live in a city of remarkable hills, so it is not always practical to do so. I think about him most when I am driving because in my 30 years with him, I spent most of that time in the car. We were always going somewhere. To the store, to the park, to the beach, to family’s houses, friend's houses. My dad was rarely idle, and when he was it was usually because there was traffic on his way to somewhere else.
By Paige Graffunder7 years ago in Families
Connecting Hearts
Hello, my name is Hannah. My story starts on a cold day in December of 2000. Two people who I can tell you, were not in love, made love between the sheets in an old rusted trailer. Their names were Anne and Don. Anne and Don were the opposite of responsible. In fact the two didn’t have jobs, they lived off of government checks. Anne and Don were merely what you’d call “a couple." They screwed around from time to time. On this particular day in December, Anne and Don hit it off. Little did they know as they made love on that frightful day, a child would come in the following weeks. That child was me, Hannah.
By Jenna Doss7 years ago in Families
