Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
A Pain You’ll Never Get Over
They always say you never get over loss and up until this year, I fully understood this. For years I watched people lose their mothers, fathers, grandmas, grandads, uncles, and aunts but I never thought that they’re children of someone and what it would be like to lose your own child.
By Kelsey Gooding7 years ago in Families
My Life as a Clueless Mother
"Being a mother changes you..." Damn ain't that the truth. I would say pardon my language, but we all deserve to let loose now and again, and boy it has been a long time coming. It's funny to think about the word motherhood. It almost sounds like a job description honestly. A lot of times that's exactly what it is. From the moment you find out that you're a soon to be mom, your life is arranged around this tiny little human. From "no, sushi is bad for the baby" or "if you drink caffeine your baby is going to have ADHD." Mom shaming is everywhere! You give up some less important things, as well as things you thought you would never live without.
By Tara Beavers7 years ago in Families
A Wedding Anniversary
It’s our third wedding anniversary; for three years I’ve been married to this flirtatious and kind bearded man. I still feel butterflies when you wink at me, brushing your comb over to the side, and giving me your slow grin that is reserved for times when you’re teasing me mercilessly.
By A Lady with a Pen7 years ago in Families
That's Not Neglect
First, let me tell you how the rest of my day went. I got up and got my oldest (age three) ready for school. While I was preparing other things, I got a good breakfast into all three of my girls, and they had some playtime because I’d planned well. While Sugar Bean (the three year old) was at school, I took Gummy Bear (age two) and Sunshine (age two months) shopping. Gummy Bear got treats for being good, plus a lot of verbal positive reinforcement. I kept Sunshine calm and content, and got everybody’s Halloween costume supplies more than a month early. I picked up Sugar Bean from school on time, and then all three girls got to play with me AND their grandma. I put them down for naps after a good lunch. When Sugar Bean refused to nap, I let her have quiet time instead of leaving her to cry it out excessively.
By Brynne Nelson7 years ago in Families
What Makes a Good Mom Friend
I recently called my sister to inform her that my 13-year-old daughter may have to live with me forever. She had managed to forget her lunch for the second time that week and it was only Wednesday. My sister proceeded to go down the proverbial rabbit hole with me. I decided that my precious angel would need me forever because obviously her 15-year-older self will forget to feed her own children, heck, she may even forget she has children and leave them places. Because let’s face it, a few forgotten lunches ultimately means she is destined for failure in life. For the next 15 minutes my sister was able to successfully remind me that I have time for my 13-year-old to grow into a responsible adult. She isn’t planning on moving out for a few more years and I have many weeks to work on her being able to see that brightly colored lunch box sitting on the end of our island as she walks by it to open the front door. She was optimistic enough to even propose that this young lady may, in fact, be able to pack her own lunch before she successfully zips it into her backpack. This may be a stretch in my mind as of this moment but I appreciate the faith she has in this forgetful child.
By Katie Larsen7 years ago in Families
When the Sun Light Ends
It was around the time I was to be getting ready for school. But instead of getting ready for school, I was in an ambulance with my god mother, fighting with her to stay awake. The EMTs had to use the defibrillator on her to have her heart pumping. "Just let me sleep." She kept begging and I refused.
By Melina Encarnacion7 years ago in Families
The "Mom Shame"
When I was pregnant, people would ask what I planned to do with feeding for my baby. I would answer, "Half and half. I'd do half nursing, half bottle." Now, I wasn't quite sure what I would do with the bottle, I wanted to use breastmilk as much as possible, but if something were to happen and formula was needed then that would be okay, too... At least, that's what I thought.
By Kaitlin Lee7 years ago in Families
How I've Dealt with My Mom Being Dead
So, here goes. My mom is dead. Obvious, if you read the title. She has been for 4 years. Again, same if you read. My mom was taken from me as an adult. I was 20 years old. While some people think, "Well, you're an adult it's not that bad," I think otherwise.
By Charis Marquez7 years ago in Families
