Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
Summer Activities for Your Kids
When my children were young, I found summers to be a good time for them to explore, learn, and engage in fun and safe activities. Children will become bored if their summer days are not filled with a variety of activities. There are creative ways to help your children have a wonderful summer. With careful planning, you can create activities that will become memories for them that they will love and cherish. The key, however, is advanced planning. You will need to start planning for the summer several weeks before summer arrives. As you make plans for summer activities, consider local craft stores, your local library, art centers and museums, and of course your local recreational center to see what if they are offering summer activities. You can also explore your local YMCA and community summer league programs.
By Clara Harrison8 years ago in Families
Call the Monster-in-Law
We have all heard so many horror stories. We all are terrified of one part of a relationship. The parents. For the men, it is usually fear of the dad or the brothers. You have heard some pretty interesting stories about those. But most of the time, they sort it out like men. And when all boundaries are established and feelings have been made clear, usually it is fine between them. After all, it is a common theory that many women find partners that remind them of positive male role models in their lives. Men, on the other hand, don't usually find women like their mothers.
By Lynn Adams8 years ago in Families
Things Breastsleeping Does to Your Body
Before diving into this article, let's discuss what breastsleeping is—and no, that's not a typo; you read that correctly. Breastsleeping is simply the act of sleeping with your baby while breastfeeding. The term breastsleeping was created by James McKenna, Ph.D, the director of the University of Notre Dame's Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory.
By Julie Barnes8 years ago in Families
Mommy Not So Dearest Part 2
Needless to say the affair I was trying to stay out of didn’t end. But my very early and young marriage did end, unfortunately. I moved from St. Louis back home to Minnesota to stay with my family during the separation period, which only dragged me into the whole mess of things further.
By Meagan Hagerman8 years ago in Families
An Open Letter to the Man Who Destroyed My Family
To whomever it may concern, I don't know your name, what you look like, where you are from, or anything about you. And I don't care to. You ripped my family a part. You took the seams of my parents' marriage and helped my mom pull them out thread by thread. I don't blame you entirely, for it takes two to tango, but it takes an extremely low, greedy person to come between a married woman and her husband. Who knows? Maybe there were multiple of you. Like I said: I don't know, and I don't care to, whomever it may concern.
By Ashley Gilmer8 years ago in Families
Mommy Not so Dearest Part 1
I always loved the words used in The Crow movie, “Mother means God in the mouths of children.” That always resonated with me from such a tender age on. In my opinion, some mothers just aren’t meant to be mothers. They lack the really important part that a mother should have. The nurturing that comes from being a mother. That unconditional love only a mother can have for a child no matter if they are perfect or not, no matter what age they are, no matter how successful they are or not. Isn’t that the definition of unconditional love? It literally says it in the word, there are no conditions to it whatsoever.
By Meagan Hagerman8 years ago in Families
Absent, Not Gone
“It’s you and me against the world.” Those were the words my grandfather would often utter when I padded downstairs to kiss him goodnight. He was a quiet man who rarely indulged in idle conversation, let alone humor, but when he saw my face framed with messy hair, his brown eyes seemed to glow. He would smile for me. I would hoard his abrupt chuckles like a dragon would gold.
By Becca Volk8 years ago in Families
Best Books for Expectant Parents (And the Ones You Should Avoid)
As an expectant parent, there are a million questions you'll face about pregnancy and how to raise your children. Navigating all of the conflicting information, statistics, and opinions can be overwhelming. With such a vast number of resources, from pregnancy apps to books to videos to articles, how do you know what sources can you trust? Where can you find help?
By Alicia Springer8 years ago in Families
Planning Your Next Vacation Adventure with Toddlers
We all know those yearning feelings we share when dreaming of that next great travel adventure. It’s that feeling—that dreamy but pushy, I-don’t-care-how-much, urge to get away and experience a new, exciting vacation.
By InMotion Albums8 years ago in Families
Smile If You're Happy
The white blouse had been a bad choice. Barbara didn’t have to look down to see the dribble of ketchup that had fallen onto her stomach. Almost all of her shirts had the same stain due to her fondness of french fries. It was the one thing she couldn’t give up. Henry had suggested it, even pushed her many a time to let the habit die but so far it hadn’t and she wasn’t really planning on it.
By Sarah McDivitt8 years ago in Families
