Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
Mom Fail 101
It was summer and it had been a long hot day and it wasn't over, after about two hours of grocery shopping with a hyperactive eight-year-old, who not only wanted everything he saw, but was also easily distracted by everything in the store. I was not in the mood to cook anything I had just purchased, so on the way home I opted to stop through a local fast food restaurant. I know, I know, not the healthiest thing to do, but most of us moms have done it. I still had to go up, clean up the house, and fix my husband his supper, not to mention, baths and bedtime for my other two babies waiting for me to pick them up at grandma's house. Pulling up to the drive thru, I asked my son what would you like.
By Angel Ponder8 years ago in Families
Bilingual Prejudice. Top Story - March 2018.
When my first daughter was born in July of 2010, there was never any question that we were going to raise her to be bilingual. My wife is from Lima, Peru, and though we decided to reside in the United States, we agreed that the Peruvian half of our child’s heritage would have an equal place in our home and family. Having met my wife when I lived in Lima, I’d grown accustomed to speaking with her in Spanish. We welcomed our second daughter in 2012, and have continued to be a Spanish speaking household. However what is “normal” for us is not the norm of the United States, and soon we discovered that what we perceived to be an advantage, would also bring its share of challenges to our children.
By Walter Rhein8 years ago in Families
Dysfunctional Family
I married a man with two kids and an ex-wife. I have not experienced giving birth to a baby, but I accept his kids as if they were my own. Although, I was never given a manual on the do's or don’ts of being a stepmother yet somehow, I seem to have survived! We have been married for several years, moved out of state to be closer to the kids, and be more supportive. Unfortunately, his ex -wife was in the process of a second divorce and his kids despised me, since they thought their parents would finally get back together. He made it clear to them that I was here to stay. The kids are now adults from a 19-year-old boy and a 24-year-old girl. In the real world, eventually, people grow out of disliking someone and get to know the person, but my experience with the ex-wife became a little more than I bargained for as a step parent.
By Charlene Ellison8 years ago in Families
How to Cope With Infertility
I'm just going to be blunt right now. A vast majority of the successful women online are what we'll call "mommy bloggers". Some of them are cute and sweet and helpful, but the ones I dislike are they who just complain about their children. I admit those particular "mommies" are funny at times, but I feel like they get a little too much attention. They are moms themselves, and yet they make motherhood out to be the worst decision of their lives. What kind of message is that putting across to the world? Is motherhood a joke? Well, it's not funny to people who can't have kids. I know plenty of women who deal with the same awful little word I do: Infertility. All of the negative vibes about how hard it is to be a mom just makes us want to scream. Those women don't know what it's like to try for a baby week after week, month after month, only to give up buying the pregnancy tests, and put all your hopes and plans aside. They have no idea how much it hurts to sit behind big families at church or see a mom with her little ones at the grocery store. How dare they mock motherhood when it is something so many women can't have. As a society, we have learned to talk down motherhood and to ignore infertility and it all needs to stop.
By Kathryn C. 8 years ago in Families
Big or Small: The Importance of Family to Me
The way I see a family may be different to other people. I see a family as the people you can always call home, wherever you may be in the world. These people don't necessarily need to be blood-related to you. They can be your friends, a trusted colleague and for some people, a school teacher. These are the people who make you feel like you belong to something, the people who make you proud. I'm going to open up and share a story which recently happened to me.
By J.S. Mellanby8 years ago in Families
Preparing to Be a Single Mother
I fell pregnant in 2012, and in the beginning, things went as expected. My partner and I were shocked at first, we hadn't been trying for a baby. After the shock wore off we began to get excited, after going over a few things we realised we could we could do this. However, just a few weeks later I began to doubt that we would be raising this baby together. He had a few personal issues that I thought he was committed to solving, I was wrong about that. I also had this uneasy feeling that he was cheating on me again. Yes, I said again. I realise that I was stupid to give him a second chance, but if I hadn't then I wouldn't be where I am today so I guess I that to thank him for.
By Soraya Bowie8 years ago in Families
Deliver Me
My nine months of pregnancy was normal. I handled everything like a trooper, including a scare my doctor had given me at 35-36 weeks. At that specific appointment, I was told my son was turned "oblique;" a term which means sideways, literally laying from one hip to another. I was used to them saying, "Baby is head down, and engaged, meaning he was due to make his appearance soon." As usual, however, my child had to be stubborn. "The baby is turned oblique, and we're barely reading a heartbeat." My heart was stammering in a million directions, my mind was coursing through every possible outcome. I was prepared to be told to drive next door to the hospital to be checked into Labor and Delivery. My fiancé and I anxiously waited for the head OBGYN to come in and give us the news. To our surprise, however, the news was uplifting. Christopher (our son) was, again, head down and engaged. His heart rate was reading normal and a healthy speed.
By Lisa Taylor8 years ago in Families
Life As a Single Mom
The life of a single mother isn't all fun and games. It's not at all glamourous. It's dirty, upsetting, tedious, and hard work. It's having to play both good-cop and bad-cop. It's having to say no when deep down you wish you could say yes. It's missing out on sleep when your little ones are sick. It's impromptu doctor visits. It's cleaning food up from off the floor. It's scrubbing permanent marker from the walls. It's tripping over Legos in the dead of the night. It's kissing boo-boos and chasing away boogey monsters. It's hospital visits for broken bones and stitches. It's helping with homework. It's sleepless nights filled with lots of endless worrying. It's missing out on meals so that your children can eat. It's passing up a new pair of shoes for yourself so that your children won't have to do the same. It's making sure your bills and rent are paid so your children won't be homeless or have to go without heat and electricity. It's mending broken hearts and helping your children to achieve their dreams. It's attending concerts, sporting events, spelling bees, and school plays. It's bath-time fun and bedtime hassle. It's balancing work and home. Being a single mother isn't an easy job and it sure as hell isn't for the weak. Being a single mom has its ups and it's downs. I didn't sign up to be a single mother. Believe me there was never a time in my life where I woke up and thought "Gee, I wonder what it would be like to be a single mom." If I'd wanted to love and care for children on my own I would never have wanted a man in my life, I would have just gone to my local sperm bank and told them to fill me up. It would have saved me a hell of a lot of time and trouble. Being a single mom is a thankless job. I don't get paid for what I do. I don't get any awards or any vacation time. What I do get is a lifetime of hugs, sticky kisses, lots of "I love you" and a lifetime of knowing that my children are who and what they are because I, as their mother, cared enough to not only have them but to give them all of my time, love, and attention. Seeing my children grow into loving, responsible human beings and knowing that it is due to my influence is all the reward this single mama could ever ask for. I got a message to all of the single moms out there who may be reading this article at this very moment: I know it's hard. I feel your struggle. Just know, that in the end, it will all be worth it. I promise.
By Phoenix Cobain8 years ago in Families
Top 5 Ways to Support Foster Families
In the US, there are millions of children in foster care every year, and a vastly inadequate number of foster families. Understandably, not everyone can become a foster parent, but you may be wondering: isn't there still something I could do?
By Coral Hayward8 years ago in Families
