Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
The Life of a Teenage Mom
It was in August 2016 when I found out I was pregnant. I was only 16 years old at the time and that was honestly the scariest news of my life. I cried for days wondering how I was going to raise a baby and how my father would react. I didn't end up telling him, my mom did. I was shocked to hear that he wasn't angry. Just a little upset. Dylan had no idea until I called him at work and told him. He was nervous but seemed to be fine with the news. I didn't want to tell anybody because I was scared of what they would say about me having a baby at such a young age. I had my first prenatal and I was so nervous... I went in and we listened to my baby's heartbeat and I almost cried. It was a sign of relief and it made me excited.
By Brooke Smith8 years ago in Families
Unexpected Miracle
Living your life as a teenager is hard enough... especially when your life gets turned upside down within nine months. As a kid I was the social butterfly, until my brother turned on me. Growing up with an addict brother was different. But I never let it get me down, I still went to friend's houses, birthday parties, and skating rinks with my friends. Then one day after school, my mom had to work late and my dad was always at the shop till at least 9 o’clock. But I thought my brother was home so I was good. Then an hour later, he comes barreling through the front door like a bat out of hell, screaming at me for making a mess. I could tell he wasn't right. In his eyes there was nothing. Like being in a crowded room, where you don’t know anyone. The more anger he had in his eyes the closer he stepped towards me. Finally I ran in to the wall, no where else to run to. Then it happened. He struck me with all his strength. Over and over again I felt his whole body weight hit me over and over again. The one I was supposed to be able to look up to, the one I thought I could trust, turned on me. Made me his personal punching bag for the night.
By Hanah Evans8 years ago in Families
Better Children Make for a Better Future
In response to the mounting allegations against Harvey Weinstein, there has been a great deal of noise coming from “fathers of daughters” talking about how they love and respect women, how sexual predation is one of the greatest fears of any father, and how there is a need to protect their daughters from the evils of the world. And, while these are indeed admirable words, for me this raises some far more fundamental questions about how we raise our sons.
By Mark Williams8 years ago in Families
Growing Up Without a Father
I grew up in a fatherless home. My dad had his "new family" as I called them. He pushed me to the back burner and forgot about me. A tremendous impact that I never want to feel again. Growing up without that dad role has given me so many challenges with guys that I've dealt with over the years.
By Jennifer Rubey8 years ago in Families
Deadbeat Dads
Like a double-edged sword, the parenting standard for men and women, especially in the minority communities, across the country has been proven bias. The concept of a deadbeat dad in our society is one that labels a father who is not in the child’s life as a second-rate citizen. But what are the circumstances behind this estranged relationship? Is it deliberate? Is it intentional?
By Chris Ricks8 years ago in Families
People Pleaser
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" said my teacher. That was an easy question for me. I had known the answer since preschool, the early age when you first begin to understand that people have jobs. I may not have understood the complexities of a career, but I knew that people spent a lot of time there, so if I was going to pick something to do with the rest of my life it was going to be something that made me happy.
By Matthew Eyler8 years ago in Families
Living as a Depressed Mom
Being a mom is already hard. While we are trying to live up to everyone's expectations of us, we often forget about taking care of ourselves. I am a proud mom of a 3 year old and a one month old, and while I love them more than anything, I struggle day to day with crippling depression. There are all different kinds of depression and the level of severity can change from person to person and from day to day. I am no expert on the subject but I can offer an insider perspective of a mom who struggles with depression.
By Jade Tostanoski8 years ago in Families
Unsuspecting Mother
I’m 22 with two beautiful little girls that I never expected to have. I've heard many women complain about getting pregnant and it not being planned and how they hate it and all this and that. I'll admit when I found out I was pregnant with my first born I lost it, bawling my eyes out. I wasn’t in a stable relationship with the father, we were friends with benefits to put it nicely. I was so scared he'd walk away from me and I’d be a single mom all alone.
By Kirsta Harrington8 years ago in Families
Me First, Momma After
This is pretty self-explanatory and something I’ve struggled with since my first child was born. I brought my daughter into this world when I was 21 years old. I was young, I was in a failing relationship, and I honestly had no idea who I was. I hadn’t yet begun to discover the things that made up my character, and I was still emotionally struggling from demons that I couldn’t leave in the past. My priorities were work, how much beer I had in my fridge, and what my plans were for the coming weekend. The second the doctors laied my daughter on my chest, everything for me changed. All of my priorities shifted and everything that I had ever cared about emptied itself from my mind. She became all that I knew and literally my only concern. I didn’t know it yet, but that was mother's instinct and I completely consumed myself in it. My daughter is almost three years old, and I didn’t start to discover that I was doing this all wrong until just this past year.
By Ashleigh Corriveau8 years ago in Families
