Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Families.
Broodiness: The Need to Conceive
Broodiness refers to feelings of longing and the urge to have a baby. The reasoning behind broodiness is somewhat debated by the scientific community. Many theories suggest that broodiness is the result of changing hormones, suggesting women's bodies are biologically programmed to procreate. This theory is supported by the fact that most women begin to feel broody around the same point in their lives, generally between their early to late 20s, but this can vary depending on the individual. On the other hand not all women experience this at the same age, in fact some women do not experience these feelings at all.
By The 'A' Girl8 years ago in Families
What I Finally Told My Father
I was 12 when his anger flared again. Despite the consistent paid-for piano lessons, I was not as consistent practicing. Amanda, my very plump piano teacher, outed me as any good teacher should. I simply was not doing my homework. I sat on the piano bench when Dad started. He told me that I was disappointing him because I was not trying hard enough. I was not living up to my potential. He did not want to waste his money. I then did what I never wanted to do: I cried. As hard as I tried not to, the tears simply poured down my face as an unspoken anger filled my heart, ashamed of the tears. It showed weakness. I promised myself never ever to cry again. I held true to my self-induced vow for 8 years. Whenever I was teased or hurt in any way, however much I wanted, I simply would not cry. That stubborn desire was my stronghold and my answer for survival. To myself, I dared anyone to make me cry, feel remorseful, or feel anything. I simply rose above it.
By Tomas Alejandro8 years ago in Families
I'm Coping, But I'm Not Okay
June 19, 2016 will forever be a horrifyingly beautiful reality check to me. I thought I knew what it meant to be in despair, to feel as though my life was truly about to crumble and have little worth in this world. My stepfather showed me otherwise on the day he decided to kick me out. He blamed me for many things, from my sister's disinterest in her personal hygiene to the altercation between her and my brother.
By Anecia Lewis8 years ago in Families
The Queue
I walk forward a few paces in the line to see Santa. There are little reindeer standing on top of cotton which looks a bit like snow. I look behind me and stare at the line of other children waiting to see Santa. There’s a bored girl right behind me, and a teenager with a small girl, and another teenager with his Dad. The elves' bells are jangling so I turn back around, and they look slightly bored at first, but then they smile when they see me watching them.
By Beth Norman9 years ago in Families
Baby Talk
A few months back I watched Chrissy Teigen give an amazing speech about how it's not ok to ask someone when they are having children. They could be going through fertility treatments, they could be trying to adopt, or they could simply not ever intend on having children. Bottom line, we don't know someone else's struggle. It stirred a lot of emotion up in me, that I typically push to the back of my mind on most days. I identify so much with what she was saying it’s insane. Not having children by the age of thirty isn't an uncommon thing nowadays, but for some reason you still get the same old tired “your clock is ticking” or my favorite “those eggs won't cook for too much longer.” I get it, I do. It’s not that I don't want children, I do hope to have my own little bundle of joy someday. People, however, act as if they get offended that I don't have children or that I'm not actively trying. I'm honestly just not in the position I would like to be in before I bring a being that's totally dependant on me into this world. I got a late start on college, so at the age of 29, I'm still working on my degree. I want to be financially stable, not working paycheck to paycheck to barely make ends meet. I can't even begin to think about the world I would be bringing a child up in these days with being in a constant state of war, political turmoil, social injustice, bullying, and let's be frank here all the creeps running around nowadays. When people feel the need to discuss someone else's declining fertility, it tends to get a tad under my skin and here's why:
By Erica Tinnin9 years ago in Families
Dear Father
What to say about my relationship with my father? For one, I can say it is a vicious cycle of ups and downs. It’s very toxic. Everything was okay until I was in high school. That’s when everything started going downhill. I was daddy’s little girl; never got in trouble and always hid from my mom behind him. We went to movies, and listened to music. We even played sports together. When I was about 17 my mom started getting sick. That’s when things started to change. Our relationship got worse. It was understandable with him running back and forth to appointments. I was also discovering who I was as a person. I just didn’t want to tell him.
By Danyelle Lewinson9 years ago in Families
The Broken Home
Years ago, my aunty passed away from Lupis, the disease of a thousand faces. It weakens your immune system so you can't fight off illnesses or viruses very well. I was really close to her; she was like a second mother who would listen to me when I was a troubled teen.
By Bryan RJ Delorme9 years ago in Families
Adventures of a Stay At Home Dad
Being a stay at home dad is both one of the easiest and one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm no homemaker, by any stretch. I constantly look for the easiest way to get something done, with the least effort from me. Some could call me lazy, and I'd only disagree to a point. But there are no shortcuts with a child. There are a thousand books, and none of them teach you a thing. Sometimes things come natural, sometimes you know you've messed up every moment of it.
By Drake Sheffield9 years ago in Families
Dear Father
Absent fathers are not rare, likewise with absent mothers. But when you grow up with cute little nuclear families all around you, you begin to wonder about your own family system. I have carried around so much weight, so much doubt in myself because of your absence and lack of parenting- but I now know that I had to experience that, to become the strong character I am today.
By Maisie Hancox9 years ago in Families
