parents
The boundless love a parent has for their child is matched only by their capacity to embarrass them.
What I Wish I Knew About: Being a Single Mom and Dealing With a Breakup/Divorce
I have been a single mom for 48 days and holy crap is it hard. Suddenly being thrust into being a single parent is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Dealing with my divorce on top of that has felt like a nightmare. How am I supposed to take care of a little person when I feel like I can't even take care of myself? Well, I've (sort of) started to get used to it. I have a long way to go but here is some advice I have picked up so far.
By Ashley Rae7 years ago in Families
An Open Letter
Dear Momma, You came into my life when I was 16. I was lost, confused, and broken. I had built up walls so high that I thought no one could climb them. I hated the whole world. I believed that I was unlovable. I was angry, but mostly, I was terrified. I had been alone for so long, with only my sister. I thought everyone was out to hurt me, and I was convinced that I would never, ever, let anyone in and give them the opportunity to break me again. Little did I know, my whole life was about to change.
By Billi Jo Mcvay7 years ago in Families
Why More Dads Should Take a Longer Paternity Leave
Any parent knows how exhausting and demanding taking care of a newborn is, and some have to face it all alone. Both moms and dads try to do everything they can to prepare, but there may be more for those who are wondering about parental leave and whether both parents will take it. For those in relationships and/or married, there are plenty of beneficial reasons why both partners should take some time off work (especially you dads!), and tips for those dads who are wondering how to do so.
By Kara Riggleman7 years ago in Families
Preparing for Parenting
Becoming a parent is a HUGE step. Everyone talks about how hard it can be to care for a little one and how expensive it can be, but there’s so much to know within that. Take it from me, I got pregnant unexpectedly at the age 15, and had my son at the age of 16. I wish I knew then what I know now. And no one is ever READY READY to become a parent, but there are things to think about to give you an idea on how it is like.
By Alyssa Baur7 years ago in Families
A Letter to My Parents
I don't know what I would do without the love you have both showered me with throughout the years. You have been understanding, firm, sensitive, and supportive from the very beginning, always pushing me towards my dreams. I am lucky. I have been provided with such wonderful opportunities and you've given me such a pleasant childhood to recollect. You have both been role models for all four of us children and it is because of you that we are all on such amazing paths in life. I know this may seem cliché, but I consider you both to be two of my closest friends due to the fact that I can tell you anything and everything.
By Hannah Taylor7 years ago in Families
My Father
When I think of my father, there's only one thing that comes to mind: The Cubs. That's something he can talk about for hours on end. His entire living room is decorated in Cubs merchandise, most of his clothes have the Cubs logo on it, and every Christmas he will undoubtedly receive something that has anything to do with the infamous team. I remember one night, when I was maybe seven years old, the Cubs won an important game and my dad was ecstatic. He took the Cubs flag that he has hanging on his living room wall and began swaying it side to side while singing "Go Cubs Go". I had never seen such pride in his eyes. The sheer joy that he had for his team at that moment was unforgettable. Unfortunately, I do not share his passion for The Cubs because I do not care about sports in the slightest. Starting in fourth grade, I found my life path through music and teaching instead of ball throwing and dirty gym socks. However, sometimes I wish I could find it in myself to love The Cubs just as much as he does. I always wonder how different our relationship might be if I shared that interest with him since it is so prominent in his life.
By Regina Knots7 years ago in Families
I’ve Just Learned That My Father Is a Narcissist, and I’m Angry!
I’ve just discovered that my father is a narcissist, and I still can’t believe it. My father is in his late 90s, but don’t let that fool you. This is not some doddery old man who doesn’t know what day of the week it is. In fact, my father is kind of a miracle man, inasmuch as he’ll be getting his telegram from the Queen in just a couple of years, but he’s still the fittest person I know. He swims every day of the year, regardless how cold or wet it may be, and many days during winter he’s the only person out there in the icy cold water. After his swim, he gets on his stationary bike and pedals away for 30 minutes, then finishes off with some stretching exercises. He plays golf on a regular basis and can hold his own with golfers 20 and 30 years younger than himself. He doesn’t need to wear glasses, he certainly doesn’t need a hearing aid, and he even has all his own teeth! He lives in his own home, mows his own lawns and tends to his garden himself. Every day he gets into his car and takes himself shopping and out for lunch. And, to top it all off, he is an excellent cook and is perfectly capable of taking care of his home. Yes, I sound proud of him, and in a way, I am.
By Mari-Louise Speirs7 years ago in Families
When the "Deadbeat Dad," Really Isn't
It’s one of the saddest tales on Earth; a father who doesn’t care about or support their children emotionally or financially. The fathers want nothing to do with the children and move on with their lives without a care in the world. But what happens if the father wants to be there for his children, pays support, and does everything in his power possible to be there, yet because the father and mother are no longer together, the mother becomes bitter and dubs the father a “deadbeat dad?” This is becoming a trend that is spreading all over.
By Crystal Nicole7 years ago in Families
Teen Mom to Suburban Wife
My name is Jesica, I have two daughters, eighteen and thirteen. I became a mother at seventeen and again at twenty one. Raising two girls scared the Hell out of me. You see, I didn't have the best parental examples so I kinda had to just figure it out. Of course there's never been a handbook for raising kids but at least most people (if you're lucky) have people in their life to help guide them. My parents divorced when I was five years old, their relationship was a toxic one and definitely not a great example of what a marriage should be like. Cheating, drugs, alcohol, you name it, they did it. Most kids pray that one day their parents will get back together... Not me. The thought of them reuniting terrified me. When they divorced, my mom was granted full custody. I always resented my father for not putting in the effort to fight for me. Living with my mother was far from easy, we never had any resemblance of a stable life. We bounced from home to home or hotel, whatever we could afford at the time. Then of course there was the revolving door of men. When I was ten years old my thirty two year old mother married again to a eighteen year old guy that she knew for about six months. He barely spoke any English and hated working. As an adult myself now, I really don't understand what she saw in him or what she was thinking. When they married, my mom and I lived in a studio apartment and once they married so did he. Needless to say, it was cramped. I always looked forward to summer so I can go be with my dad, especially this year. Anything to escape my life. As time grew closer to summer my dad decided to finally tell me that he had gotten married as well and that his new wife had just given birth to a baby boy. I was so excited to meet my little brother but at the same time was upset that I was left in the dark. At ten years old I thought, Yay! Maybe we can be a normal family and maybe my step mom will do things with me my mom didn't. I was so determined to convince my father to let me move back home with him and our new family. When I got there it definitely didn't go the way I had envisioned in my mind. My step mom and I got along fine and I adored my little brother... But when I begged my dad to keep me he said I could stay for the next school year but after that it would be better to go back because my step mom had two other kids that were gonna be moving in eventually and there wasn't enough space for me to move in permanently quite yet. Of course I was devastated... In my mind at that age, I thought that he was just trying to find another reason to not keep me. I couldn't understand why he was ok with the way my mom was raising me. At the time I thought he knew everything that was happening but of course he's not a mind reader. I would tell him some stuff but not everything and it's not like my mom was calling him to tell him how awful everything was. He didn't know how my step father would get drunk and beat on my mom. Or that we had no electricity for days but that my mom always found a way to get high. And worst of all he definitely didn't know that I would wrap myself up in my blanket as tight as I could when I went to bed, praying that my step father wouldn't try to lay with me again and try to force me to do what my mother wouldn't... How could he know something that's never been said out loud?
By Jesica Anzaldo Bonsante7 years ago in Families
Turkey Twizzlers or Chia Seeds, You're Probably Doing a Good Job
Today, I had a moment of wonder whilst watching my children play. I was in the (lovely) house of my good friend, our other good friend was there, along with three two year olds, one one year old, a nine week old and a baby belly (mine). I looked at them as they scattered stickers all over the place, making a trail of mess, and felt so full of happiness.
By Jaz Johnstone7 years ago in Families
What It's Like to Have Post-Natal Depression
My journey begins mid February 2017 when I took a pregnancy test after having missed a few periods. I was 19 and I had just split up with my partner. I actually took two tests just to be sure and when they both came up positive I panicked and started crying thinking my life was over. My mum who had waited outside our bathroom door for me came in and told me something I will never forget. Something which helped me decide to keep my baby.
By Martina Stopani 7 years ago in Families
