parents
The boundless love a parent has for their child is matched only by their capacity to embarrass them.
30 Journal Entries for Self-Discovery – Day 4
Welcome to day four of my journal entries for self-discovery! I'm honestly impressed I still have followers. Just kidding. Kind of. Anyway, I'm excited to keep going. I hope you're all writing along with me. Honestly, it's been fun so far. Here is the quote of the day from one of my all-time favorite authors (Seriously, check her out next time you're at the library, her books are amazing); "You may not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page. " - Jodi Picoult
By Michelle Schultz7 years ago in Families
That's Not Neglect
First, let me tell you how the rest of my day went. I got up and got my oldest (age three) ready for school. While I was preparing other things, I got a good breakfast into all three of my girls, and they had some playtime because I’d planned well. While Sugar Bean (the three year old) was at school, I took Gummy Bear (age two) and Sunshine (age two months) shopping. Gummy Bear got treats for being good, plus a lot of verbal positive reinforcement. I kept Sunshine calm and content, and got everybody’s Halloween costume supplies more than a month early. I picked up Sugar Bean from school on time, and then all three girls got to play with me AND their grandma. I put them down for naps after a good lunch. When Sugar Bean refused to nap, I let her have quiet time instead of leaving her to cry it out excessively.
By Brynne Nelson7 years ago in Families
What Makes a Good Mom Friend
I recently called my sister to inform her that my 13-year-old daughter may have to live with me forever. She had managed to forget her lunch for the second time that week and it was only Wednesday. My sister proceeded to go down the proverbial rabbit hole with me. I decided that my precious angel would need me forever because obviously her 15-year-older self will forget to feed her own children, heck, she may even forget she has children and leave them places. Because let’s face it, a few forgotten lunches ultimately means she is destined for failure in life. For the next 15 minutes my sister was able to successfully remind me that I have time for my 13-year-old to grow into a responsible adult. She isn’t planning on moving out for a few more years and I have many weeks to work on her being able to see that brightly colored lunch box sitting on the end of our island as she walks by it to open the front door. She was optimistic enough to even propose that this young lady may, in fact, be able to pack her own lunch before she successfully zips it into her backpack. This may be a stretch in my mind as of this moment but I appreciate the faith she has in this forgetful child.
By Katie Larsen7 years ago in Families
A Reason to Be Proud
I am a proud Mom! I have such a loving, wonderful daughter. At times she is a handful like her Daddy, but I wouldn't trade her for anything in this world. She is trying out for sports this year if the school allows for it, if not she will try out next year. She is also starting dance classes, possibly going back into girl scouts, and she is also in strings. When she can she will be going into choir as well as JROTC. She goes to church and tells people about God and that God loves them. She has voiced her choice for the 2018 judge elections. She is a sweetheart and cares so much about the people in her life. She stands up for herself with bullies. I have so many reasons to be proud of this little girl. When I am sick and can't breathe she grabs my inhaler, a drink, and asks if I need her to call 911. She makes sure I have it with me at all times and if I leave the house she makes sure I take it with me. if I have an episode she is asking to go with me so she can keep me safe.
By Amanda J Mollett7 years ago in Families
When a Parent Is Behind Bars
It is hard enough being a parent to a child with both parents in the picture. But have you ever thought about what it would be like to try to raise a child when the other parent is behind bars? I’m here to tell you I thought being a single mom was hard enough. I had raised my son on my own for most of his life. My son’s biological father was one of those that would pop in and out from time to time. He would show up out of no place then just like that disappear again. Just this past year I finally tracked down my son’s father after almost a year of not hearing from him; our son just four years old at the time. Turns out he was incarcerated, and had been there for the better half of the year. A simple google search helped me find what prison he was located in and gave me an address. So, I wrote him a letter telling him that our son is doing fine, and asking him how he ended up in prison. I received a letter back from him about a week later informing me about how he purposely violated his probation because he wanted to get away from some people and was trying to turn his life around. He told me that he did not think the state attorney would go after him for five years in prison for a simple probation violation. He wanted to know everything about our son, everything that he had been missing, and was so happy that I had tracked him down. I wrote him back telling him that he really messed things up, that I hoped this experience would help him get his life back on a better track, and I told him the things he had missed with our son. Since the first letters we have had a sturdy line of communication. It has taken him to be locked up to actually start acting like the father he should of been from the beginning. At first when I found out where he was, I did not want to tell our son. It took a lot of communication, with my now husband, about if we should even tell my son or if he would be better off not knowing anything. So at four years old we sat my son down and told him where his biological father was. My son did not take this news very well, he had this belief that if he was bad he would end up in jail with his dad. It took a lot of explaining to get it into his young mind that things do not work like that. My son has had a hard time adjusting to the fact that he will not be able to see his real father till after he turns nine. Even though the prison does have a visitation program, my son is not allowed to visit him. The most my son can do is speak to his father on the phone maybe once a week for fifteen minutes. Most days my son doesn’t seem to be to bothered by the fact that his father isn’t around. He has developed such an amazing relationship with his stepfather that from an outside point of view you wouldn’t be able to tell that they aren’t blood. Sometimes though, there are those days that my son tells me he misses his dad and wishes he could see him. Those are the days that I really feel for my son, those are the days I wish a simple hug would take away his hurt. When I think about my son’s father being locked up, I feel bad for him because he is going to miss out on a lot of amazing things over the next five years, there are going to be things that he won’t be able to make up for missing out on. But I hope when he is released that he takes the time to get to know our son, and starts his life over in a better place.
By Wendi Simpson7 years ago in Families
For the Love of Coffee
I adore the ritual of making a latte. Every morning I grind my beans into espresso, the soft whirring noise is soothing to my early morning nerves. I relish the act of tamping down the grounds into a perfect little espresso cake, and I crave the the smell of steamed milk.
By Corinne Squires7 years ago in Families
The Beginning
A short time ago I received some news of my father. He has emphysema which had become so bad he will need an oxygen tank for the rest of his life. He had always been a heavy smoker. What surprised me was how I reacted. I thought, "Oh well." Later I started thinking about why I reacted the way that I did.
By Jessica Baker7 years ago in Families
Learning to Forgive My Mother
There are times when to me my mother seems like an angel or a saint. I look at her and all I see is how amazing she is but yet I struggle because the reality of her is often difficult for me to conceptualize. I do not want to give a biographical timeline of my mother’s life, but I’m not sure there is any one story my mother has told me that can take up more than a minute to explain. The stories I get from her are in bits and pieces, more like a puzzle that has not be solved yet. Within these narratives that feel more like anecdotes than stories, I see her as either all good, to be lauded or someone I am completely disappointed in.
By Chelley C.7 years ago in Families
His Domain
I remember waking up every morning to the strong lingering smell of my dad’s morning coffee set on the kitchen table right next to his truck keys just waiting to be picked up. As soon as he stepped out the door with his keys and coffee in hand, the cold breeze would fill the house, giving me chills. He would quickly start gathering his tools and lifting the heavy machines onto his truck and securing them for the long trip to who knows which city he would be driving to. As soon as I heard the engine of his truck go on I would speed out of the house and jump into the cold passenger seat freezing but happy that I would share a few minutes of unpredictable funniness with him before having to go to school. His funniness is one-of-a-kind. He could make a joke out of everything and it's never at the wrong times, not with him. My dad has always been able to find happiness in everything in life but by far work has been the place I’ve seen him the happiest in.
By Tracy Cortez7 years ago in Families
