children

Children: Our most valuable natural resource.

Raising a Man in a Room Full of Women
Raising a man in a room full of women... Often I read various sources posting about women getting a seat at the table alongside men, about equal pay, about equality that women still feel they don’t have in the workplace or the world at large.
By Hannah-Adjoa Smith8 years ago in Families
The Struggle Is Real... but Worth It!
Have you heard the saying "The struggle is real?" I finally know what that means. And let me tell you, it's true. I didn't plan to be a single mom. I married my high school sweetheart. We spent 20 years together, but ultimately his addiction to alcohol led to him cheating multiple times. I was raised to believe you get married once. If it's broken, you fix it. The problem was I let him walk all over me. I think it was out of the comfort of just having him there. He was familiar and my best friend. But people change. Sadly he changed for the worst. When he ultimately left us (I say us, because he left the kids too.) for another woman and her kids, it hurt, it hurt bad. I'm not gonna lie and say it's been easy. I do my best. But some days I don't have money to pay the bills or buy food. We struggle. I spend a lot of nights crying myself to sleep. I think the tears are more out of being scared instead of sadness. Scared that I'm not enough of a parent that my children ultimately need. I do my best and I try to remain strong for them. But somewhere along the way, I not only lost a husband but all of our couple friends are now friends with him and his new girl and I feel alone. More alone than I'd like to admit. But the truth is, I am alone. I have my kids, but that's not the same as a friendship or relationship. I can't vent to my kids when I've had a bad day. I don't want them to think momma is sad, worried, or even stressed. I like them to see me as strong and doing what needs to be done. I've gone plenty of nights where food was scarce, so "Mom was feeling sick" or "I had already eaten." My kids come first. They are my priority in life. It's my job as their mom to make sure they are safe, happy, and good people and I think I'm doing a pretty damn good job at that. Somewhere though, I lost me. My kids are my life, and that's not a bad thing. But I miss going out, even if it's to a movie. I miss companionship. I miss living that life that doesn't involve homework or video games. And feeling like that makes me feel so guilty in a way, so I push those feelings away and put on a smile. Don't get me wrong it's not all bad and tough, every day they amaze me in some way. I am so lucky to get to wake up to their beautiful smiles and hugs. Recently my oldest (19) moved out and that's been tough. We all miss her so much. But when I start crying missing her and I realize that I've done my job as a good mom because she is out living her life and pursuing her dreams. And she is a good person. That's all I want for all of my kids. So this is for any of you single moms who may feel like this or any women trapped in a bad marriage and are scared to leave. Let me tell you, it can be done! You are capable of doing this. Our kids are reminders every day of why we can do this. So I say to you, the struggle is real, but I got this, you got this...we got this!
By Amber B. 8 years ago in Families
Drugs, Violence and Self Harm—the Truth That Comes with Having a Teenage Boy in 2018
At 20 when I fell pregnant with my son; I thought life with him would be Tonka Cars, sand pits and video games It was... Until age 13 came. In fact secondary school came. Other boys, desperate to become the pack leaders—never worried about who they’ll stamp out along the way. Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer in children ‘finding their own place’ and ‘learning from their mistakes,’ but when those ‘mistakes’ become life-altering? I am the first mum in the queue with something to say.
By Twins Plus28 years ago in Families
When Your Celiac Warrior Starts Kindergarten
I’ve always wanted to stay home with my kids. I have fantasized about it my entire life. I wanted to have four kids and be able to teach them and mould their spongey little minds in the baby and toddler years before passing them off to a complete stranger to do the same. I’m sure a very capable, but very strangery stranger. I always thought maybe we could work our way around needing two incomes, but most likely that it wouldn’t be a possibility. But, when I had brain surgery I could no longer drive and I was healing physically and emotionally, and so I became a stay at home mom. It was the silver lining in the hardest time in my life. I, of course, needed a lot of help from family at first, but I was at home and able to see my kids all day every day like I had always wanted.
By Jennie Carr8 years ago in Families
What I Want My Daughters to Learn from My Health Struggles
Dear Maddie and Marlee, When I was 28-years-old my whole world was changed forever. I thought I had life figured out. I fell in love, I got married, I graduated university and I had a good career started. I bought a house and had a beautiful daughter and a second on the way. I was so happy and was excited for what my future held for me. Your dad and I had goals we wanted to achieve and plans we wanted to see fulfilled. The most important thing to us was to have a healthy and happy family. We were living our dreams.
By Jennie Carr8 years ago in Families
Why Working with Children Is the Most Rewarding Job You Could Do
When I first told my tutor that I wanted to go into childcare, he told me that I was throwing my life away because I could achieve better. Luckily childcare proved him wrong. Since I was young I always wanted to work with children (apart from when I wanted to be a fairy). My heart has always been set on working with children, so hearing that I was throwing my life away by going into childcare was a very hard statement to hear. It made me more motivated to prove him wrong.
By Old Souls8 years ago in Families
My Child Is Not Broken
"She doesn't look autistic," says the well-meaning person. "If I didn't know, I wouldn't even be able to tell," she says again as to lend me some sort of comfort in the appearance of my child. "What does 'autistic' look like?" I wonder to myself as I smile and say something passive such as "well she is". I know they mean the best. I know they want to help. They don't see her cry and cover her ears in shear terror because she can't find the things she had strategically placed. They don't notice her, outwardly shutter at the thought of a change in our everyday routine. I do. I am here when the dark clouds roll in and the ear-piercing screams begin. I have watched her watch 18 hours of a single Netflix show and endured hell when they removed it. I have sung the same song or commercial jingle over and over until I wanted to poke pencils deep into my ears to make it stop. But no, she doesn't LOOK autistic.
By Aleea Whitmire8 years ago in Families
To Pierce or Not to Pierce
There are so many things people see as normal when it comes to kids. They all have the terrible twos, they put everything in their mouth and little girls have their ears pierced as a baby.
By Robin Curtis8 years ago in Families
Paper or Plastic
Do you ever feel like when you take your kids in public people are looking at you? There are usually two reasons behind the stares. Let's use the grocery store as an example.
By Alexis Kelly8 years ago in Families
Dear Daddy
Hello Daddy. Welcome back home after being away for two weeks on the oil rig working for your family. I’ve missed you; I have grown so much since you last saw me, two weeks ago; but you didn’t ask how I was doing, didn’t ask for photos or cute videos of me, or even ask how your three stepchildren were doing. I felt sad but figured maybe you were busy with something important at work or tired.
By AKSweety907 Angel8 years ago in Families
Parenting
I have two kids. They both have the keys to my entire heart. He’s like a tiny best friend to me. We essentially grew up together. I had him right after high school. It was he and I against the world. When he was four I became pregnant with his now younger brother. Now, I don’t want you to see his tiny best friend and think that I’m the ‘I want to be your friend’ type mom. I’m not. There are boundaries. I am mama, first and foremost. I want him to know that he can talk to me about anything though!
By Elora Thomas8 years ago in Families
Parenthood
They all say parenthood is fun and games. There’s so much joy when you finally get to meet your little bundle of “joy”!❤️ Then the reality kicks in... especially if you got a greedy little monster like mine!😱
By Yasmin ellery8 years ago in Families