children
Children: Our most valuable natural resource.
How the Feeling of Guilt Made Me Stronger
“Why are you tired? Doesn't your wife stay home?” —Cindy, my husband’s prying coworker My husband and I are both teachers...kind of. While he goes to school everyday, I have the privilege of staying home and teaching our nine-month-old daughter. While I do have a teaching certification, our daughter decided to come into this world before I could get my career going. After looking into various child-sitting options, we couldn't justify having someone watch our daughter while I taught someone else's kids. I'd be making maybe a hundred dollars a week after deducting daycare costs; it didn't make a whole lot of sense to us.
By Kate Backus8 years ago in Families
Mom Fail 101
It was summer and it had been a long hot day and it wasn't over, after about two hours of grocery shopping with a hyperactive eight-year-old, who not only wanted everything he saw, but was also easily distracted by everything in the store. I was not in the mood to cook anything I had just purchased, so on the way home I opted to stop through a local fast food restaurant. I know, I know, not the healthiest thing to do, but most of us moms have done it. I still had to go up, clean up the house, and fix my husband his supper, not to mention, baths and bedtime for my other two babies waiting for me to pick them up at grandma's house. Pulling up to the drive thru, I asked my son what would you like.
By Angel Ponder8 years ago in Families
Bilingual Prejudice. Top Story - March 2018.
When my first daughter was born in July of 2010, there was never any question that we were going to raise her to be bilingual. My wife is from Lima, Peru, and though we decided to reside in the United States, we agreed that the Peruvian half of our child’s heritage would have an equal place in our home and family. Having met my wife when I lived in Lima, I’d grown accustomed to speaking with her in Spanish. We welcomed our second daughter in 2012, and have continued to be a Spanish speaking household. However what is “normal” for us is not the norm of the United States, and soon we discovered that what we perceived to be an advantage, would also bring its share of challenges to our children.
By Walter Rhein8 years ago in Families
Preparing to Be a Single Mother
I fell pregnant in 2012, and in the beginning, things went as expected. My partner and I were shocked at first, we hadn't been trying for a baby. After the shock wore off we began to get excited, after going over a few things we realised we could we could do this. However, just a few weeks later I began to doubt that we would be raising this baby together. He had a few personal issues that I thought he was committed to solving, I was wrong about that. I also had this uneasy feeling that he was cheating on me again. Yes, I said again. I realise that I was stupid to give him a second chance, but if I hadn't then I wouldn't be where I am today so I guess I that to thank him for.
By Soraya Bowie8 years ago in Families
Life As a Single Mom
The life of a single mother isn't all fun and games. It's not at all glamourous. It's dirty, upsetting, tedious, and hard work. It's having to play both good-cop and bad-cop. It's having to say no when deep down you wish you could say yes. It's missing out on sleep when your little ones are sick. It's impromptu doctor visits. It's cleaning food up from off the floor. It's scrubbing permanent marker from the walls. It's tripping over Legos in the dead of the night. It's kissing boo-boos and chasing away boogey monsters. It's hospital visits for broken bones and stitches. It's helping with homework. It's sleepless nights filled with lots of endless worrying. It's missing out on meals so that your children can eat. It's passing up a new pair of shoes for yourself so that your children won't have to do the same. It's making sure your bills and rent are paid so your children won't be homeless or have to go without heat and electricity. It's mending broken hearts and helping your children to achieve their dreams. It's attending concerts, sporting events, spelling bees, and school plays. It's bath-time fun and bedtime hassle. It's balancing work and home. Being a single mother isn't an easy job and it sure as hell isn't for the weak. Being a single mom has its ups and it's downs. I didn't sign up to be a single mother. Believe me there was never a time in my life where I woke up and thought "Gee, I wonder what it would be like to be a single mom." If I'd wanted to love and care for children on my own I would never have wanted a man in my life, I would have just gone to my local sperm bank and told them to fill me up. It would have saved me a hell of a lot of time and trouble. Being a single mom is a thankless job. I don't get paid for what I do. I don't get any awards or any vacation time. What I do get is a lifetime of hugs, sticky kisses, lots of "I love you" and a lifetime of knowing that my children are who and what they are because I, as their mother, cared enough to not only have them but to give them all of my time, love, and attention. Seeing my children grow into loving, responsible human beings and knowing that it is due to my influence is all the reward this single mama could ever ask for. I got a message to all of the single moms out there who may be reading this article at this very moment: I know it's hard. I feel your struggle. Just know, that in the end, it will all be worth it. I promise.
By Phoenix Cobain8 years ago in Families
They Only Come with a Placenta
Have ever noticed a mother? What they do, how they all do it differently? You know, none of us know how we got there, or how our minds triggered the words "quick, breast out, or fill a bottle with formula" the moment—the literal moment you have that child. Your body is telling you a million things. But you never knew this stuff? Well only the basics like breasts do have milk and can feed an infant, but how? Did you know every breast has its individual way of being held to feed a newborn child, and every child needs to be held a specific way to be fed, too?! What about the pinky hook? Take a guess...it's to stop them latching so your nipple doesn't fall off.
By Happy to Love8 years ago in Families
Forever Our Children
Children are our future, our legacy in which we shape with our words, actions, example and presence. It is not an easy job for any parent trying to do the best we can for them and there seems to be no one way or guide book to how we should do these things—if there were I could imagine it being only slightly easier to understand than a Ikea manual.
By Shamus Roan8 years ago in Families
