Magazine Topic

parenting

Stories:

• 

  Being a Stepfather

  There’s been such a huge loss. A large part of their soul was gutted when their family was ripped apart. It took me too long to truly understand the pain they had been through.

• 

  Blended Family

  “You know mom, blood is thicker than water.” The words were biting, hard to receive. The undertone of my son's comment was clear: "you should have prioritized me above your new husband."

• 

  Fatherhood

  Whole days can pass by without any heart-felt communication with my kids whatsoever.

• 

  Fatherless

  Alone with my thoughts in solitary confinement, my worst fear was never seeing my daughter again. I didn’t want to be the father that my father was to me.

• 

  Infertility

  Our New Year’s resolution for 2015 was to get pregnant. That might sound like a simple thing to some, but for us it was a huge and intimidating goal. It would take a miracle.

• 

  Miscarriage

  “Your baby has not developed further.” This can’t be. It must be a mix-up. When would I wake up from this nightmare?

• 

  Postpartum OCD

  I lived in fear of myself, and when I looked at my son, I thought it was sad and strange that I had to include myself in the list of people he needed to be protected from.

• 

  Single Fatherhood

  All I wanted was to be a dad and to give my daughter the love and fatherly attention I never received from my own.

• 

  Single Motherhood

  Sometimes my reality was working two jobs to make ends meet while I was raising my girls. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it, and my ex told me he didn’t think I would.

• 

  Special Needs Children

  There are days when I have a pity party for myself, when I mourn because I can’t have just one normal day.

• 

  Suicidal Child

  I felt like a failure as a mother. How could I have let my son become so depressed that he wanted to take his own life?

• 

  Unplanned Pregnancy

  The day I saw those two lines indicating a positive result on my pregnancy test, my whole world completely turned upside down.

Articles:

• 

  10 Things I Learned from my Daughter’s Suicide

  Here are 10 lessons I gained from reflecting on the past 10 years. I hope to help people struggling with mental illness, grief, depression, or any one of a multitude of losses.

• 

  Parents, It's Time to Disengage the Helicopter

  It's understandable that as parents we want to protect and shield our kids. But that doesn't give you a license to be a helicopter parent.

• 

  My Teenager Wants to Date

  It’s the day every parent dreads: their teen wants to start dating. Do you have a firm plan?

• 

  Empty Nest: Season of Change

  All parents experience some form of empty nest syndrome. When they are teens you can't wait for them to grow up and leave... then they do. But the best of times lies ahead.

• 

  Single Mom Survival Kit: A Box of Resources

  Life as a single parent takes courage, strength, and a lot of resources. Here are a few that will help you walk this road.