Top Stories
Stories in Families that you’ll love, handpicked by our team.
Step-Children Don’t Like You? Don’t Worry, It’s Normal
I left an abusive marriage more than 30 years ago when my three children were quite young. The following two years were spent repairing the damaged relationships with my sons, who had all but been ignored during the travesty that was my marriage. Even though I vowed never to remarry, I met a wonderful man who was the exact opposite of my former husband and eventually we were married. Our relationship was perfect and my children were very happy. In short, we had the perfect family. One-by-one my sons asked if they could call Tom "Dad" and of course no-one was happier than their new dad. Tom and I agreed at the beginning of our relationship that I alone would be responsible for disciplining the children because I was concerned they may resent him, so Tom basically became a good friend to my three sons.
By Mari-Louise Speirs7 years ago in Families
To Smack or Not to Smack?
The debate on smacking is an interesting one in as much as there are not many fence-sitters on this subject: people either have no problem with it at all, saying “I was smacked as a child and it didn’t do me any harm” while others are vehemently against violence of any sort against children. Just using the word “violence” evokes very strong feelings in many who hit their children because they don’t consider smacking a child to be violence. The “no hitting” camp generally believe that we hit our children out of instantaneous anger, frustration, and basically because we don’t know what else to do.
By Mari-Louise Speirs7 years ago in Families
Adopted Struggle
At twenty-nine years-old, I don't know how I feel about adoption. You would think that I would be all for it being adopted myself, but I cannot say whether I support it or am against it. Sure, if I was never adopted, I would have never met my beautiful wife nor had my beautiful son.
By Nathan Stotts7 years ago in Families
Planning for Pregnancy, Fertility Facts and Alternative Methods
When it comes to reproduction, fertility is the number one focus for many. Some people aren't able to conceive naturally. Studies have shown that one in seven women will have problems with infertility. This can be caused by numerous factors such as an underlying health condition, a poor diet, an unhealthy lifestyle, stress, depression, anxiety or even the smallest encounter with a toxin like fluoride {which is found in most toothpaste as well as drinking water}, or BPA{ a toxin found in plastic bottles and the inner liners of cans used in the packaging of canned goods}.
By Kelsey Park7 years ago in Families
Top 7 Ways to Be a Kick-Ass Step-parent
I’ve never been a fan of absolutes, but people seem to be drawn to listicles (myself included), so here is a concise list of knowledge I’ve acquired as a result of both my education in Humanistic and Clinical Psychology and my experience as a step-mother of two beautiful young human beings.
By Kristy Loxton7 years ago in Families
Our Mothers of Color
My mother was born of a woman who did not keep her. One of many siblings, my mother was supposedly the only child her mother decided she could not keep. She was adopted into a very well off, heavily educated Black and Native family, a family that never officially revealed to her that she was adopted.
By Deborah Alice7 years ago in Families
What It's Really Like to Lose Your Parents
Loss is, in no way, the same for everyone. My brother, on hearing about the loss of our mother, went immediately back to playing with LEGOs. Only months later did he process what had happened, and cry about it for the first time.
By Casey Rose7 years ago in Families
Books That Improve Family Relations
Everyone alive is an expert on this most compelling of subjects. Nothing is, or ever was, more wonderful, more dreadful, more inescapable, or the subject of more talk than the family unit. Every clan and tribe has its tale to tell, and nearly all the tales I have heard shed some light on the chief question: what is it that makes a good family?
By Arnold Seleskey7 years ago in Families
A Parent’s Guide to Staying Safe Online
A parent’s guide to staying safe online While some parents may consider themselves good with technology, a surprising number admit to having a lack of knowledge when it comes to keeping their children safe online. According to figures produced by Ofcom and quoted by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) of those homes in which children have access to the internet almost half of parents (48%) with children in the 5 to 15 age range think they know less about the internet than their children do. This rises to 70% of parents of 12-15 year olds. In addition, 33% of children age 12 to 17 claim their parents do not know what they do online (Ofcom 2011).
By Colin R. Browne7 years ago in Families
Best Family Friendly Movies
Selecting a movie that interests the whole family can be a major challenge. Things that are age appropriate for the kids often may not be interesting for older members of the family. Family movie night is just not as fun unless the whole gang is interested in the movie. Check out this list of family-friendly movies that are sure to be a hit with the whole family (and will save you from watching the same movie on repeat).
By Annie Kiely7 years ago in Families