“The thought hit me…I don’t treat my stepchild like my own kids—I treat her so much better.”
‘My stepdaughter exploded a ketchup packet all over herself, me, my antique rug, and a dining room chair. If my five-year-old had done this, I would have FLIPPED.’: Woman shares realization about step-motherhood
‘It’s not that we don’t feel loved. We don’t feel like anyone really wants to hear about our struggles.’: Special needs mom urges ‘listening is an act of love’
“I know what it’s like to join the conversation, only to feel the air in the room slowly dissipate. I know what it’s like to open up about your day, only to have someone quickly change the subject to something more ‘light.’ It makes us feel invisible.”
‘The waiting and the wonder. That girl, that belly, those aches. That ‘we’re doing this’ feeling.’: Mom reminisces on sweet childbirth memories
“I drove by the hospital you were born at the other day. Isn’t it strange how places hold our memories too?”
Don’t Worry What Others Say About You—What You Say To Yourself Is Far More Powerful Than Anything They Could Throw Your Way
“Your brain will believe whatever you continuously tell it, so make sure you tell it all the good things you want for your life.”
‘We were watching a movie when my phone rang. My stomach dropped. We were shocked, but our hearts were open.’: Parents share rollercoaster journey to open adoption
“She was in my arms, she was real, and she was ours. For the first time, I sobbed happy tears.”
‘I’ve watched my body fail at so many things I was told were natural to my biology.’: Mom of 3 urges ‘there’s no universal motherhood journey’
“I’ve listened as women explained to me how it should be while knowing it was never how it would be for me. I had to learn to give more of myself than I even knew how to give.”
Dear Parents: What Matters Most Is Your Presence, NOT YOUR PRESENTS
“If you ask any of my kids when they feel the most loved, they won’t rattle off to you about when I take ’em to a play place or Disney or on some grandiose vacation. They won’t say it’s when I buy them something costly or give them ‘yes days.’ They’ll talk about today.”
‘Last night, I was a straight-up grumpy a-hole to my kids at bedtime.’: Mom shares reminder ‘you’re allowed to feel overwhelmed’
“I’ve got one who fights falling asleep because it makes her tummy feel weird. One who has trouble falling and staying asleep because her brain is consistently on overdrive. And one who, like clockwork, wakes up around 3 a.m. for anything and everything.”
I Spent My Entire 20s Building A ‘Perfect’ Life, And Then It Exploded
“I had goals. A plan. I was running on adrenaline and pure fear of failing. I did whatever I had to do to get where I was going. In hindsight, I put bandaids on bullet holes. Not knowing that most of the bullet holes were in me.”
My Son Isn’t Going To College, And That’s Okay
“He stood before me, looking suddenly very small, and said, ‘I don’t think I want to go to college. School is too much for me.’ I looked at my baby and said, ‘OK, you don’t have to go. Let’s discuss options.’ I could feel the air release from his lungs.”