“The age on my birth certificate means nothing to my children. It should mean nothing to you.”
I Conquered Parenting Imposter Syndrome
‘You have no purpose in this world. Might as well take yourself out.’: Woman shares stigma pursuing child-free lifestyle after ectopic pregnancy
“Frighteningly, most of these hateful comments came from people raising children. Why did people care so much about what I did with my body?”
‘Where is the test?’ He reached over and kissed my forehead, never saying a word. I was 17, pregnant, and had no idea what I was gonna do.’: Mom shares journey navigating teen pregnancy
“Monday through Thursday, I was away in college being a student. Friday through Sunday night, I was home being a parent.”
‘We were having a good day as a family and I foolishly thought I could document it.’: Mom to teen son says ‘I’m learning to smile and take the picture anyway’
“This is an honest representation of us at this moment in time; in the same place at the same time, but with some distance between us. My camera roll has fewer and fewer photos the older my son gets. But I want him to know I still want the picture.”
‘It’s apologizing in advance, holding your breath through play dates and parent-teacher conferences, and knowing you are the topic of conversation every time you leave a room.’: Mom’s journey parenting ‘misunderstood’ child with ADHD
“People are saying how if only you were a better parent, or provided more discipline, or followed through more…it wouldn’t be like this. They don’t know that every day you pray about how you can do this ADHD thing better. That your biggest fear is you are giving too much discipline to your often misunderstood kid.”
‘I know it can feel unfair. But through it all, you’ve never complained or compared.’: Mom’s sweet acknowledgment of sister’s patience for sibling with special needs
“I know it might feel like most of my time, thoughts, and efforts are spent on your brother, but please know that I see you.”
‘If you can get donor eggs and donor sperm, why not a donor embryo?’: Woman shares journey through male factor infertility, embryo adoption
“I don’t think everything happens ‘for a reason,’ but I do believe beautiful things come out of suffering. My perfect children are proof of that.”
‘The day I saw my first trans man, I knew I had been lied to. I told my husband I would never live as a woman again.’: Intersex man, gestational father shares self-discovery journey
“I knew very young I wanted to have a baby. Since the world taught me this is what moms do, I must be a girl. I would soon discover this is not true.”
‘Sometimes I just want to be alone. But when I am alone, I miss you.’: Mom reflects on the paradoxes of motherhood, ‘It’s a beautiful mess of chaos’
“Dirty boots. Messy counters. Stuffies in every corner possible. All signs of this beautiful, messy life we share together. Someday, I will miss this.”
‘The very best thing we could have ever done.’: Special needs mom raises feeding tube awareness
“I no longer cried countless tears over calories. I no longer looked into my child’s terrified eyes when the bottle would come near him. I no longer frantically called my mom asking if 2 ounces was all he really consumed that day.”