When children feel pressured to perform well in the public realm, they have a hard time recognizing what really matters to them. By Dr. Madeline Levine
I told my kids in McDonald’s. Because when you’re about to drop that kind of bomb, really you want them to be eating french fries. By Lauren Apfel
It’s all about the details, the sillier the better. By Lori Orlinsky
Look up, look around and listen. Here I am. Down the street or a phone call away. By Lisa Michelle
The last time I stood here I tried on eight dresses. I was fighting the side effects from chemo. I had no hair. By Krista Genevieve Farris
When Finn took his first steps and my husband was on another continent, I couldn’t help but wonder, “How could you miss this?” By Kaci Curtis
Maybe following these accounts is a form of penance for the guilt of being one of the lucky ones who got to take her baby home. By Justine Feron
What brings this group of mothers together beyond the common thread of parenthood and our kids’ friendships? By Lauran Bell
Now if something takes too long, it means we’re late for something else. By Fiona Leary Boucher
When spoken language becomes a comfortable extension of a child’s being, speaking boldly is no longer a hurdle. By Megan Houston Sager
I’d rather take the time to create something I want than to compromise. In a small, sugared way, I see it as a rebellion. By Shannon Williams
I breathe words like oxygen. They are everywhere. Except in the mouth of my child. By Leah Moore
We’ve had a rough time lately in ways that go beyond the ordinary awkward de-nesting of middle school. By Annie O’Brien
On Friday nights, I would rush through my daughter’s bedtime books, slurring words and skipping full pages. By Shelley Mann Hite
We are a generation of parents who micromanage our children’s safety. And yet, despite the very real fear of death, we keep sending them to school. By Francie Arenson Dickman
Being “gifted and talented” sounds a whole lot like being bestowed with a well, gift, that others were not granted. By Stephanie Sprenger
We pull ornaments from boxes labeled in my mother’s loopy cursive, giving our tree the same homespun look hers always had. By Mary Janevic
We are excited to share our most-read essays of the year!
I ignored her recipe for many years as a way to avoid the loss. By Marcia Kester Doyle
I’m surprised by how many moms give me the thumbs-up for “letting” my daughter be a pirate. By Mimi Lemay
After bursting into tears, you text your brother-in-law: “Sorry, this is awkward, but make sure she doesn’t use a tampon for the bleeding.” By Lorren Lemmons
As much as I love Christmas, without Santa I felt only glee and relief at the massive reduction in my December workload. By Michelle Deininger
Our favorite naming site, Nameberry, predicts next year’s hottest baby names.
“What did you expect, Mom?” said my kid, laughing now, in her same boy-voice she’s always had. By Joanna Franklin Bell
“Birth mom” does not make me feel like a baby machine without feelings, but it does clarify my role in her life. By Adrian Collins