“I’m scared!” she refuses to go upstairs alone. “Sit next to me,” she pleads from the couch. “Closer,” then clings to my arm. By Jennifer Alessi
independence
We envisioned our daughter’s freedom: she could tell us dance class was ending early. But we had not considered her new awareness of danger. By Sarah Werthan Buttenwieser
When my son was 11 he told me, “I wish I wasn’t autistic. It would be easier to make friends.” By Joanne De Simone
At the onset of adulthood we are, in so many ways, revisiting the days of infancy.
By Francie Arenson Dickman
I wait for sleep, for the fever to break, the tooth to fall out, the rash to go away.
By Zsofia McMullin
All the years of doing and hoping, praying and sculpting—you wait to see if it worked.
By Lisa Romeo
The swings she used to ride are still moving, but she’s long gone, and I realize it’s only the wind.
By Robin L. Flanigan
The doctor finally looked at me and said, “We can’t hold her down. She’s sixteen.”
By Laurie Lichtenstein
It’s important for parents to let their children take big bites of independence once in a while, even if it feels scary.
By Lauren Apfel