When I was a new mom, it was easier to shame and blame than sit with the fear that I had made the wrong choice. By Caroline Grobler-Tanner
parenting
I never tell my children what’s real or what to believe, I simply lend definitions. By Katherine Sargent
I don’t allow myself any excitement, not after 2016, but I allow him his. By Caroline Horwitz
It’s a shock that J.K. Rowling—one of our family’s champions—has chosen to deny the very existence of our child. By Carrie Goldman
In the Before Time, I wouldn’t have allowed Call of Duty in our house, much less allowed him to play it for hours on end. By Deborah Williams
Last spring, when we finally gave up the dream of returning to school, I held onto September as my North Star. By Steven Newmark
You might love it. Maybe not every day, but there will be moments. By Laura Catherine Hanby Hudgens
What if you are the best mother you can be and it’s still not enough to save your child? What if one mistake is the fatal bite? By Lauren Weiss
Parenting, relationships, work-life balance. Your pandemic self-growth in 100 words or less.
It’s been a long, slow road to finding a balance between supporting others and supporting myself. By Yvonne Spence
I know we’re both doing it wrong. I’m teaching our children that restraint is a shackle; he’s teaching them that tight control is the only way to avoid obesity. By Lorren Lemmons
As much as I juggled and schlepped and complained, the day eventually came when I realized my arms were empty. By Laurie Sunderland
Have you ever watched a five-year-old pour a package of cooked green beans into a bowl? I have. And let me tell you, it nearly did me in. By Debra Arbit
My son loves to eat at Grandma’s house, he gets real cream and real sugar. Unlike the dishes I cook, which are vegetarian or Paleo or Whole30. By Elizabeth Newdom
I’ve been sitting with the reality that this world will never see my son’s heart before they see his color. By Kai McGee
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
I’ve raised my daughter to believe that a preoccupation with one’s appearance is trivial, but I’m a traitor to the cause. By Rebecca Knight
Obviously, a pandemic is an awful reason to decide to have another child. But that doesn’t stop me from thinking about it. By Amanda Gibson
How, my girls wonder, can they live a big life if they can’t get out of the gate? I feel for them. By Francie Arenson Dickman
What would I have done if her shorts got shorter, tops dipped lower? If she learned to sharpen her body like a tool? By Rica Keenum
I’m having a good quarantine. Can I say that? By Lauren Apfel
Lately I tell myself that I’ll start to eat healthier. I won’t finish my children’s meals. I won’t pick off their plates, like a mother vulture. By Kelly Niebergall
Every night this family of five sits down together to watch a movie. Rotating who picks, no opting out. By Daisy Alpert Florin
This job is hard—physically, mentally, emotionally—it’s so damn hard. By Maureen Boesen
Let your children see you trying. Let them see you cry. By Kaci Curtis