“I mentioned his choice to my wife. Jack loves all things that sparkle. I wondered what his teachers and other adults might think. We paused immediately.”

‘Jack asked to wear his sister’s pants. He had his eye on them since they appeared. We both paused.’: Mom worries about son’s self expression, ‘Will they chalk it up to us, his two mom’s?’

‘When is dad coming home?’ I was 15 weeks pregnant. He hugged my daughter as if he knew he wasn’t coming back.’: Single mom left while pregnant with second child, ‘This pain has purpose’
“I hid her from it for as long as I could. I was 15 weeks pregnant when he abandoned us. He’d see her Friday. I couldn’t lie anymore. My heart shattered, and I had to force myself to hold back the tears.”

‘She’s carrying a real baby in there? And she can’t see?!’ I’m a woman with a guide dog and a chunky baby strapped to me.’: Blind mother urges ‘be kind with your words’
“I’ve been out today once and heard it all in the space of twenty minutes. Masks don’t muffle your voice as much as you think.”

Why I’m Raising My Kids Like It’s The 90’s
“Think back on your favorite memories. The ones that shaped you into who you are today. Most likely they do not involve television.”

‘Tonight, I saw a post that said, ‘What would women do without us?’ Everything. We would do absolutely everything.’: Woman urges ‘don’t ever forget what you’re capable of’
“Today, I mowed my yard with my almost-two-year-old on my hip.”

‘We left home on our bikes and didn’t return until the street lights came on. Growing up as a kid in the 80s totally prepared me for this.’: Mom encourages kids to have 80s-style independence
“When I was a kid in the 80s, we lived a very different life. We had lives our parents never really knew about. I didn’t grow up with someone micro-managing my childhood.”

‘My husband cheated on me while in the process of trying for a baby. I asked him to leave and ended the marriage. My life turned upside down.’: Woman’s extreme physical, mental health transformation after divorce
“I couldn’t be out in public without panic attacks. I was constantly worried what people were saying about me and what happened with my relationship. I remember going to the supermarket and needing to get out because my chest would tighten and I couldn’t breathe. I had never put myself first. It was my time to take control and push my body to the limits.”

‘They don’t need us to wipe their butts or make their meals. Hello, new world of awesomeness! And then it happens. They fight for their independence from us.’: Mom says ‘all we can do is love them for who they choose to be’
“Just because they don’t live the life we do or make the same choices we do doesn’t mean they’ve somehow screwed up. It doesn’t mean they are lost. It doesn’t mean they have ruined their lives. All we can do, as parents, is love them for who they choose to be and trust what we have taught them is enough.”

‘You’re the girl without a tribe. You, my dear, are not broken. People just don’t know how wonderful you are yet.’: Woman urges ‘whatever girl you are, you are not alone’
“I’m talking to the girls who stand alone, the ones who float from circle to circle. The ones who may just have one best friend or a couple of acquaintances. You, my dear, are not broken. You dance to the beat of your own drum.”

‘Isn’t he too big to be in a stroller? Shouldn’t he be walking?’ I couldn’t keep my little boy safe anymore.’: Family adopts service dog for autistic son, ‘That was the day my little boy’s life changed forever’
“She was the first thing he went to in the morning and the last thing he kissed at night. She was his protector. She was his safety blanket. She was his best friend. He rubs her fur, she licks his hands, and together they can take on the world.”