“I was more ‘attractive’ to men. Found it easier to shop for clothes. Being thin actually made me more acceptable in society, it made me seem like I had my life together. I used to feel so validated by being skinny.”
‘I was SO proud of my body before kids. Even when I would drop a dress size, I never felt it.’: Mom finds self-worth after struggling with body image, eating disorders, ‘every stretch mark tells a story’
‘Chance of defects, chance of blindness, deafness, death.’ There was so. Much. Blood. I couldn’t feel a single thing. He was STUCK.’: Mom recounts traumatic labor, son’s ‘unique health issues’
“You don’t necessarily notice the impact early on, even if you start to recognize things just aren’t ‘right.’ You see differences at the park, watching other kids interact. Your friends’ kids start walking, then talking, and you start to notice delays. You question what you did wrong and what you could have done differently.”
‘Your children regress because they’re seeking a connection with you. They want to feel loved, seen, and valued.’: Mom shares children’s ‘bids’ for attention, ‘Respond with kindness’
“The 7-year-old who suddenly ‘can’t’ put their own shoes on? The 10-year-old who asks you to get them a drink? The 4-year-old who whines they can’t put their own jacket on (but they totally can)? They may just be craving more of your eyes and thoughts on them.”
‘We tested positive for coronavirus. We let our guard down. I failed.’: Family gets COVID-19, ‘Stay safe and vigilant’
“We put the kids in daycare for two days a week so they could play with their friends, learn from their teachers, and participate in the holiday school activities. Two weeks after they started daycare, our whole family is sick.”
‘I was the ‘teen mama with no prospects.’ But being a mom doesn’t mean your life has ended. Not even a little bit.’: Mom graduates nursing school with her children as inspiration, ‘I wouldn’t change a d*mn thing’
“The mama who had ‘given up the chance at a good life to raise two young children.’ The one who had chosen ‘mama’ over ‘life.’ Full stop. I had to show them both how everyone else was wrong.”
‘The server dropped off the check, and that’s when I realized. WHERE IS MY DEBIT CARD?’: Mom hilariously recounts ‘missing’ debit card, ‘I am NOT made for adulting’
“It’s not in my pockets. Not in my car. Not on the kitchen counter. So, I skivvy down for my sadness shower and… wait. Stuck to my boob. Because OBVIOUSLY.”
‘I used to dread Halloween. The costumes, wigs, the masks. Now it’s almost over. How did this happen?’: Mom with growing kids savors time with youngest this Halloween, ‘He’s still bringing the joy’
“The choosing of the costumes, so much expense on a tiny budget for just a few hours. And the choices…oh, the choices. More thought went into what these children would trick or treat as than went into us choosing our first house. Saving your costume for trick or treating isn’t even a thing this year.”
‘She looks at her like she holds all of the secrets to the world. She had a 10% chance of making it. I begged God for time together.’: Woman births baby with Trisomy 18, ‘I never believed in soulmates until then’
“We made a bear with her voice saying, ‘I love you, Charlotte.’ She was scared Charlotte would forget the sound of her voice. I will never forget the look on her face when my friend dropped her off.”
‘I’m the woman, so I do everything.’ TOTAL. CRAP. When I woke up night after night, it was the expectation.’: Woman urges equal parenting, ‘Stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders’
“I got bitter and resentful from doing it all alone. I watched my husband’s life change what seemed to be very little as we added offspring. His body stayed intact while I didn’t at all recognize my new shape. The lies had clearly taken over my soul.”
‘To my 2020 baby, you are the brightest spot of this difficult year. You are not cursed, you are not bad luck.’: Mom says newborn is ‘the beauty amidst the chaos’
“Whenever I feel overwhelmed by everything in this ‘unprecedented’ year, I hold you. And for a moment, I’m lost in the wonder which is you. You are not responsible for any of the difficulties of 2020, and you are not tied to them.”
