My dad is gay. It is usually after I have known you for a little while before I will say those words to you. Sometimes it’s our first long conversation, when people go through the whole “Where are you from; what do you do; where’d you grow up?” script that everyone in the world receives […]
One of the coolest parts of childhood is definitely all the toys. But as a parent today — especially a feminist one — toys can be one of the more frustrating aspects of raising a child. Marketing and branding has increased tenfold, and even kids who don’t regularly watch TV are aware of all the […]
Like many American families who celebrate Christmas, mine does it in a pretty secular way. The more observant among us attend services to mark the holiday, but the magnet that pulls our scattered members across the country to one point in the Midwest is, I think, the same as what brings you and yours together […]
Recently, Tara Kennedy-Kline, a mother of two boys, took to the internet to proudly declare that she cannot (and will not) support feminism. If the title of the piece didn’t send up a bevy of red flags, the fact that it appeared on Thought Catalog should have clued me in to the fact that it […]
So uh, don’t freak out, but I was pregnant and had to have an abortion last weekend. Yes, yes I know, my uterus is ruled by Murphy’s Law. Patrick and I both thought it was pretty funny, in that “oh, life” way, when it occurred to me a few days after I missed my period […]
When I was little, I was convinced my mother hated me. Between my two older brothers and me, I was positive I was the one she liked least. Even at a young age, I could sense I was a disappointment, that I didn’t fit the stereotype of her dream daughter: sweet, demure, cooperative, loving. I […]
Oh, great, there’s a new weight loss app for kids. That’s awesome. I know I would’ve loved that when I was a kid. Do you know what was the best thing about my childhood? Everything that didn’t have to do with being hyper-aware of my weight and what food I was or wasn’t “supposed” to […]
A new study revealed that kids who associate with the goth scene tend to be more depressed than average, and are more likely to engage in self-harm. The researchers said that the majority of goth kids aren’t at risk, but that it could be important to reach out to the minority who are. However, they also […]
Almost exactly year ago, TIME magazine ran a cover story called “The Childfree Life” about the rising number of Americans who were opting not to have kids. One of those couples was Paul and Leah Clouse, who both felt that they couldn’t balance their creative interests (a bakery for her, a blog for him) and also be good parents. “If […]
