Essays: Parenting

by Erin Colligan

i'm in a tailspin, no apologies as i wait for the risotto to cook, a lifetime passes. she reaches her cookie out to the dog, who takes a lick causing her to explode in a fit of giggles. she is communicating. i rememb...read more

by Deb Longley

I was sitting in my parents' living room after we had finished our ham sandwiches and ruffled potato chips one Wednesday afternoon, when, flipping through a news magazine I came across a little one-page editorial about the...read more

by Kathy Downey

The birth of my first child changed me. I had expected that there would be some major lifestyle adjustments associated with having a helpless human being who was dependent on me, move into the house. I am not ref...read more

by Ayesha Long

I am the atypical single parent. My 2-year-old son has been in every playgroup, swimming, and art class you can imagine. Even more, I still work every day! How do I do it, you ask. Well, here goes. I NEVER sleep! I...read more

by Janet Doggett

I live in the land of green applesauce and blue butter. It is a place from which I fly nightly on a yellow-lipsticked horse named Tulip with my two trusty sidekicks through azure clouds. We travel to faraway lands like F...read more

by Joe DeShon

My Upside-down Son When my son was a toddler, he thought the world revolved around him, which is SOP for kids of that age. So when he wasn't getting enough attention, he would do whatever it took to draw attention to hi...read more

by Warren Gaskill

The call came in the evening during the middle of August. My wife handed me the phone, it was our law firm's Chief Operating Officer. His message was short and to the point: the firm was downsizing; since I was the "new gu...read more

by Robin Landry

The hardest work I have ever done and the greatest fun I will ever have. Since the birth of my only son, more than seventeen years ago this has been, and remains my description of parenting. Blessed with an "easy" baby...read more

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by Kathleen Weisgerber

Children In Large Doses I should have felt sorry for her, but I laughed. Standing in the middle of a ruin that once was her immaculate living room, my sister, hair a mess, red faced, and out of breath, looked...read more

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by Toni Thompson

I am the ATM Parent. Not at all like the bank ATM bank that just spits out money, I dole out AFFECTION, TRANSPORTATION, and MONEY. I am the ATM Parent, the conveyor of AFFECTION, TRANSPORTATION, and MONEY. AFFECTI...read more

by Valerie Zwald

I blame June Cleaver. I blame Pledge commercials and shiny shampoo ads and the very existence of Hamburger Helper. There has been, in the collective conscious of anyone who has been exposed to a GLIMMER of popular cultur...read more

by Andrew Adams

"Father-Son Talk: You, Me, and a Dragonfly" You only recently came into this world, but already I have a confession to make, a failure in my parenting to admit to. What kills me is that you probably get some gist of wh...read more

by Summayyah Sadiq-Ojibara

It started out like any other day, Mama Ibeji was going out, she had made lunch and left it in the food warmer for the children when they got hungry. The twins; her youngest, just a little over eighteen months had their ol...read more

by Lin Haraway

Ankle Biters What was it with today? Everyone brought their relatives with them to their dental appointments - very small relatives. I used to be a teacher; I can handle kids. But there was NO parenting going on toda...read more

by Aj Harlow

According to most psychologist there are four types of parenting. They are authoritarian, authoritative, passive and indulgent, and they are all like night and day. We will start with the authoritative. The authori...read more

by Emily West

Not long ago I read a book called "Letters to our Children," and this book inspired me to write the following article, which is really a prayer for my children. The most important thing I can give my children, in addition ...read more

by Kathy Sears

What happens when you become a parent? A mystical transformation or as others claim is it like being trained on a battle field. There can be no denying that deciding to have children can be the most important decision an...read more

by Tom Mclaughlin

Dealing with my anger has been a journey. A journey I regrettably began when my life as a father began. Anger arises at least once a week (used to be more) when I am attempting to discipline my children. Before I was a ...read more

by Elaine Sihera

The Effect of Early-Parenting Styles on Adults It seems that there is a strong connection between the way people were brought up in their early years and the way they treat their relationships. Many adults recalled th...read more

by Maria Tussing

The nightmare lingered through the day. At 4:30 this morning I got up, got a drink of water and stood in my daughter's doorway. The nightmares had started when Elisa started sleeping through the night. I didn't think I'd m...read more