This originally appeared on Everyday Feminism. Republished here with permission. Toy buying is often a minefield for feminist parents. Many parents ask me something along the lines of, “OH NO! My daughter loves [fill in girly, pink, princess toy here]! What do I do?” There is a great deal of fear that having a daughter […]
Tanya Frank’s father-in-law is traditional, tough, stoic and stubborn, but he’s dying and needs help. She offered, and somewhere along the way, an unlikely friendship was formed. My father-in-law is dying. At least that is what the nurse from the Mission Hospice seems to think. She calls it “declining,” but the way she lowers her […]
Khadijah Costley White never really knew her father. But it wasn’t until after his passing that she realized how much she wished she had. The 17th anniversary of my father’s passing last week has me thinking about my views and experiences related to fatherhood, though it’s a journey hard to chart. I’ve often thought about […]
Mainstream media has painted Bode Miller as a dedicated father in a brutal custody battle. But where’s the focus on his attempt to control the life and restrict the rights of a pregnant woman? Nowhere, says Soraya Chemaly. Today, a New York family court will decide where the nine-month old baby of “America’s most decorated […]
This originally appeared on Mommy Man: Adventures Of A Gay Superdad. Republished here with permission. One of the more neglected purposes of my blog is to share information (and dispel myths) about makin’ gaybies. I want to educate people about my family—and at the same time help prospective parents, gay or straight, who might be […]
Gender equality will remain stalled until men and women are afforded the same rights to paid leave, says Soraya Chemaly. Josh Levs would like to stay home to care for his third child, a newborn daughter. As he explains in a Tumblr post, “I have only two choices: Stay out for 10 weeks without pay, […]
We are infinitely better parents when we feel supported, says Addie Hahn. In my late 20’s, in the weeks following a painful breakup, while living abroad, my mom came to help me pack up boxes in anticipation of my move home. When I wasn’t crying or wondering if my prospects for love were spent, she […]
This originally appeared on JaysonGaddis.com. Republished here with permission. Over a year ago, my 4-year-old son (3 at the time), told me he wanted to be in a boys group. It was a mind-stopper. I sat for a moment. Then my heart said, “OK, let’s do it.” A year later, it has begun. I almost […]
If you meet your child without notions of who you think they should be, you will be rewarded with knowing and loving them for who they are, regardless of sex or gender, says Marni Hochman. I never wanted a son. I always imagined having children, but only girls—two or three of them. Up until my […]
No matter what you wish for as a parent, things will never go as planned. Years before I became a parent or had even a serious partner and feasible co-parent, I decided my future child had to be a girl. I couldn’t envision myself cradling, bathing, and walking alongside anyone but the daughter I pictured […]
When Elizabeth Earley fell in love with a woman who had a child, she didn’t expect to become one big happy family. But that’s exactly what happened. On our first date, Lucy told me that she was attending couples counseling with her husband. They were separated, but when they were together their marriage had been […]
There is something daunting about publicly claiming an achievement, parenthood, that isn’t actually yours yet, says mom-to-be Dana Norris. I’m five months pregnant. My uterus has grown to the point that anyone who looks at me can tell that I am with child. I’ve told everyone that I see in person on a regular basis […]
