Most of the groups that promote “family values” today ignore the needs of real American families, says father of five, Edwin Lyngar. Many organizations with the word “family” in the name are filled with bigots, misogynists, and homophobes (for example: American Family Association, Focus on the Family). The favorite talking point of these groups is […]
Among other accusatory and downright rude questions from both strangers and acquaintances, Wendy Fontaine is mostly tired of having to answer where her daughter’s father is. My 6-year-old daughter, Angela, has always been good at making friends at the playground. She meets kids her age at the swings or on the slide, says hello, and […]
Originally appeared on Mamamia. Republished here with permission. There seems to be a lot of chatter at the moment about the increase in one-child families. A lot of it appears to be the many opinions about parents who choose to stop at one. While there are many reasons why a family has one child, there […]
This originally appeared on Mommy Man: Adventures Of A Gay Superdad. Republished here with permission. There was nothing I wanted to inherit from my father more than the name “Dad.” I loved my dad, and in my mind, he was indelibly tied to that particular sobriquet. “Dad” was a term of love and respect for […]
This originally appeared on Mamamia. Republished here with permission. The soul destroying agony of your child dying is only truly known and understood by those who have endured it. Four years on, I still glance down at my daughter’s grave in disbelief. Visiting my child’s grave is surreal. It’s almost like I’ve vacated my body […]
Samantha Eyler is very much in love with a man called C. This is one of the main reasons she wants to have a baby with him. And one of the main reasons she doesn’t. In its cover story this week, TIME magazine pointed out that for many women, having children seems like an increasingly […]
This originally appeared on Mommy Man: Adventures Of A Gay Superdad. Republished here with permission. So you’re going to be a gay parent? Congratulations! No doubt you’ve been through a lot to get to this point, whether you’ve traveled the path of adoption, IVF, artificial insemination, surrogacy, fostering, or whatever. Now, you have a lot […]
This originally appeared on Guys With Kids. Republished here with permission. People who are gay are also human. Most reading that sentence would think, “well, duh.” Unfortunately, there are those among us who would disagree. They just can’t believe that many of the most fundamental needs of a human being can reside in the same […]
This originally appeared on The Daily Life. Republished here with permission. Women lose a lot when they become mothers: income, social status, control over their pelvic floor. One thing I wasn’t expecting to lose was the ability to enjoy leisure time without guilt. Before I was a mother there was a striped neon yellow and black line marking […]
This originally appeared on Jerry-Mahoney.com. Republished here with permission. Imagine you’re at the train station, taking your kids into the city to see the Lion King. A man steps off the train, and two toddlers run up to him shouting, “Daddy! Daddy!” He gives out two hugs and about a thousand kisses and tells them […]
This originally appeared on Mamamia. Republished here with permission. I’ve wanted to be a parent since I was 5 years old. I remember stuffing cushions under my t-shirt and announcing to the entire household that I was expecting, before, minutes later, sitting on the toilet and screaming to my parents that I was in a […]
If this generation of children is not responded to with caring, love, and empathy, then they too will learn the habits of denial and repression, says Sarah MacLaughlin. Have you seen Jill Greenberg’s beautiful photos of children? She has an amazing eye. Her lighting is silky and bright; her subjects are chubby-cheeked and downright adorable. […]
