Parenting and Family

My Father Was Never a Dad

My father doesn’t deserve to hear the kindness in the word dad because he never acted like one

Jun 9 •

Motherhood Is a Surprise Performance. This Was My Audition.

No script. No rehearsal. Plenty of reviews.

May 9 •

Danusia Malina-Derben

Is Water Quality So Bad That I Shouldn’t Let My Kids Play in Our Local Creeks?

After testing local creek water, I’m rethinking whether it’s safe to allow my children the freedom I had to explore nature

May 8 •

I Botched Mother’s Day Again

A yearly tradition of mental torture, guilt, and grief for the parentified daughter

May 5 •

Elizabeth Ann Devine

How Painting a Mural for My Baby’s Early Life Made Me a Better Doctor for Patients at the End of Theirs

How art has transformed me as a mother and a hospice physician

Apr 28 •

How to Be a Caregiver to Aging, Difficult Parents

The lessons I learned from my aging mother’s prom dress

Mar 17 •

Alissa Bader Clark

As a Mom of a Sick Child, I Couldn’t Bear to Lose My Child’s Stuffed Bunny

Facing my daughter’s mortality through her stuffed animal

Mar 10 •

Elizabeth Austin

How an Adoption-Focused Instagram Account Helped Me Feel Seen

Notes from a Chinese adoptee

Mar 3 •

Maternity Ward. Psych Ward. Repeat.

Shuttling back and forth between two very different hospital wards on the night my son was born

Dec 23, 2024 •

Michael Venutolo-Mantovani

How Bob Dylan and Timothée Chalamet Helped Heal a Rift with My Son

Patching a deep estrangement can be best as a long game

Dec 16, 2024 •

The Shadow in Me

How my life changed forever when my mother left our family

Dec 9, 2024 •

Balancing a Busy, Full-Time Writing Career with Fatherhood Is More Challenging Than I Ever Expected

Being a present, hands-on dad and a productive writer has forced me to take stock of what truly matters to me

Dec 2, 2024 •

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