children
Children: Our most valuable natural resource.
When Your Celiac Warrior Starts Kindergarten
I’ve always wanted to stay home with my kids. I have fantasized about it my entire life. I wanted to have four kids and be able to teach them and mould their spongey little minds in the baby and toddler years before passing them off to a complete stranger to do the same. I’m sure a very capable, but very strangery stranger. I always thought maybe we could work our way around needing two incomes, but most likely that it wouldn’t be a possibility. But, when I had brain surgery I could no longer drive and I was healing physically and emotionally, and so I became a stay at home mom. It was the silver lining in the hardest time in my life. I, of course, needed a lot of help from family at first, but I was at home and able to see my kids all day every day like I had always wanted.
By Jennie Carr8 years ago in Families
What I Want My Daughters to Learn from My Health Struggles
Dear Maddie and Marlee, When I was 28-years-old my whole world was changed forever. I thought I had life figured out. I fell in love, I got married, I graduated university and I had a good career started. I bought a house and had a beautiful daughter and a second on the way. I was so happy and was excited for what my future held for me. Your dad and I had goals we wanted to achieve and plans we wanted to see fulfilled. The most important thing to us was to have a healthy and happy family. We were living our dreams.
By Jennie Carr8 years ago in Families
My Child Is Not Broken
"She doesn't look autistic," says the well-meaning person. "If I didn't know, I wouldn't even be able to tell," she says again as to lend me some sort of comfort in the appearance of my child. "What does 'autistic' look like?" I wonder to myself as I smile and say something passive such as "well she is". I know they mean the best. I know they want to help. They don't see her cry and cover her ears in shear terror because she can't find the things she had strategically placed. They don't notice her, outwardly shutter at the thought of a change in our everyday routine. I do. I am here when the dark clouds roll in and the ear-piercing screams begin. I have watched her watch 18 hours of a single Netflix show and endured hell when they removed it. I have sung the same song or commercial jingle over and over until I wanted to poke pencils deep into my ears to make it stop. But no, she doesn't LOOK autistic.
By Aleea Whitmire8 years ago in Families
Dear Daddy
Hello Daddy. Welcome back home after being away for two weeks on the oil rig working for your family. I’ve missed you; I have grown so much since you last saw me, two weeks ago; but you didn’t ask how I was doing, didn’t ask for photos or cute videos of me, or even ask how your three stepchildren were doing. I felt sad but figured maybe you were busy with something important at work or tired.
By AKSweety907 Angel8 years ago in Families
Parenting
I have two kids. They both have the keys to my entire heart. He’s like a tiny best friend to me. We essentially grew up together. I had him right after high school. It was he and I against the world. When he was four I became pregnant with his now younger brother. Now, I don’t want you to see his tiny best friend and think that I’m the ‘I want to be your friend’ type mom. I’m not. There are boundaries. I am mama, first and foremost. I want him to know that he can talk to me about anything though!
By Elora Thomas8 years ago in Families
Immortality
A little kid as I was, I still remember: I tightly held onto my father's fingers, just learnt how to walk. Now, as it was my turn, I am supposed to guide her, help her get up whenever she trips. But what am I doing? Looking down at the contract that Sarah would be no more in a few days? ...and... sign it?...
By Silma Suva8 years ago in Families
The Answer, the Diagnosis, the Heartbreak
After Ryder's liver biopsy clarified that he didn't have Biliary Atresia, I went through a stage of resentment. Don't get me wrong, I was beyond grateful that he wouldn't need a liver transplant, but I began to get frustrated with the hospital. I didn't have much confidence that we would get our answer with the genetics test because initially, his liver specialist requested the test for "Alagille Syndrome". Both his dad and I did some research and looked more into this genetic disorder, and the symptoms simply did not match with our son. I thought this genetics test would end up being a waste of time. About a month after his test, I received a call from his liver specialist. The results were in and as I suspected he didn't have Alagille Syndrome. What his specialist did seem concerned about was something called a "Pex1 Gene." It's a shortened term for Peroxisomes, which is an important organelle found in all eukaryotic cells. They are involved in the catabolism of very long chain fatty acids, branched chain fatty acids. This Pex1 gene is basically an important part of all major organ systems to function properly. What this test showed was that Ryder had an elevated amount of "Long chain fatty acids" which meant there was a mutation in his Pex1 Gene. His specialist said not to worry just yet, they were going to send his results to a geneticist to see if there was any concern. He said, "There are people walking around every day with highly elevated long chain fatty acids that function normally and don't know." The phone call ended with me being a bit confused but I wasn't too worried being that his specialist wasn't worried just yet.
By Kayleigh Sayer8 years ago in Families
Childhood Bullying
I remember those lonely, hard school days. Nobody would have believed how sad I really was because I always tried to fake a smile and pretend that everything was alright. I would dedicate myself to my schoolwork, even though I struggled, talk to other children, and try to engage in all aspects of school life.
By Carol Ann Townend8 years ago in Families
