parenting
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This Mother’s Day Will Be Different
Editor’s note: It’s very important for me to mention that I have two mothers. I was largely raised by my black mother, but my white mother was ever present in my life and obviously had a significant hand in shaping who I am as a person. God saw fit to gift me with two mothers…
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‘Get Up! It’s Jesus’ Day!’ Mother Arrested After Allegedly Using Stun Gun to Wake Up Son for Easter Service
One Arizona teen received, quite literally, a shock after his mother allegedly woke him up for Easter church service using a stun gun. ABC News reports that Sharron Dobbins, 40, was arrested after she “contact-tased her teenage son in the leg” in order to wake him up, Phoenix police said. The overzealous mother unabashedly admits…
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The Stress of Parenting While Black Can Take a Toll on Mental Health
My son is only 2 years old—he’s loving and outgoing. He runs to strangers with open arms, saying “Hug” in his cute little voice. He laughs heartily and shares his toys regardless of the other child’s color. But most importantly, he’s free. I want him to keep that freedom for the rest of his life.…
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‘I Gotta Go. And I Can’t Take Her With Me’: A Mother’s Love on This Is Us
Somehow, I didn’t realize that This Is Us had returned to my Tuesday nights. The last episode I saw was THE episode where Jack [CENSORED]. You know what? “[CENSORED]” means died. Bought the farm. Kicked the bucket. And any other euphemism for dying you can think of. Anyway, on Facebook, I saw somebody mention this past…
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Negative Parenting Milestones They Don’t Tell You About in Baby Books
I don’t remember the first time I bumped the back of my daughter’s head on the top of the passenger-side rear door when attempting to put her in the car seat, but I remember the last time I did it—Saturday afternoon. We were on our way to Whole Foods (whose hot bar is a surprisingly…
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5 Things It’s Nearly Impossible to Do While Working From Home With Little Kids Around
The Washington, D.C., area is under a high-wind warning. There are winds gusting at up to 60 miles per hour. In the alley behind my house, trash cans are littered about, making it entirely impassable. A neighbor’s trash can hit my SECOND-floor window while bouncing into my neighbor’s yard. Let that marinate for a minute.…
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Papa Don’t Snitch: Parents of Alleged Serial Killer Arrested for Not Cooperating With Prosecutors
The recent case of an alleged serial killer in Tampa, Fla., raises an interesting question—namely, should parents be forced to participate in the conviction of their child if it could quite literally mean the death of their offspring? Would your mother do it? Could you snitch out your own child? More important, in this specific…
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I Think My 1-Year-Old Son’s Pacifier Is His Homeboy
Parents, stop me if you’ve heard any of this before. Of my three children, my youngest, Rome, is by far the biggest spark plug. He’s a living, breathing 100 emoji. When he’s asleep, we take pains to make sure he sleeps as long as possible, shushing any and everybody in the vicinity making noise—not because…
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Dear Companies That Produce and Sell Shit, Would It Kill You to Add Some People of Color to Your Packaging?
On a recent trip to buy some gifts for my own and other children for Christmas, I decided to venture to the beads-and-bracelets-and-shit aisle of a Toys R Us near my home. This is my go-to aisle when I need a random gift for my daughter or her classmates when we’re on the way to…
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5 Inevitable Ways You Will Get Stuck for Your Paper Once You Have Kids
Being a parent is awesome. It teaches you about yourself. For example, you get to learn your true “patience” threshold and if you need to work on it in order to make it through the next 18 years (short answer: Yes, you do). You get to go see blockbuster movies that some people without kids…