Category Archive

Families

Our sister site Offbeat Mama launched in 2009, became Offbeat Families in 2012, and was merged into Offbeat Home & Life in 2015. This archive contains all the posts ever published on those sites! We believe that while children change your life forever, being around kids doesn’t necessitate abandoning your identity. We believe in supporting and inspiring parents and caregivers who are moving beyond mainstream visions of parenting. We welcome anyone who’s interested in families, whether you’re pre-parental, in the process of becoming a parent, or choosing to live childfree.

5285040168 03c8251d06 1

How we decorated the nursery without breaking the bank

Decorating your kid’s nursery with style doesn’t have to be a monumentally expensive task — you just have to know where to look.

How do you talk to your kids about people kissing on TV?

While watching TV last night, my 5 year old son asked why two characters were kissing. What’s the best age-appropriate way to talk about this with him?

4468110197 551b3c2e21

Let’s talk about birth playlists that don’t revolve around Enya

Music is a HUGE part of many people’s lives, so it only makes sense that you’d want to push out a baby while jamming to your favorite tunes! Here are some of mine.

4309161412 d156e995a8 b

I spent my teens in the Rotary Youth Exchange program and it ROCKED

Wanna ship your teen out for a while? Liz went to high school in JAPAN as an exchange student through the Rotary Youth Exchange program.

5233471152 ed47bd76c4

How to live with your in-laws while still feeling like an adult and maintaining your autonomy

Loads of us are shacking up with in-laws to save money, but it’s not always easy to feel good about being in the ‘rents house. Luckily, Offbeat Bride’s Community Manager Ang has a WEALTH of ideas on bringing your style to a prohibitive cohabitation situation.

3441190739 ff159cc485 m

How can my partner and I find common ground about adopting vs. having biological children?

Tara and her partner aren’t quite on the same page about what their future family will look like — how can they come to a mutual decision?

166143710 87fe3fc2b2

Parents are people, too: musings on the lessons that we teach

It’s super sweet when your kid copies something great that you do, but that’s not always the case — the lessons your kids learn from you at a young age can impact their young adulthood and teen years.