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.

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Mommy had an abortion

“Don’t look at the screen,” the doctor said as she turned it away. But I already had. I saw a little blob with leg and arm buds. And a flickering heartbeat.

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Wondering when to turn the car seat around? Here’s why I did it at 6 months

Everyone’s more than a little touchy when it comes to car seat rules, and we made our decision based on what we perceived as being developmentally sound for our son.

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Choosing to move beyond your past to become a parent

Michelle is a brand-new mama who is still getting the hang of things, especially when she wasn’t totally sure she was going to be a mom, ever, in the first place.

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10 reasons why getting a puppy when you’re pregnant is totally awesome

Even though she’s nicknamed Cat, this girl is one serious dog lover. Cat’s written up ten reasons why getting a puppy while pregnant could be among the best decisions you make.

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When holding your child out means giving him a boost up

Recently the New York Times published an article discussing “redshirting,” the practice of holding a child out for an extra year prior to entering kindergarten. Here’s one parent’s experience with the concept…

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The United States won’t recognize my gay marriage or family, so I guess we have to leave

Vera and her partner are married and expecting their first baby in a few months — and also getting ready to leave the country, a choice that isn’t necessarily their own.

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Breaking plans: an “Unnatural Birth” story

Erika’s planned natural birth didn’t go exactly as she envisioned–and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Awesomesauce DILF Who Does It All

Simply put? Kellen is awesome and rocks my socks off. I know, I’m totally biased. But over the last few years, he’s turned out to be the most amazing dad, husband, best friend and over-all dream man I could have ever asked for. He’s silly, sweet, strong, adores our son (and me), hilarious, smart and […]