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.

How can we make a small space work for five kids?

We’ve seen a walk-in closet nursery — what other space-saving tips work for families? Alisha’s in a 900 sq. foot house with four kids and a baby on the way.

Post-It Notes: an interview with the stay-at-home dad behind “Message With A Bottle”

Chris Illuminati, the stay-at-home dad behind Message With a Bottle, uses Post-It notes to remind himself of the joys and pitfalls of parenting.

Would you let your teen get a tattoo?

A friend recently posted a status on Facebook saying her four-year-old asked to get a tattoo for her birthday — and “not one that washes off in the bathtub.” Of course, the idea of a four-year-old getting a REAL tattoo is ludicrous (and probably illegal), but it had me wondering — what if that four-year-old was sixteen? Would it be ok then?

Help! My nursing bra sucks

Where can one find nursing bras that work for well-endowed mamas?

An earthy homebirth captured in photos

If you were digging the tie-dye baby shower a few weeks ago, here’s the birth story!

I took my five-year-old on a trip to Paris

Planning a trip like this with Ruby was a little daunting. I was excited to take her away to a foreign culture and experience it through her eyes. The Eiffel Tower! Walks along the Seine! Stepping into a tiny shop, sampling the wares, exploring the bits and pieces of life that make that somewhere else so exciting… but I was also nervous: how would she handle the two long plane rides there and back? Would we find a way to meet in the middle of how a child experiences a foreign place and how an adult does?

Come indulge in sweet baby-Hobbit-sized chairs and vintage family photo goodness

If you dig all things vintage, you’ll love this family photo session — especially the old vinyl and handmade baby chair!

Pushba had her baby!

Because how could I not report the birth of my favorite Russian mama’s second child?! From what I can tell from Google Translator, Pushba gave birth last week to a health boy named Elisey via emergency c-section.