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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Parental discretion advised

One thing I never gave much thought about was the censorship I would have to do on my music library when choosing the “shuffle” option because the kids were around. I realized this not too long ago when Cyprus Hill’s “Hits from the Bong” came on the stereo while cleaning house with Middle L nearby.

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An open-adoption birthmother’s ode to a supposedly 7 pound baby

He was 9lbs 10oz, 23 inches long, 10 fingers, 10 toes. Perfect. His adoptive parents cut his umbilical cord together, his adoptive mother was the first to hold him after me.

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Hoodwinked, one father’s take on the circumcision debate

I understand all of the arguments for and against circumcision, which makes this decision even more difficult. There a lot of things to take into account; religious, societal, medical and familiarity…

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How to make a fairy mailbox

If you have young children (or even older ones) who believe in fairies, this is a fun, ongoing project you can do with them. A fairy mailbox is a special mailbox that kids can use to write the fairies and receive messages from them.

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“I thought you didn’t want kids!”

I waited as long as possible to announce my pregnancy. I told my oldest friends first. And the first reactions were: “Congratulations?” “Oh. Wow.” “I thought you didn’t want kids!”

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Can you be pagan and celebrate Christmas with your kids?

I love cheesy Christmas songs, I love fairy lights. On the other hand, I feel hypocritical at the school Nativity play.

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HunnyDu’s birth story

Daddy and Lyra are cuddling on the couch together, so I’m taking the time while I have it to tell of my birth adventure. My original plan was to have a natural birth, at Kaiser, with midwives and a doula. I boned up hard for this test, took classes, read books, did birth affirmations daily, […]

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Seattle audiences are such a tough crowd

Love Jenny Jimenez‘s shot of Seattle’s next generation of indie rockers looking oh-so-blase and unimpressed at a recent radio station barbecue.