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.

Kids need to see parents living their passions

“My daughter is so much more fearless than I was at her age. She knows how to lean into her fears, because she’s watched me do it. I think that’s the ultimate story of me starting a company: my daughter is more fearless because she’s seen her mom lean into the hard stuff of pursuing her passion. I want to see that be true for more moms and kids.”

How I keep cool when I’m unsure about wanting kids

Since getting married (oh, who am I kidding, since before getting married), people have started asking me how many kids I want. I answer truthfully, somewhere between zero to two — my husband and I do not know if we want to have kids. It’s not as if the decision needs to be made today, but it can be a bit disconcerting to be so ambivalent about something so major, especially when it seems like everyone else has the answer.

An open letter to gay kids from an incredible 9-year-old lesbian

We got this submission from nine-year-old Amaya who says she’s concerned that many children are being rejected by their families because of their sexuality or gender identity. She hopes that kids will read this article and understand that they don’t have to be afraid, and that they are not alone.

How to keep your whole family warm when walking in sub-zero temperatures

My family only has one car, which my husband uses to commute an hour to work each day. But that doesn’t stop my family from going out and enjoying our neighbourhood. I still drop my son off at preschool a few mornings a week, enjoy library programs, and our awesome local fair-trade coffee shop. If you’ve got two feet, a heartbeat, and some basic gear, sub-zero temperatures and snow can’t get in the way…

The single mom stigma

I’ve never — not even once — been late on the rent in all my adult life. I have a stable job at a world-class University. I make a decent income. I’m not rich, but I can pay the bills and live comfortably. So why, then, am I seen as a “liability” to landlords? Oh, right. The single mom stigma.

How scheduling saves our super-busy, polyamorous, multi-household family

How scheduling saves our super-busy, polyamorous, multi-household family

Sharing lives can get messy, emotional, complicated, and exhilarating (and sometimes all in 20 minutes). It’s extraordinarily nice to, once a week, have a time set aside for the exclusive purpose of figuring out the logistics.

On being a heavily-tattooed parent in the “white picket fence” suburbs

Tattooing has been around for thousands of years. It is one of the oldest forms of art, laden with as many different meanings as there are global cultures. And they’re all fun and games when you are young and carefree — society is more likely to accept your tattoos and move on with their lives. But I have found that the rules change when you become parents.

The question that is driving me crazy: “Where is the baby?”

I recently got married and there is one question that is driving me crazy: “Where is the baby?” How do you answer this without getting emotional or rude, and letting them know it is a personal issue?