Category Archive

People

“Homeowner”, “renter” or “squatter” – whatever the label, these occupants take the Offbeat wherever they go.

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How should I talk to my kid about puberty?

Rebecca’s son is nine, and she’s starting to wonder: is it time to talk about puberty? Did your parents ever talk about it with you, or what did you tell your kids?

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How do you talk to your kids about Jesus when you’re an atheist?

One day, my five-year-old asked me if I knew Jesus made the world. So, I told her what we know: that once the earth was here, things started to happen little by little, until one little creature had become a million little creatures, all changing and growing.

manners

Raising Miss Manners: how I taught my toddler to be polite

Maybe I am old-fashioned (despite the piercings and tattoos), but I think that by teaching my children manners, even before they fully understand them, that I’m laying groundwork for a future where they show others respect, and are respectable. Whats more, I feel that because my family is unconventional in many ways, that its even more important to observe conventional manners and etiquette.

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Do I have to have a birth plan?

Birth plan, smirth plan. Jess understands the reason behind them, but feels like she can do without — what do you think?

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Biracial lesbian seeking known donor of color

At the beginning of my journey, “brown” was at the top of my list. I wanted, as much as it was (im)possible to control, to have a baby with whom I shared a skin color. I have struggled with this desire for a brown child on and off the entire first year of my search for a known donor.

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Get ready to swoon over a tattooed punk mama and her blue-haired offbeatling

Brittany’s Flickr stream contains more goodies than I can count: kids with pink and blue hair, infants with (fake) tattoos, and a whole lot more. I’ll say this: this ain’t your mama’s child and family photography, y’all.

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I talked about sex with my kids… and possibly scarred them for life

I always thought I’d rock having THE talk with my kids, but I think I might not have. Using the appropriate words was a cinch, but getting down to the mechanics of IT was a challenge.

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My six-year-old wants her ears pierced: where can we go?

If your child wants his or her ears pierced and YOU don’t want it to be by a piercing gun… what are your options? Is taking your child to a piercing studio an option?