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Daughter Texts Mom “I’ll Be Home Soon” from Burger King Bathroom—20 Minutes Later, Her Worst Nightmare Comes True

"She's my only daughter, my best friend. She was supposed to start her new job today, now she's on life support.”

To the Stranger Who Gave My 3-Year-Old a Bracelet in the McDonald’s Bathroom

"You heard me tell her we had a long drive home and she needed to use the potty. You heard her tell me she was scared the toilet would flush while she was sitting on it."

Daughter’s “Pootergirl” Costume for Picture Day Goes Viral After She Rejects Dad’s Outfit Choices

"She walked up, looked over each of her choices, turned and said ‘POOTERGIRL!’ and well…I couldn’t argue with that answer...”

Tag: Parenting

Dear Exhausted Mama, Lift Your Eyes

They say cleaning your house with young children is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos. The moment I finish cleaning the living room, I hear a crash in the bedroom that tells me a stack of puzzles has just been emptied on the floor.

Dear Moms, Let’s Stop Drinking the Kool-Aid

"Moms, it’s time to loosen our grips. It’s time to admit that perhaps we’ve boarded the wrong train—a train we thought would take us to better discernment, but has actually led to fear, anxiety, and judging one another."

To the Mom Who Worries Too Much About Her Kids

"In a world that would tell me a laundry list of conditions my little girl might have, I decided instead not to worry."

Mom Feels Overwhelmed With 2 Kids Clinging to Her Legs—Then Her Daughter Says 4 Words that Stop Her in Her Tracks

"I looked away from what I was doing, over the mess of dirty children with fingernails that needed to be clipped digging sharply into my calves, and asked her what she meant... This girl. She's young. And she was so spot-on that I started to cry a little."

I Didn’t Know

"I didn’t know that night, as we rocked back and forth in that cozy, worn rocker that it would be the last time I rocked you to sleep."

The Text Message That Killed My Son

"One day, Daniel got a text from one of the teens who relentlessly bullied him."

Mom Is in Bed About to Doze Off—Then She Hears Dad Whisper This to Their 3 Daughters

"I was laying in bed, about to doze off, since I had to work in the morning, when suddenly I caught snippets of conversation coming from the living room. I strained to hear whispered voices through the closed, bedroom door..."

The Words We Whisper Over the Wombs of Our Friends

"If only you could give her the miracle her heart longs for—you would. But you can’t. So you give her what you can: your whispers. Your prayers."