Category: parenting
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Living With Someone Who Is Mentally Ill: Interview with My Daughter
My daughter has seen it all. From her oceanic blue eyes in her cherub baby face to now, almost 12 years later. She is a remarkable child who has not only witnessed her mother’s hysterics (& panic attacks, drastic weight loss and days of not getting out of bed) but…
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Living With Someone Who Is Mentally Ill: Interview with My Husband
I was approached by a friend of mine who offered up the suggestion on doing an interview series with family members on what their thoughts and feelings were concerning my Mental Illnesses. I have to admit, I had been toying with this idea for a long time and at this…
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When All You Can Do Is Blame Yourself For Your Daughter’s Diagnosis
I tried to hold my tears back as I stared into my daughter’s oceanic blue eyes. I could feel them welling up, feel the moisture increasing. Not here, not now, not in public, Stephanie. But, to be cliché, the dam was about to break. A tear or two escaped. My…
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Teaching My Daughter To Rise Above The Stigma Of Mental Illness
My daughter has seen me. She has seen me throughout her eleven years of life. She has seen me lose touch with reality several times, seen me cry uncontrollably many times, seen me at a handful of Psychiatric and Therapy appointments. She has even seen me become hospitalized. Throughout all…
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When You Need To Discuss Sexual Harassment With Your Pre-teen Child
“Mom, I need to tell you something,” my daughter spoke as I started the car after picking her up from the YMCA yesterday, “but I don’t think you are going to like it.” I love sentences that start this way. I had no idea what was going to come out…
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When You’re More Nervous Than Your Child On The 1st Day Of School
Crowds of kids gathered with their parents at the bus stop snapping photos of their elated children. Some even took video. I stood with my daughter giving a hug and kiss on her cheek. I did this as support, support she didn’t ask for. Why? Because today was the 1st…
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Hi, My Name Is Not “Sophia’s Mom”
I was not given the name “Sophia’s Mom” at birth. How would my parents know all those years ago that I would go on to have a beautiful daughter and name her Sophia. I am sure they had hopes and dreams for grandchildren, but exact details as the sex and…
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Struggling To Help My Daughter…
My daughter is a bright, caring, empathetic, preteen girl. Most days she has a smile on her face that melts her mom’s heart. She is typical preteen, mostly caring about binge-watching shows on Netflix or catching up on her friend’s latest YouTube videos featuring her fave, Beanie Boos. She does…
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What My Daughter Knows
My daughter knows I hated her just two weeks after she was born. Pure hatred, where using the actual word ‘hate’ is valid and not taboo. She knows I wanted to leave her and never ever see her again. She knows I wanted to turn back time and never have…
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Mommy’s Sick… Does Anyone Care?!
A few days ago I stayed home sick. No, I didn’t actually have a fever, but my nose was constantly draining as if someone forgot to turn the shower off and my body was achy everywhere. I was involuntarily stretching because of these aches and knew that I would accomplish…
S. Paige Writes: 