Parenting

The Imperfect Parent's archive of parenting articles and essays

All of the Parenting archive:

Baby No Sleeping
The Giving-Up Guide for Parents Who Can't Get Their Kids to Sleep
By Nell McCarthy

Co-Sleep or No Sleep
Why I chose to share my bed.
By Candace Juman Martin

Detachment Parenting
AP? It's just not my thing.
By Kelly Reising

From the Gentle Discipline Files
Seemingly an oxymoron.
By Stacey Greenberg

He's a Baby, Not an Accessory
"You have to bring the baby!"
By Rachel Pelta Golinkin

Hypocrisy
Learning to let go.
By Mary Ellen Galloway

I'm Proud of My Bad Parenting
At least I'm not doing meth.
By Kristin Aguilar

Just Say No
The power of two letters.
By Kim Montes

Knock, Knock
Technology opened doors for my daughter.
By Misty Karam

Momifesto
What I learned the hard way through extreme Attachment Parenting
By Juliet Carson-Martinez

Mommy I'm A Gas Station
We've all been there... right?!
By Antigone Arthur

Mommy's Magic Door
A valuable little lesson from the Bathroom God.
By Andrea Ardito

Nature vs. Nurture
You're gonna turn him gay.
By Cindy Morrow

New Use for a Mannequin
Being cheap takes creativity.
By Silvana Clark

Our Son, the Man
"Daddy" is noticibly missing from his vocabulary...
By Prescott Carlson

Parenting Blind
Is it fair to saddle a child with a "handicapped" parent?
By Linda Spoerner

Poor Reception
Could I finally wean my family off TV?
By Liz Jones

Queen of Nags
Mommy needed her serfs to self-govern.
By Kelly Curtis

Raising Unwired Kids in a Wired World
'Out with the old, in with the new' doesn't work for me.
By Jennifer Moon

Roles of a Father
My son is no longer master of his domain.
By Dave Seyfried

That Mom
Is this what they think of me or what I think of me?
By Candace Juman Martin

The 'Good Enough' Mother
Letting go of perfectionism.
By Elizabeth Conaway

The Late Book
I'm as fond of punctuality as anyone, but...
By Sue Norton

The Little White Pill
Was my daughter doing drugs?
By Mary Laufer

The New AP
Trying to strike a balance.
By Sherry Osborne

The Peanut Gallery
What do cowboys and marionettes have to do with sex?
By Scott Warner

Who's the Fuddy Duddy?
My, how times have changed.
By Erica Manfred

Born (Child)Free
Some breed, some screed...
By Alan Thomas

Everyone's Opinion
It takes a village -- a nosy, busybody, opinionated village.
By Jennifer Grissom

Going Sterile
We're done.
By Laura Shovan

My Only Child
There can be only one.
By Victoria Clayton Munn

Oops, I Did It Again
I've been promoted to "father of two"
By Prescott Carlson

Spinach and Birth Control
Doing my part.
By Bryan W. Fields

A Gourmet Wannabe Drops Out
I'm throwing in the kitchen towel.
By Sherry G. Antonetti

Colic
This is not how it was supposed to be.
By Nancy Bleemer

Complainer or Advocate?
What does it take to make a change for the better?
By Joy Jarman-Walsh

Doctor, Heal Thyself
Why is an m.d. spewing advice about child psychology?
By Prescott Carlson

Donuts Anonymous
Hi, my name is Karrie and I'm a donutaholic.
By Karrie McAllister

Gene Pool Dating?
Women, let this be a guide; don’t worry about being rejected by a boyfriend because he doesn’t love you.
By Jennifer Cummins

HMOM
Attention all expectant mothers: be your own healthcare advocate!
By Pam Mitchell Mangas

It's Not My Fault!
Finally, we have a scapegoat!
By Kerrie Flanagan

Parenting After Breast Cancer
Raising kids after the "Big C".
By Julia Nelson

Physical Therapy for Vaginas
Today I had a wire grounded to my ass.
By J.E. Golden

Pocket Full of Crypto-nite
Everybody poops.
By Angela Patton

Pole Dancing Mama
My new exercise routine.
By Esme Mills

Sick Days
I don't feel so good...
By Peggy Duffy

Sugar On My Mind
Why I became a sugar addict, and why my mother is to blame.
By Melanie Springer Mock

The Push to Medicate Children
A little pill can't solve all of a child's challenges.
By Stephanie Allen Crist

Third Millennium Mom
Combining 50s home-goodness with today’s work ethic – is this a realistic expectation for women?
By Rita Fiorentino

Want Fries With That Cow?
My son contemplates the origin of meat.
By Prescott Carlson

A Mother of a Mother's Day
There's no Hallmark card for this one.
By Lauren Norton Carson

A Mother's Day Wish
Remembering Mom.
By Lori Sender

Adjusting
I don't know how you do it.
By Kristy Dallas Alley

Baby Preschool
A new kind of homeschooling.
By Beth Hering

Before and After
What a difference 6 years makes.
By Kimberly Younkin

Being Literal
A Cesarean delivery is permanent birth control.
By Carolyn Aspenson

Being the Mom
It's my turn to play dress-up.
By Kim Montes

Blood Trolls
My foster home for abandoned bands.
By Joy Greenberg

Chew Marks
The conflict between the parenting and creative experience.
By Arianne Cope

Curse of the Diaper Genie
Going nuclear.
By Anne Nahm

Daisy Guilt
Overcoming my Post-Traumatic Girl Scout Stress Disorder.
By Joan Alexander

Dating the Preschool Parents
What should I wear?
By Juliet Johnson

Dear Play Date Parent
My bad.
By Meredith Bland

Doing Their Jobs
All in a kid's days work
By Lizbeth Finn-Arnold

Fear Factor Day
Don't try this at home.
By Jan Castagnaro

First Grade
Mother, daughter, saved.
By Miriam Peskowitz

First Moments
A mother stops to reflect on the little things.
By Jennifer Grissom

Football Banter
The Super Bowl brings back football memories.
By Diane Payne

He's Making a List
Santa is more real than ever.
By Lauri Griffin

Here's To The Rest of Us
Happy Mother's Day, dammit.
By Misty Nuckolls

In Training
Tricks are for kids!
By Danielle Mutarelli

Instead of Father’s Day, Let’s Just Have Another Mother’s Day
Or maybe something like a Father's Morning.
By Krista Pfeiffer

International Kids
Globetrotting with children presents unique challenges.
By Lesley Robinson

Invasion of the Barbie Dolls
The blonde bombshell made a sneak attack on our playroom.
By Alexandra Gordon

Kid Sense
If only more adults had it.
By Michele Miles Gardiner

Leaps and Bounds
A super hero we can look up to.
By Jennifer Strain

Life's Not Fair
No tooth, no money.
By Felice Prager

Mama's Intuition
I seem to be missing something.
By Regina Walker

Mommy Material? Not Me!
I'm just not a plop-down person.
By Hyla Sabesin Finn

My Journey Through Bipolar Motherhood
One mom's unconventional route to becoming a parent.
By Laura Yeager

My Mother Always Said...
The neverending influence of Mom.

My Super *Bleep* Sixteen
By Cyn Vela

Myth Buster
The Tooth Fairy and my middle child.
By Alexandra Gordon

Not So Merry Go Round
I lost my youth at the carnival.
By Emma Yenko

On Second Chances
There's always tomorrow.
By Angela Patton

Our Gang
No parents allowed.
By Lori Sender

Pieces
Someday they will fit together again.
By Ashley Hogan

Poor Cindermama
What's a mom got to do to get to the ball?
By Lizbeth Finn-Arnold

Project Runaway
I like shopping... by myself.
By Melanie Lynne Hauser

Pulling Teeth
"Is the dentist pulling my tooth out today?"
By Sarah Raymond

REM Commando
Queen Super Sleep strikes back
By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Sanity At Stake: Direct Market Diapers
I'm more than a demographic.
By Nancy Rabinowitz

Signed, The Laundry Management
A new discovery while doing the wash.
By Kimberly Ripley

Stage Dad
My son's first day of work.
By Clay Champlin

Starting Over
What will you do?
By Rita Fiorentino

TGIF
SAHMs look forward to Friday, too.
By Elizabeth Thompson

The Barney Question
In defense of the purple dinosaur everyone loves to hate.
By Candace Juman Martin

The Bathing Suits
How we went to the beach after giving birth.
By Stacy Mintzer Herlihy

The Dinner Hour
Parenting is nothing if not humbling.
By Jamie Pearson

The Driving Lesson
My heart's still beating fast.
By Susan Stephenson

The Drowning Pool
Sink or swim.
By Rosie Gorelik

The Elusive Playdate
It's the dating game all over again.
By Lori Sender

The Living Will
My daughter's will may be greater than my own...
By Diane Payne

The Mighty Mississippi
Ol' Man River's got nothing on me.
By Linda Downing Miller

The Pool Party
By Christina Deanne

The Swing Set
If you build it, they will prefer the old one.
By Angie Weatherly

Walking the Tightrope
Everything was fine until Susan screamed.
By Tish Davidson

Watermarked Dreams
Has a simple stain become my omen?
By Karen Pruitt Fowler

We Only Think About It
The truth comes out along with the wine.
By M. Esther Sherman

What We Didn't Do This Summer
Our summer was not a verb.
By Sherry G. Antonetti

What We Don't Get
Being a devoted mother needs no excuses.
By Kristy Dallas Alley

When Young Palaeontologists Become Jedi
My boys have adopted their father's love for Star Wars.
By Elizabeth King

You Can't Take It With You
I just want to take it. Just this. Nothing else.
By Juliet Johnson

Alizilla
Tokyo had it easy.
By Andrea Finefrock

Butterflies
"Don’t. Touch. My. Butterflies. Daddy."
By Josh Busch

Can You Be Friends With a Bad Mom?
Is it possible to stay friends with women when you can’t stand how they raise their kids?
By Eliana Osborn

Don't Think You're So Important
Get off your parenting high horse.
By Lauri Kubuitsile

Expectations
Our kids don't always follow the program.
By Jennifer Grissom

First Flight
A look at the fear of flying... with an infant.
By Tracy B. McGinnis

Five Little Monkeys
Further proof of a missing link.
By Heidi Campbell

I'm THAT Parent
Mrs. Keller? Could you come pick up your son?
By Dana Keller

I'm the Mom (Like It or Not)
You had to get up and pee, didn't you?
By Jamie Odeneal

Imelda in the Making
Carrie Bradshaw would be proud.
By Stacey Greenberg

Kick or Be Kicked
The school called today -- again.
By Annette van de Kamp-Wright

Language Acquisition
My kids are expanding their vocabularies...
By Joanna Nesbit

Old Yeller
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW??
By Juliet Johnson

Peace Now, Not War
Peacemaking starts at home.
By Kate Haas

Stretch Marks
Can I just jump straight to grandmother-hood?
By Angelique Johnston

The Consequences
Meet your new family.
By Carmella Van Vleet

The Master Mind
On the brink of insanity.
By Andrea Atkinson

The No-Fear Option
Just wait 'til your father gets home!
By Mark Montgomery

The Note
Where could he have gone?
By Michelle Kennedy

Tough Girl
My daughter has an aggressive streak.
By Susan Cuadrado

When It's Someone Else's Child
It takes a village?
By Bryan Johnston

Where Did My Baby Go?
Don't you wish they could stay little forever? No, really!
By Jennifer Grissom

Whose Poop Is This?
I’ve become a shit archaeologist.
By Margaret Curran

Willow Trees
By T. Jackson Anderson

(No) Thanks for the Mammaries
The best-laid plans...
By Rosie Gorelik

I Am Not a Bad Mommy
Dispelling the evils of formula feeding.
By Victoria Clayton Munn

Imperfections
Further defining the "right to choose".
By Jessica C.

It Was My Choice
On breastfeeding, medication, and choices.
By Lindsey Rock

Lactation In Style
Is this pump the new Prada?
By Amy Yelin

Machinery I Have Loved
The love between a mother and her pump knows no bounds.
By Stacey Greenberg

A Frog Named French Fry
With my three boys, he didn't have a chance.
By Kelly Miller

A Squirrelley Tale
A big lesson from a small animal.
By Karen Leppert

An Open Letter to My Sons
It's YOUR road
By Dana Keller

Burial at Sea
We gather here today to celebrate Beatil...
By Angie Weatherly

Co-operative living as a family
Would you move with your kids into a house full of strangers?
By Sarah Lozanova

Driving Donuts
"Mommy, can I drive?"
By Christa Melnyk Hines

Family Vacations Gone Awry
Sometimes surviving a family vacation takes more than sunscreen and bug repellent.
By Aimee Cirucci

Formerly a Mom
The other end of the spectrum.
By Jacki Harris

my-brothers-keeper
A four-year-old's journey into sibling-dom.
By Jessica C.

Of Mice And Kids
I had honorable intentions.
By Margaret Curran

Oregon Fail
Watch out for the wagon ruts.
By Merry Gordon

Sleeping In
My first morning of staying in bed late -- sort of.
By Daphne Dykeman

Snack Insanity
This organized snack thing has clearly gotten out of hand.
By Zelda Gorman

The Great Cake War
Officer Black Forest reporting for duty.
By JD Jolicoeur

Basement Dweller
Hey neighbor! Can I borrow a cup of crack?
By Robin Dutton-Cookston

Chris Hansen
The famous face of the To Catch a Predator series talks about his motivation, his new book, and the most disturbing thing he's witnessed during production.

Cyber Warriors
A new breed of superheroes battle online child predators.

Handle With Care
Caution: filling may be hot when dropped on an infant.
By Jay Allen

The Predator's Web
Child predators find safe haven and support online.

Birth Control
Whatever happened to the waiting room?
By Timothy J. Coles

My Pregnant Lungs
Just breathe.
By Juliet Johnson

Second Time Around
Me and my lists.
By Candace Juman Martin

Speedy Delivery
Want a fast labor? Think again.
By Melanie Henson

The Bathroom Baby Saga
A different kind of home birth.
By Michelle Foreman Kauthen

The Test
Denial's not a river in Egypt...
By Glen Dudasik

To Persevere Through the Darkness
I experienced postpartum depression with not just one pregnancy, but two.
By Anne Myers

Vicariously
I'm going to live vicariously through my son -- is that such a bad thing?
By John Vukelich

Not Another Flower
By Alice J. Wisler

Dear Trey
A colorful love letter on this day of the patron saint of candy hearts and chocolate.
By Misty Nuckolls

Finding True Romance
Your husband vs. sexy ghost.
By Lizbeth Finn-Arnold

How to Get Laid
Dads, there is nothing sexier than doing the dishes... except vacuuming
By Stacey Greenberg

Scientific Studies from the Male Point of View
What's behind door number two?
By Karen Laven

The Warp Speed Of Sexuality
Sometimes living in the age of sexuality is tiring.
By Lauri Kubuitsile