I am very excited to announce the third iteration of my original “Monday Mornings” series, which highlighted the daily morning routines of parents across the country to show them (and everyone reading) that there are beautiful moments even in the rush and the chaos as we get our kids and ourselves out the door.
Last year, we shifted to “Wednesday Evenings” and proved that there are beautiful family moments amidst the dinner time and bedtime struggles too.
This year, Allstate has signed on again to help me feature the daily routines of real families to show how their extraordinary stories play out from sun up until sun down. It is because of Allstate that we are able to document a diverse selection of families from all across the country that I would never find if I stuck to my own hometown of New York City.
Every time I do this series, there is a lot of talk about families that people wish we had included— like families who are dealing with medical issues, special needs or military families to name a few. I would love to feature families dealing with unique challenges so please, if you are a family with extraordinary circumstances or you know a family whose story should be told, please share this post and encourage them to enter.
My goal is always to feature as broad a range of families as possible (single parent households, family run businesses, parents with multiples, blended families, extended family that lives in one home, etc.) so just tell us what makes your family unique in the comments below. I would love to show that even with big issues and specific hardships, there will always be things that are universal to which every parent can relate.
To that end, we will not necessarily be grouping families together by city like we have in the past. Instead we are willing to go wherever your story takes us. This way we can also include small towns instead of just major cities.
This new series will also be different than previous years because instead of dedicating our time to the morning or the evening, we will follow selected families for an entire day, from sun up to sundown, showing a complete day in the life. Another exciting evolution is that we will be featuring photo stories of some families, while others will be documented on video. I am really excited to see these families come to life and speak in their own words about their day, their routine and their challenges.
All the featured families will be documented in either August or September so please keep your availability in mind if you enter below.
I can tell you that beyond having beautiful photographs and video taken of your family that represents this time in your life, the positive response and show of support that each family receives from my readers is the biggest reward for participating.
Thank you all for making this series special and thank you Allstate for making it possible.
To enter, please answer the following questions in the comments below:
1) What city are you from?
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
We will be selecting families based on the comments during the month of July.
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This post is part of a campaign series sponsored by Allstate. This series aims to show what life is like, sun up to sun down, for families facing (and overcoming!) unique and challenging circumstances. As the nation’s largest publicly held insurance company, Allstate is dedicated to protecting what matters most.
All photos were taken by Raquel Langworthy.
1) Lansing Michigan
2)
Hello! My husband and I have three children, ages 7, 5 and 1. We live in small town Lizella, Georgia. We have your typical day to day chores and activities but we also have some fun additional responsibilities because we recently moved to a home on 17 acres! So in addition to cleaning the play room and making their beds, the kids help feed the chickens and goats and tend the garden.
Our family is very unique because I am in the military and my husband works from home. A lot of our responsibilities are shared and gender roles aren’t what you typically see. In addition to that, our oldest two children are my step-kids, so we put a lot of emphasis on family time, since they split time with us and with their other mom!
We would love to invite y’all to see our home and learn a little bit about military life, farm life, and our family!
1) Lansing, Michigan
2) 3 kids ages 3, 17 months, and 17 months
3) Our day is a little different than average because we have a 3 year old and 17 month old identical twins. Also, my husband and I stagger our work days to minimize the number of hours of childcare we need each week. Which means he goes to work at 6 am and I get up at 6 to work before the kids get up at 8:30 and the nanny arrives at 9. Usually I go to work in our basement while the kids are with the nanny. Not your typical work or childcare situation. I have to squeeze in as many hours as possible M-TH because we don’t have childcare on Friday to keep costs down. It makes for long days.
4) We have 17 month old identical twins. Also, our closest family is 6 hours away. And we have a threenager. It means very few breaks for us which is really challenging. Certainly nothing closet to single parents or military families but tough none-the-less. Oh, and I travel for work on a pretty regular basis in the summer which is extra challenging due to our limited childcare hours. Love our little people but by the end of most days we are spent physically and emotionally.
1) What city are you from? New Rochelle, NY
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? One daughter, 3.5 years old
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? My husband and I work together, which sometimes shocks people. In the mornings, I go to an early morning gym class, he gets our daughter ready, brings her to school, and comes back to pick me up after I’m ready for the day. My husband takes on a lot of the daily morning routine of getting our daughter ready for school – another thing people are often shocked to hear.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? My daughter has a severe, deathly food allergy. Because of this, we have to monitor certain things in her life (what she eats, where she goes, etc.) more closely than other parents.
1) My family is moving to Littleton/Denver from Central Texas – Arriving August 1st
2) We are a blended family. Together we have 5 kiddos – 15 (boy) 12 (girl) 7 (girl) 4 (girl) 7 months (girl)
3) Our days different everyday and sometimes it’s difficult to develop a routines. Sometimes we have a house full of kids, then between other parents and friends homes we have a quiet home. Even with only 1-2 kids at home we still have plenty of kid noise 🙂
4) We are moving to Denver to be close to my stepdaughter (her mom up and moved with no notice). Trying to get our big family packed up and moved so far away has been a challenge. Also, trying to parent a wide range of ages is always a challenge, but it’s fun to see the relationships between siblings and how they each have their own unique bond with each other.
1) outside the tiny little town of Elma,IA
2) We have a 3 year old boy and a 1.5 yr old girl
3) our day to day is very predictable but what is unique is that I stay home with the kids and my husband farms, we value this as unique because we are both able to be a part of raising our children in an environment that gives the kids freedom and the opportunity to learn hard work and be surrounded by family and love
4) challenging as a parent—-POTTY TRAINING !! But really it’s challenging for us to adjust between my husband being home most days in the summer and winter to him being gone for 18+hours in the fall for harvest starting in September. We are blessed to have the chance to visit their daddy in the tractor whenever but they notice when he can’t tuck them in at night or come play in the sandbox. I’m very thankful to be able to see him every day and I know some don’t get to see their spouses every day but it does make a difference when for 8weeks he is gone most of that time. It wears on me as the “single parent” to play both roles and still enjoy parenting. They tend to ask for daddy a lot and it makes me feel super tiny in the love category but every once in a while I’ll get that huge unexpected hug from them and makes it all worth it
I love this series and am excited to see it back!!
1) Huntersville, NC (just outside Charlotte)
2) 2 daughters, 3 and 1
3) Our oldest daughter has Cystic Fibrosis. Her CF is managed with daily treatments, which take roughly 30 minutes in the morning, and 30 minutes in the evening. This has turned us into master planners!
4) Our family deals with Cystic Fibrosis. I say our family, and not just my daughter, because it’s a family fight. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic, life threatening and life shortening disease. Thanks to all the research in past decades, our challenges include fitting in daily treatments and therapies in order to keep her healthy, rather than lengthy hospital visits (which is what it could be without the medical advancements!) We would love to bring attention to this invisible illness; as most people see a happy, healthy girl, and don’t realize the amount of work and stress that goes into keeping things that way!
1) What city are you from?
Beaufort, SC
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
1 child age 4
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
We are Marine Corps family so we live at least a 7 hour drive from family at our current duty station. The current duty station also makes it hard to get together with friends as a family or find friends to babysit because of our husbands’ schedule.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
My husband is currently a drill instructor at Marine Corps Recruiting Depot Parris Island (boot camp) which means 17+ hour days, 7 days a week for 3 months straight at a time 3 times a year. Responsibility wise, it’s like being a single parent for most of the year. It’s also hard on our daughter who knows daddy is around, but we don’t get to see him.
1) What city are you from? Verona NY
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
Ryleigh, 5
Russell, 3.5
Anthony, 2
I also babysit an 18 month old names Brooke during the week 🙂
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? My husband is a lineman and is gone for weeks at a time. We never really know when he will be gone. He loves what he does and we wouldn’t change our lives for anything. Life caring for 4 kids can be crazy, expecially when you’re on your own for a week or so. There is nothing like “come home day” where the kids run outside the second they see that truck turning into the driveway!
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
1) What city are you from? Verona NY
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
Ryleigh, 5
Russell, 3.5
Anthony, 2
I also babysit an 18 month old names Brooke during the week 🙂
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? My husband is a lineman and is gone for weeks at a time. We never really know when he will be gone. He loves what he does and we wouldn’t change our lives for anything. Life caring for 4 kids can be crazy, expecially when you’re on your own for a week or so. There is nothing like “come home day” where the kids run outside the second they see that truck turning into the driveway!
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
Aside from my kids being very young and close in age, I babysit a fourth child during the week. The more the merrier, right? Things get crazy and loud here. Exhausting but so much fun!
I was living a similar life a year ago! I have two of my own and was babysitting 2 others (4 under 5 years!) And my husband traveled a lot for work. Now we moved to a new state (6 hours from family) and I went back to work full time after 5.5 years home. It’s a whole different type of crazy now!
1) Aurora, Colorado
2) Two kids – 5 year old boy and 3 year old girl
3) It’s hard to say how our day-to-day is different from the average family because I’m not sure there even is an “average family” for me to compare to. We are unique because we’re us! What we do works great for our little fam and I’m actually very proud of how my husband and I partner to make it all come together. My husband worked from home for the past few years and handles getting both kids up and ready while I can focus on getting myself ready. We both put in full days of work, then when we’re all back home we take turns doing everything. If one cooks, the other does the dishes. If I tucked my son in last night, hubs will to it tonight. We rotate baths, chores, errands, etc. My husband just got a new job and will start working out of the home on 6/20. Our routine will probably start to look a bit different in the mornings. Because he worked from home a sick child or last minute grocery run always fell on him. So now we will have even more to negotiate and navigate as his schedule changes. Our son will also start kindergarten in August which will be a fun milestone for all of us! So you can see there’s nothing too crazy or overly different for us, but we are unique because there is only one family like us. We call ourselves “Team Scott” and would be honored to share our world with others.
3) I think being two full-time working parents is the main challenge for us. Daycare is extremely expensive and that financial burden can be stressful. I lost my job two years ago and we are still trying to recover financially. We aren’t in a position for one of us to stay home so the grind continues. But we remain as positive as we can and we both work very hard to provide for our family.
1) We’re currently living in Montgomery, AL on Gunter AFB
2) 4 boys ages 10 (11 in July), 8, 6, and 3
3) We homeschool our oldest so that he can participate in the homeschool practices offered for his gymnastics team (an extra 4 hours of practice per week, he’ll be competing at boys level 6 next season). We’ll be adding in our second son this August. Our 6 year old will continue at the elementary school on base, and our youngest will start preschool. I also run my own custom sewing business from home in order afford to stay home.
4) My husband is in the Air Force and is currently deployed to Korea for a year, so I’m single-parenting for a while. Keeping extremely busy helps us pass the time while he’s gone, but adds plenty of chaos to our lives as the same time. Homeschool, gymnastics, sewing business, martial arts (I go to class two evenings a week and teach a kids class one evening a week), playdates, field trips, rinse and repeat. While he’s gone, our boys have really been stepping up with their Family Help (i.e. chores – “you’re part of this family, so you will help”) to keep things running smoothly. With everything we have going on, it’s a challenge for me to find time to stay connected with each boy individually, so I try to find a few minutes each day to do something special with each one: reading books on the sofa, a chess game, tickle time, morning and bedtime snuggles, cooking dinner together, or discussions about video games or superhero powers or the history of Middle Earth.
1) Hello! My family and I live in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area. More specifically we live in Carrollton, VA very near Newport News, Virginia.
2) My husband and I have one son named Jack. He recently turned 2. I am also 6 months pregnant and we are expecting a little girl around October 1st. We also have a 4 year old dog named Max who is also a big part of the family.
3) We are a military family. My husband is a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy. We are very proud of him but his job certainly can take a toll on the family. I also work full-time as a counselor at a local university helping students dealing with mental health issues. So, we are very very busy like many working families. There are nights where my husband and I are both taking work calls in the middle night. It can get interesting!
4) My husband is not currently deployed but he is often not home. He works very long hours often leaving the house between 5 and 5:30AM and not returning until 6PM or later. In addition to that, every three days he is gone for 24-36 hours for overnight “duty.” These nights he often does not get more than 3 hours of sleep, than he works a normal long workday, and comes home to his family. As you can imagine, that is physically hard on him but it is also really hard on my son and I. Our Jack idolizes daddy and there is a definite void when he is not here. Every week he is gone for about 2 of the days. Most of the day to day/evening to evening duties fall on my shoulders. It was challenging before I was pregnant but being pregnant has certainly made it more difficult. Making things a little more complicated in the August-October time frame my husband will periodically be headed to sea for about a week at a time and we are starting to grow concerned that he may miss the birth of our newest little one on the way. So, if we were to be selected for this I am not sure that my husband would be present but it would certainly show the joys and struggles of a military family going about life. We are also dealing with fun things like toddler tantrums, potty training, transitioning to a big boy bed, and all of the other fun milestones that come along with a two year old.
1. We currently live in Moscow, Idaho but are relocating to Logan Utah in July.
2. We have two kids, our daughter who is 14 months and our son who is one week old today.
3. Our day to day is up in the air as we are preparing to move to a new state. My husband just graduated with his undergraduate degree and I am halfway through my masters degree. What makes our day to day different is that we are transitioning from me being the primary breadwinner to my husband being the breadwinner. Minus my maternity leave for my daughter, my husband has been the full time stay at home dad and now our roles are reversing. So we are finding our rhythm. Also, with our kids very close together, we are trying to find ways to make our one year old daughter feel included with her brother, as well as help her cope with the changes that happen for her as she learns to talk and struggles not always being able to communicate what she wants.
4. We are a relatively young couple (both 25), have been married for 2.5 years (and pregnant for 1.5 of that), and are at the transition point from being primarily students be being what sometimes feels like ‘real’ adulthood with jobs that actually have something to do with our degrees.
1.) Bay Area, California (Santa Clara)
2) three kids aged 5, 3 and 9 months.
3) We recently moved here from Minnesota so we are constantly going out on adventures and checking out new places for the kids to see and do. I often vlog for my YouTube channel.
4) we recently moved to California where my husband took a job offer for Apple HQ. He works a lot and we don’t have any family near us for help so I find myself doing everything. My challenge has been finding mom friends, I’m 24 and because I don’t have a degree like everyone near me (including my hubby who is 35) it has been really hard trying to connect with other moms. Here in “Silicon Valley” everyone is focused on careers, what school you went to, and money.
1) Chicago
2) 2 kids, 5 and 2
3) I’m a working mom. I do all the morning stuff and all the evening stuff and drop off and pick up for both kids.
4) I would love for you to feature a working mom. I don’t think my situation is more unique than the next working mom but I do have children in different locations, during the school year, my daughter is in the car for an hour and a half while we go get her brother. After we get home, it is usually dinner and cuddles. That is usually all I can muster after work when my toddler is cranky and needs mommy. Some nights we skip dinner and head to the park. I have to be flexible to keep the kids happy.
1-Suburbs of Chicago
2- 2 Kids- 11 year old girl and 8 year old boy
3- I am a single parent and have a very small village, getting them ready in the morning, head to work for the day, pick them up, have dinner, chores, reading, bonding, whatever the night holds.
4- Besides having a rather small village, my kids father and I barely speak. We are supposed to co-parent but it does not really work that way.
We live in Prince Edward County, in Ontario, Canada.
I have three kids:
Joesph (6 years old)
Allie (4 years old)
Brooke (2 years old)
We rush, rush, rush through each day.
A hard challenge is my hubby walked out two days ago, which has been frightening for the kids. They can’t understand why he left and the other challenge is that I’m four months pregnant and Allie says “baby is a snake”
Our day is a little harder, because their Daddy left, and I gotta get three kids out the door.
We have one daughter, Maia who’s 10, and Brayden who’s 2.
We live in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada.
Our morning includes: rush, rush, muffin at coffee shop, rush
A hard challenge is that Grandma lives in the other side of our house. (It’s a split house) and that Brayden must go for a muffin at the coffee shop, and then go to Grandma’s.
Our days are a bit harder because Brayden has food allergies, and we must be careful where he eats and what he eats.
If you do come, we’re better at night, because Maia and Brayden will be at day camp if it’s during the week.
We suggest you get a rented car and tell the driver to go Glenora Road.
My email doesn’t work now, so you would have to comment below and give you the house number. But if my comment doesn’t submit, just knock on every door on the street until you find us.
Thanks in advance,
Penny
1) New York, NY (Harlem)
2) Three kids, 11 (boy), 7 (girl), and 3 (boy)
3) I’m a single, currently stay-at-home parent. My husband left in February.
4) My 11-year-old has had social-emotional-behavioral problems since he was a toddler. He was diagnosed with ADHD and an anxiety disorder at 8. My daughter has an anxiety disorder and probably also has ADHD. Both kids see psychiatrists weekly and take medication. Both have very challenging behavior issues. This is all now complicated by their father suddenly leaving.
1) We live in Denver, Colorado.
2) My husband, Sean, and I have a 3-year old daughter, Teagan, and are expecting a second daughter in August.
3) We are a very outdoorsy, go-with-the-flow, family. We have two cats and two dogs. I am a Pilates instructor and my husband works in logistics. We try not to be too schedule-oriented.
4) Pregnancy! I guess not so unique…? But being almost 8 months pregnant with a toddler is definitely testing my abilities as a mom. My husband works very crazy hours – 445 am to 355 pm most days. I also just re-enrolled back in college to finish my Political Science degree – my timing has always been impeccable!
Hi my name is Kendall. My husband and I have 2 French Bulldogs and a 3 month old daughter. We moved to Charlotte, NC when I was 4 weeks pregnant. We both work at home and my husband also gets his MBA online. We live in this crazy bubble of work, school, baby, and fur babies. Without any family around we’re juggling a lot but so extremely happy with our move from the cold!
1. Larchmont, New York
2. Four kids: A 5 year old boy, 3 year old boy, and 1 year old boy/girl twins
3. Our day is probably filled with more chaos and noise, but also more fun than the average family. We embrace the craziness that comes from a full house, and constantly have extra friends and visitors around.
4. Our biggest challenge is remembering to slow down and enjoy these times despite how hectic our lives are. We don’t want to look back at this phase and feel like we wasted it being stressed or struggling with the logistics of managing a large family.
1) What city are you from?
Round Rock, Texas
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I have 3 kids: Isabelle 14, Caleb 10, and Jackson 7
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
I’m graduating from Texas State in August after being out of school since 1999. The campus is an hour away and my boyfriends job is an hour and 30 min away. Mornings are a little rushed and so are the evenings up until dinner is made. Being a blended family has its ups and downs but we are doing our best and it would be awesome to show off my kids and give people a glimpse into our lives.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
Being a full time student where both parents commute an hour or more away to school/work and dealing with a brand new freshman in high school. Eeeek!
1) Newington, CT
2) one daughter, 3.5, trying for #2.
3) Our days are far from average. My husband works 2nd or 3rd shift rotations for a tv network, and I run my own wedding and family photography business from home while parenting my Lil at home during the day. I’m often on my own getting Lil up and ready for the day as well as fed and into bed. We have a flexible, more laid back schedule than most families. Working from home and making my own schedule, I tend to spend the day “moming” and then work later into the night. It’s not perfect but it’s us. 🙂
4) Our biggest challenge is our different work schedules and coordinating care for Lil if we do happen to have work at the same time. Every day is different, which can be fun, but also exhausting in its own ways.
1) We live in Vancouver, WA.
2) We have a 3 year old son, and I’m currently pregnant with our second baby (a little girl, due end of September/beginning of October).
3) Our family is unique because both parents are home all day. My husband telecommutes for his job as an artist, and I’m a work at home mom with a small Etsy shop. It’s an amazing opportunity, and I feel lucky all the time that I’m able to spend so much time with my son. But not only is he with me, my husband is able to see him and take breaks to play with him throughout the day. I hope one day my son (and daughter, when she’s born) realize just how unique our situation is.
4) On top of being pregnant (which is enough of a challenge itself), my husband has bipolar disorder, and the down swings can be pretty tough. Mental illness isn’t something that’s talked about much in our society, which means that the thousands of people who deal with it feel embarrassed/ashamed. We’d love to share a little of our story and daily life, just to show that people dealing with mental illnesses are normal, and more common than most people realize.
1. Colorado Springs, Colorado
2. 3 total- ages 2, 3, & 11
3. Our day to day is a little different because when I’m not away for duty with the air national guard, I work from home. Which can be great, but also difficult. I stopped counting how many times I had to apologize to a client for someone shrieking in the background, or for a dog barking at a neighbor. I also run a charity from the house, so our kids are pro’s at matching stuffed animals to books, getting stickers ready, etc. They’re a good little troop!
4. Our youngest, Toby, was a preemie and was diagnosed as IUGR. He’s 26 months, but wears 9-12 month sized clothing. We have tons of doctor appointments, and soon will be starting growth hormone treatment for him. It makes it tough on the other two because we have so many “Toby” things to do, and the charity was named after him. The 3 yr old doesn’t notice as much, but the 11 yr old does. Plus. having such an age gap is sometimes helpful, but also sometimes a stress source.
1. Frenchglen, Oregon
2. One daughter, will be 5 years old in July.
3. We live on a 1.1 million acre ranch where my husband is cowboss (assistant manager, literal boss of the cows!). He is horseback 70 hours a week, watching over 8,000 cows with 9 other young cowboys. Our daughter, Sam, and I ride with him 3-5 days a week. Sam has her own horse named Nacho and she is quite a skilled cowhand (for a four year old).
4. Some days are tough. When a four year old is DONE with the day, it’s hard to say ‘tough luck: we still have another three mile ride back to the horse trailer’ but sometimes that’s the way it goes. I think it’s a great way to raise our child, being in nature and being able to spend so much time with her parents. It’s fun to see the young 19 and 20-year old Cowboys buddy up to my kid and keep an eye on her.
1) Tiny town of Palmer Lake, CO, we live on a dirt road.
2) 3 kids – 3 year old girl and 1 year boy twins
3) Twin toddlers are probably one of the hardest stages. They’re not old enough to understand many consequences or rules, but they’re big enough to go different directions at once.
4) My husband has to commute 25 miles to the city because there are very limited job opportunities nearby. We also struggle to afford our family, but I cannot work a job because the cost of childcare for twins is insane. But at the end of the day if everyone is fed and happy, that’s all we really need.
Oh, we also live in a 2 bed house with our 3 kids. Definitely a challenge.
1.) we live in Harford Co. Maryland (30miles north of Baltimore)
2.) Two twin daughters, 2 years old
3.) Our day to day routine is varies slightly depending on what is planned. I am a stay at home mom and try to find different ways to entertain two very outgoing (wild) girls. Having multiples is challenging but it took us four long years and IFV to have them and I try to never take a second for granted.
4.) Having to spunky toddlers is difficult and stressful at times. I’m home or out with them alone for 90% of the day. We also live in a very small house with 5 dogs! I have a tight knit group of moms that we frequently do play dates with to keep us busy!! Busy day means naps!!!! I would love to show off my adorable crazy girls and this awesome life we live!!!
1) What city are you from?
We’re from Morristown, NJ – short ride from NYC.
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
One boy, 5 1/2
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
We are pretty average, though what is average these days? We both work full time at very stressful, tiring jobs. My husband’s new job requires travel several days a week, often flying to different time zones just for a day. He usually leaves between 4-6am and doesn’t return until 10pm, but often needs to travel from city to city, so may be gone overnight as well. I’m a teacher. My saving grace is my summer “off”, but that’s with no pay and no help. During the school year, there is little leftover energy at the end of the day, but I try as best as I can to make the best of the hour we spend together before bedtime.
I always say that I can be a good teacher, a good mommy, or a good wife, butt cannot be all three. Since my husband is the oldest and is [supposed to be] the most mature, being a good wife often falls by the wayside. This is definitely the area in which I need to focus.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
In addition to teaching, I have recently taken on a leadership position in the local union. This has been like taking on another full time job – double the meetings, the phone calls, the meetings, the emails, the stress…did I mention the meetings? Our son doesn’t notice now, as he’s still in daycare 5 days / week, but come September when he’s in kindergarten, he’ll notice how long his days truly are. It will be a true adjustment when he enters school.
1) What city are you from?.
Rahway NJ
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
One daughter Emily, soon to be one year old at the end of June
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
My husband works 7pm to 6am as a police dispatcher in my town, and I work in NYC as a video editor during the day so I’m out of the house from 9am to 7pm. Our only time together during the weekdays is in the mornings from when Emily and I wake up to when I leave for work, or for a few evening hours when my husband has a day off. We try to get our most quality time together in those morning hours, doing things a normal family might not do, like catching up on a TV show together or going out for breakfast or taking a walk as a family with the dog.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging
I think our opposite schedules is the only challenging situation. Our long hours and opposite schedules make it extra important to schedule and value quality time.
1. Elizabethtown, KY
2. Two girls, 5 and 10
3. Our family recently switched traditional gender roles. My husband (also retired Air Force) was working as an ER nurse while we lived in Florida, and I stayed home. 7 weeks ago we moved to Kentucky for my job. I recently started back in public affairs for the USDA. My husband is home with our girls now and for the foreseeable future.
4. Something that makes our family situation unique and challenging is that my husband was diagnosed with leukemia 12 days ago. His parents dropped everything and have basically moved in with us. On top of me going back to work and moving to an entirely new state. We haven’t started treatment yet, and may not for some months, but the stress level is already rather high. I’d love to see an objective account of our lives as we deal with all of these challenges, and find the beauty in small moments.
I have one daughter who will be six in August. I was a single mom for awhile but my fiance moved in about a month ago and so we are learning a new family dynamic. Its tough because she is with her dad every other weekend so I alternate between trying to maintain consistency and trying to make up for lost time. I am a middle school teacher which presents challenges of its own. During the summer, I wait tables at night and so my fiance will be learning to put my daughter to bed and I would love to have a senak peek at th at dynamic and to
whoa! My computer went crazy! Not sure what happened there 🙂 Please ignore the typos! We live in a small town outside of Charlotte, NC.
My husband and I moved from Nashville to Lake Placid, NY last September. My husband became the head basketball coach at a college a few minutes away, Paul Smiths College. We have three children. Flynn (4), Nola (2 going on 21) and baby Quince born in April. Our life is rather unique in that recently we moved our family of 5 into a small 800 sq feet staff apartment on the college campus. My children think it is normal to ride their scooter into a college cafeteria because mom is too tired to cook or to ride their bikes around the basketball gym because it is snowing… in April. Aside from spending the day chasing after three littles ones and then attempting to get 3 children to sleep at a reasonable hour (often without my husband around), my biggest challenge is keeping my children from waking up a hallway full of college kids at 7 AM on Saturdays and from eating too many cookies from the campus dining hall.
So I really didn’t follow the rules here with the 1, 2, 3.. format so I will condense my novel up there and answer the questions as the post stated 🙂 You know I will actually read 🙂
1) We live in Paul Smiths, NY which is located a few miles from Lake Placid in the Adirondacks. This town is so small and having lived in only major cities Philadelphia, NYC, Nashville I am learning to have NOTHING around.
2) I have 3 kids. Flynn is 4 and will be starting Pre-K in September. Nola is 2.5 going on 20 and will also be going to a little nursery school starting in September because she will lose her mind being home without her brother. And our newest member Quince (7 weeks) who was born in April.
3) So we live on a college campus. Like in a dorm building in a staff apartment. We have 5 people in a super small 2 bedrooms apartment sharing the floor, lounge and washer/dryers with a bunch of 20 year old college kids. My husband is a college basketball coach and is gone a lot (particular October-March) so that is never really fun – especially at night because my kids are really awful at bedtime : )
4) My kids are healthy, happy, tantrum throwing preschoolers. They hate sleep, love climbing all over me and are terribly cute. We recently moved away from our family to a super small rural “north country” living and boy am I adjusting. We live on a beautiful campus (Paul Smiths) that sits on a lake. What I have gained in college campus amenities (access to a basketball gym, indoor pool, cafeteria when I don’t want to cook) we lost in local stores. We miss our family, but have made great friends. I am learning to make the best use of our small space and teaching my kids that college kids do not like loud screaming at 6 AM on saturdays…or really any day.
1) What city are you from?-
we live in Moorhead, MN and share a community with good old Fargo ND!
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
My husband and I have 4 children. My husbands 17 year old daughter lives with us full time and we have 3 boys ages 4, 2 and 5 months together.
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
My husband and I both work outside of the home. I am a director of a childcare center so my kiddos get to come to work with me every day! I have the best of both worlds by being able to work outside the home , still getting to see my children every day and have an influence on their day to day schedules, education and social development. Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming working when they are in the building but I wouldn’t change it for the world!
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
I think that anytime you have multiple children so close in age along with a teenager, it can present a vast amount of challenges on a daily basis! Luckily we have a great support system of family that lives close by and plays a huge role in our lives on a daily basis!
This series has been so cool so far – I can’t wait to see this installation of it.
1) We live in Glen Rock, NJ.
2) We have two boys, 6 and 2 (will be 3 in August)
3) I am American and my husband is Japanese. Both of my sons were born in Japan and we only moved to the US a little over two years ago. We are only here for a few years, and then we will move back to Japan. We don’t really have much of a clue as to when we will be moved back – it is all in the hands of my husband’s company. The lack of certainty has me thrown for a loop; we want to try to fit as much in as we can while we are here, but in the same vein we have regular life that gets in the way.
While we live in an area with great schools, we feel like it’s only fair to our boys to send them to a Japanese school on the Hudson, about 25 minutes from our house, in order to keep/grow their Japanese language ability. My older son takes the bus to school (my younger one will likely do this come mid-August), but I pick them up. Because we don’t have many friends in our area (it’s proven difficult to make friends here since my son isn’t in the school system and doesn’t really have a way to make close friends), after school, I often take my sons to a nearby park to play with their school friends. Most of his friends are in the same situation we are, where they are only in the US temporarily. This means life can feel a bit lonely sometimes – few friends nearby and other close friends are constantly leaving.
4) My husband travels a lot for work, leaving me alone with the boys for several days, sometimes weeks at a time. My husband’s family is all still in Japan and mine is scattered all of the US, but the closest are my parents in the midwest – an 11-hour drive. When my husband is gone, it really is just my two guys and me. My boys are awesome, but being the sole parent so often can be trying.
1) What city are you from?
We are from Clarksville Tennessee
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
We have 2 children. My son will be 5 on June 30th and my daughter is 3
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
I am in Graduate school, working full time and being a full time parent while still keeping up with the house and trying to find time for me.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
My husband is currently serving overseas with the US Army so I am mommy and daddy, while also doing everything listed above. My mom died at the beginning of this year and was my main line of support when it came to helping with the kids so it’s just me and them. It’s hard but they are worth it, even when I am not really sure what I am doing and not really sure how to be the mom and dad and still say sane.
1) What city are you from?
Elgin, SC. Small town right outside of Columbia, SC.
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
My husband and I have 2 children. Our very talkative 3 year old little girl is named Ryan and we have a very lively 6 month old little boy named Reece.
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
My husband is an amputee and a veteran who works part time. I am the Founder and Executive Director of a grassroots nonprofit organization that provides youth support services. We live with my parents who are very active in our children’s lives.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
Our schedules differ week to week because our youngest is still at home full time so we schedule my husbands work week around my appointments and meetings. Also, my daughter is out of school for the summer which means juggling my business, her activities, and my 6 month old along with my husbands work. I often take meetings with my 6 month old thanks to baby wearing.
1) What city are you from?
Atlanta, GA
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
Triplets! 3 1/2 yrs old (2 boys, 1 girl)
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
3 3 year olds! Juggling all of their emotions (and our own) can get crazy. They have minds of their own which is wonderful but the good is really good…+ the bad is really intense! They are so different from each other but also go through “growing pains” at about the same time. Think new phases (good/ bad) and challenges x3.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
Along those same lines… Think 3 potty training at once, 3 into big boy/ girl beds at once, etc.
A note about my husband and I–he works full time, gets home 6:30/7. I quit my accounting job after the kids were born to stay home with them–it made more sense than daycare times 3 ($$$). No help on a regular basis. Preschool during the school year now 2 days a week, and my parents live 40 minutes away (they moved from Ohio a year ago to be close). A help for sure–my mom (or both) will come for the first part of the day maybe 2x a week. Without that there would be no trips to the pool, zoo, or other activities being just me during the day!
Love this series by the way!
1. We live in Omaha, NE.
2. We have two boys – 8 and 2.
3. I have a 8-5 job that requires overtime as needed to get the job done. My husband works retail full time that involves every other weekend and closing a few nights a week. Because he of the industry he is in, he has to be available on his phone when not at work. We work together to make our life work, get to kids events with the closes family 3 hours away.
4. Our oldest is very active in sports. This spring we played club baseball, soccer and lacrosse. A lot less time commitment then a select team. He also is ADHD which provides a challenge in itself. Our youngest tries to follow his brother in everything. He so ready to play and will start lacrosse this fall.
Hello!
1) What city are you from?
My husband and I are both from and still live in San Antonio,TX.
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
We went from almost 5 years of infertility to abundant Blessings! Our eldest Adalynn, just turned 3, our youngest daughter, Everleigh is 18 months and we have a sweet boy, Zander who is a month old. All of our kids are 18 months apart!
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
I have no doubts there are many families that have the same situation that we do. The fact that we have 3 kids, 3 and under just makes our life a little insane. We went from not being able to have children and rounds and rounds of infertility treatments, to back to back pregnancies. My husband thankfully is able to work from home a few days a week which helps with some of the load, but dealing with a 3-nager, a crazy 18 month old who seems to cut or bruise herself daily and a new born is hard for even the most experienced parent! And him trying to be on work phone calls with his customers not hearing the screaming of a toddler is pretty hard!
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
For me personally it is because I don’t have my parents around to help me or be apart of my kids lives. They divorced when I was 2 years old. My dad recently moved to St. Thomas with his newest wife and my mom has had early on set Alzheimer’s Disease. She was diagnosed at 60 and is now 65. I had to find a facility for her a few years ago because it was just too hard for me to care for her and I still hate myself for having to do it. Even though she is in a facility I am still very involved with her care and we are there often. My kids are the only small grandchildren running through the hallways of the facility. Every resident there is at least in their early 80’s. Not the environment I pictured for my young children to be able to spend with their grandmother, but I make the best of it for them and we try to have fun when we are there with her. The challenge now is my mom and my 3 year old fight often because they are mentally almost at the same level. Grandma takes things away from her & says things she doesn’t understand. This is becoming a challenge for me as I have to explain to her that grandma isn’t well. 🙁
1) La Porte, IN (small town about 60 mi SE from Chicago)
2) 3 girls (7 year old and twin 3 year olds)
3) Dad commutes to Chicago from work so I’m basically single Mama from 6am to 7pm M-F however I do work from home and our kids go to school/babysitter in summer.
4) 3 girls are chaotic! Also 2 of them being twins is unique…2 out of 3 of our girls wear glasses – you wouldn’t believe how much attention that gets for some reason!! People also think it’s weird I work from home but take the kids to a sitter….I ACTUALLY work that’s why they can’t be there! Haha!!
1) Livonia, MI
2) 3 girls, 5 (Gabby) and 3 (Evie) and Cecelia (who passed away shortly after birth).
3) Our day-to-day is filled with following our three year old around (she’s a special needs kiddo) to make sure she doesn’t fall and hurt herself and to watch for seizures as she has hundreds a day. We juggle that with medications and playing with our 5 year old. My husband is a high school teacher and I am a paralegal. I handle the mornings with the girls and he is there when they get home from school. We try to do activities outside of our home that typical families do, but it takes some extra planning due to our three year old’s medications, heat intolerance (getting overheated causes her to have seizures), and the fact that most places are not “Evie-proof”. She can’t be left alone for one second because she doesn’t understand what is dangerous and what isn’t.
4) I’m not sure our jobs as parents are easier or harder than anyone else’s. I believe that being a parent is hard no matter what, and everyone’s journey is different. Our 3 year old, Evie, has a genetic disorder called CDKL5. CDKL5 is a x-linked genetic disorder that causes seizures and severe nuero-developmental impairment. While most kids with this disorder cannot walk or feed themselves, we are fortunate that our daughter can walk and feed herself (with a lot of assistance). She does not talk and is severely cognitively delayed. She has hundreds of seizures a day and needs constant supervision. While she does walk on her own, she does not have a lot of awareness of her own body or anything around it. While she does give us some idea of what she needs or wants or what is bothering her, it’s mostly a guessing game. She is the sweetest little three year old in the world. Her big sister, Gabby, is very aware of her disorder and is her biggest cheerleader. Gabby knows how to hold Evie when she’s having a seizure and will yell for us if she sees a seizure happening and we are not by her Evie’s side. Gabby cheers for Evie when she learns something new and is constantly kissing and hugging her.
In April of this year, we lost our youngest child, Cecelia, 8 hours after she was born. It was sudden and completely unexpected and we are still learning how to deal with our grief. This loss was very hard for us because we had engaged both of our older girls in the pregnancy of our youngest. Gabby was part of setting up the nursery and picking out a name. She was so excited to have another sister and talked to us openly about how she hoped that this sissy would learn how to talk and play with her. She was so excited to have another sister to play with.
I think it would be wonderful to have our entire day documented as sometimes it feels like we are just getting by instead of enjoying our time as a family. We are working hard to get the laughter and fun back into our family, but sometimes I worry that our family isn’t healing. Or I worry that I’m too focused on my grief or my three year old’s medical issues.
1) What city are you from? Plymouth Meeting, PA
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 2-year-old boy/girl twins
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
We are both working parents who have to go to our offices from 9-5. Our jobs are fairly flexible, but most of our time not spent in the office is spent meeting people at various places in our region. We both are very active socially and work sometimes has us travelling or staying out past bedtime.
We both have our own hobbies that we manage to squeeze in to raising our twins–I teach a spin class and attend other workout classes by 6am most days of the week, I play golf, and I like to run or do yoga. He also golfs, runs and plays basketball weekly.
Our twins attend a local daycare and have gotten a lot of wonderful socialization and learned so much there.
Our day is pretty structured, with my husband getting them up and dressed while I am working out, then when I get home at 7 I prepare breakfast for the kids and me, get ready for work, and we are all out the door before 8! We’re home by 6, do dinner, hang out and play, then bed by 8. Somehow it all works.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
I had my twins via IVF. I am a 13-year cancer survivor, so that might have contributed to the difficulty in getting pregnant that we experienced. Also, we are both older parents (relatively). My husband is now 44 and I am 36. So we have a lot of life experience that has made parenthood quite an adjustment but also something that we worked hard to get. We love our kids to bits, and are still adjusting to our role as parents and our little babies turning into high-spirited, challenging, wonderful kids!
1) What city are you from?
Fresno, CA
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
7 children. 16, 15, 13, 11, 7, 5, & 2. All but 15 year old are boys.
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
Balancing children’s special needs, medical needs, and our family’s financial needs. Our days focus on sensory activities, occupational therapy, learning to handle newly diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes, and all the little things that keep a large family going.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
I am a domestic violence survivor and started over with my children in a new city where we did not know a soul. We lived in a domestic violence sheltWe rely on public transportation, which is challenging for my 5 year ol
1) Jamison, PA
2) Two. Boy (4) Girl (2)
3) I run a photography business. Mostly newborns and families. I am home with the kids too while running it, so it’s a bit wild with childcare. We have established a little village of friends who help each other out when needed which is beyond beautiful. My husband works a 7-3, and then I run my family sessions at night. Its a bit all over the place at times, but whose family isnt!?
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
I juggle time management. Time spent at shoots, with clients, editing. When to know if we are spending enough time or too much time together.
I dont want to enter the contest but I just wanna say I am already enjoying reading the stories in the comments and cant wait to see which families you choose to highlight.
1. Lawrence, KS
2. 4 kids – 3 yr old girl, almost 2 yr old boy, 5 month old identical twin boys
3. Wrangling 4 kids under 4 😉
4. I stay at home currently (because how much would I actually take home when I add up all the kids in daycare?!) & my husband regularly works long hours 30 miles away as a financial advisor. My parents live nearby and have been coming over most afternoons & evenings to help out since we’ve had the twins…which is great but also sometimes a bit too much togetherness! Our house is in a constant state of remodel so I never know which part of the house my husband will be working on at any given time or if I can count on something to work properly!
I love the installations in this series, it is so awesome to see “a day in the life” of other families.
1. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
2. 3 boys. 2, 4 and 6
3. My husband and I are both teachers(he is High School Music and I am Art at a K-8) and spend most of our days helping raise/guide hundreds of children who are not ours and then come home to do the same with our boys. We are parenting/educating all day long in so many different ways.
4. We have a unique situation where my parents also live in the finished basement of our house while they are trying to find jobs. They lived in Florida and worked at Disney World for a couple of years but missed their grandkids too much and we have always had a home open to them. While it is amazing to have family so close, it does make for a tight space! It is not commonplace to see families living together like this but we are grateful to have such awesome and involved grandparents to help!
I live in Frontenac, KS – tiny city in the corner of Southeast Kansas. I live with my husband of almost 10 years (July 1!) and our 3 kids: Mason 8, Rilynn 6, Parker 2. I was working full time but a year ago, I switched to part time and only work from 8-12. I love this because I’m able to still get “adult time” but then I get to pick up my kids from school and have time with them before the stress of dinner, bedtime, etc. My husband officiates football, basketball and baseball for area teams, along with working a 40 hour/week job, and is gone quite a bit at night. We have a busy family schedule with ball games, dance and gymnastics classes, potty training a 2 year old… But we always try to have fun and enjoy our time together, especially when daddy is home at night!
1) Oak Ridge, NC
2) 1 daughter (Freya) a few months shy of 2 years old
3) We don’t really plan our day and just go where the day takes us.
4) Being a SAHM with a budget and managing type 2 diabetes, a silly toddler, a crazy cat, and the millions of bugs out here in life in the country!
1) Current city Lowville, NY
2) Two kids; 6.5 year old girl and 5 year old boy
3) & 4) I am a single mother who works a normal job yet also serves our military and is a full time college student. What makes us unique is that even though I am divorced from my childrens father, my kids and I are currently in the process of moving to TX so that they can have the chance they deserve with their dad in their lives everyday. Until then I will continue to be super mom 😉 and juggle all our daily activities on top of work, the army and school and continue raising two wicked awesome kids!
) What city are you from?
Originally from Miami. Now living in Vero Beach, Fl
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
5 kids: 12 (adopted age 5)
9 (adopted age 3)
6 (adopted at 5 months)
6 (adopted at 14 months)
17 months (only bio)
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
With 5 kids, my days are always different. During the summer I put the kids in as many Vacation Bible Schools that I can find in the area. We also go to the beach, pool, movies, bowling & skating on a regular basis. Seems like there’s some kind of appointment for at least one kid every week!
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
My ex husband & I adopted 4 kids together out of foster care over a period of 4 years. We separated in January of 2014. A few months after our separation I got pregnant for the first time in my life in my life. I certainly didn’t plan to bring a bunch of kids into my home, only to have my marriage fail, but life happens & I’m very blessed to have my babies. Being a single mom of 5 kids definitely has it’s challenges. My 9 yr old son has cerebral palsy & there’s a very good chance he’ll live with me into adulthood. My 6 yr old daughter is African American & she’s just starting to notice that she looks a little different from the rest of the family. Sometimes I wish I was a little closer to my parents in Miami but Vero Beach is a great area & the kids are able to maintain a relationship with their dad.
1) What city are you from? Such a loaded question from the jump. I was born in Chicago, raised in a town of 700 named Sheridan Illinois, and recently moved to Florence SC. We’re going pretty good here.
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? I have four children, 2 boys and 2 girls, Levi, 19, living a gazillion (seems like) miles away on Illinois, Stevan, 17, Jessica, 15 and Trinitty, 10.
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? I’m a single mom, with dads that have habitually absent (turns out I’m a pretty cool com and dad in one) that has amazing kids that help immensely) my kids that live in my household actually like to hang at home and play board games or card games or watch funny videos with their lame mom!
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? Well, I don’t get help. I was faced with being homeless in Illinois it taking help from my ex mother in law in a place that we knew no one, had no support (aside from the ex mother in law) i have no family. I left all our belonging and picked up and moved. And it was scary as heck, but it turned out to be pretty amazing. We’re doing really well considering, although every day is a challenge. I guess I feel like mother’s of teenaged children aren’t what your read about online, and we’re the exception to most rules. I’m a single mom doing the best she can, and doing pretty okay, despite the stack being set against her. We all work together to get by.
1) What city are you from?
Omaha, NE
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
2 kiddos, Two year old Oliver and 1 month old Elliot
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
In addition to continuing to adjust becoming a family of 4, Oliver has epilepsy and is in one type of therapy(Speech, Occupational, Physical, and Early Intervention through the school) or another up to 4 times a week. I am also struggling with PPD.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
I am a stay at home mom (at first due to the cost of childcare and now due to my sons medical needs) and am constantly on the run with doctors appointments, therapy appointments, and play dates. I live by my bullet journal and pocket calendar!! It is not uncommon to have 5-6 various doctor appointments in a week. I am trying to give my two year old a “normal” childhood. One that isn’t consumed with just doctors and therapists. In addition to the epilepsy, my son has gross and fine motor delays, speech delay, febrile seizures, and hypotonia. He is labeled as Medically Complex. We are working with a team of doctors and geneticists to hopefully find a diagnosis… they believe that with everything Oliver has going on that it has to be related somehow! Although, two genetic tests already have been inconclusive.
We struggle with debt and are on a very strict budget. This can make grocery shopping a real adventure! ($150 every two weeks) My husband works so hard for all of us and we are chipping away at our debt (student loans and medical bills) but it means that we have to constantly be aware of where we are financially.
I just had my 4 week postpartum follow up visit and I have been struggling with PPD so I will hopefully be getting help soon. It is so horrible that I have to force myself to do anything right now and have let a lot of things slide. I have zero energy or tons of energy, I can’t sleep at all or I sleep for hours and hours, I have poorly controlled anger (thankfully its all directed towards my husband who has done nothing wrong), and cry whenever I am alone. Depression is not something new to me so thankfully I knew the signs and was able to talk to my doctor without fear or judgement,
Our life is about finding balance. Making sure that there are plenty of great times to counteract the bad!
Hi,
I have four kids, three at home ages 10, 8, and 5. My husband works in SC and comes home every 6 weeks. My sons have medical issues and my eldest son has special needs. I am flying solo and while I have a loving husband and my kids have a great father, this is our situation. I work full time in the school district. Never did I ever think I would single parent, but we make it work.
1) I live in Fabius. NY which is right outside of Syracuse in Central New York
2) I have an almost 2 year old girl and a 5 year old boy
3) I am a single mother in a small town who takes my children to work with me. My family owns a dog grooming shop and I take the kids with me to work to avoid paying for childcare.
4) Not only do I take my kids to work but my son has high functioning autism. He is crazy smart and makes it easy on me, we just stick to a routine and hope for the best right now. His father also has the same thing and he lives about 40 minutes from us. My daughter is a wild smart stubborn little thing who is non verbal currently. We have a fun chaotic life that is all about to change when kindergarten starts in the fall. I would love to document this phase in our life.
1. Orlando, FL
2. One son, age five
3. I a single mother by choice. Nearing the age of 40, I decided to use an anonymous sperm donor to make my dream of motherhood a reality. I never regret the road I have taken, but there are some days that are easier than others!
4. I left my job at the end of 2015 and we have just relocated to Orlando for a new job. The transition has been going well, but I find myself stretched pretty thin. We have been living in a hotel for two months, are moving to a rental townhouse for six weeks and close on our new house in mid-July. My parents will come stay with us while I fly back to Indy to pack up all our things. Evan is looking forward to having all his toys back! And the transitions continue, as he starts kindergarten in the fall!
1. Georgetown, TX (btw it’s the faster growing city in the nation…)
2. 3 year old girl and 2 year old boy
3. We are maybe typical me SAHM (with a professional degree and 8 years work experience) and my husband is a pastor to youth at a church. But we have BOTH sets of grandparents who live less than 5 minutes away so we really embody the family village. There is rarely a day that goes by that we don’t have a grandparent over even for just a few minutes to say hi, to borrow a truck or a recipe, to bring a new outfit for a toddler, etc. While we don’t all live in the same house, we are in each other lives and supporting each other. My mom is a single mother who adopted a 5 and 7 year old when I was 25, so my kids have a young teenage aunt and uncle. Some of our week consists also of helping my mom get them to activities and my in laws also are family to them and help with tutoring and carpooling. Beyond that we have preschool, dance lessons, swim lessons, playdates and tumbling for our own Littles 🙂
4. We adopted our son from Taiwan in October of 2015, and he is only 8 months younger than our daughter. While he is picking up on English fairly quickly, we still have the challenges that come from creating a new family with a little boy who already has a strong personality and memories and experiences that we don’t share. Thankfully, our children adore each other and their relationship is really something incredible to see. They are each others perfect counterpart and they challenge and strengthen each other daily.
1) Alexandria, VA
2) 2 boys, 5 1/2 and almost 3
3) We are maybe a little different than average (if there truly is such a thing!) because I work remotely (at home) for a company in Texas and my husband is a military musician (USMC).
4) Which leads to our challenges – although my husband isn’t deployed, his unit travels for performances very frequently. Some are predictable (I know that he will be gone for 6 weeks every February/March, and 3 weeks every October, for example), but much of the schedule is unpredictable and I’ve had a bit of a hard time adjusting from what used to be an equal partnership to taking a lot of the burden of the day-to-day.
) What city are you from?
New Port Richey Fl
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
1 son he’s 2.5 (almost)
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
I’m a SAHM. Although we don’t live together grandparents from both sides are very active in my son’s life and all play a Large roll in his up bringing.
We are visiting/playing/recharging with extended family at least 3 or 4 times a week.
We are very active with swimming &Run clubs trying to be outside and playing as much as possible. FL heat is making that harder.
I’m also a thought of as a crunchy mom. We cloth Diaper and Baby (Toddler) wear.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
My husband is a computer programer. He works from home. A 2 year old who wants to play with Daddy doesn’t understand why he can’t go in daddy’s office when he wants to.
Because of his work my husband work late and wakes up late. Keeping the noise level down until 12 or 1 is not always easy when we are stuck at home.
I love this series! I’m so happy to see it back!
1) What city are you from?
A very small farm town, Pewamo, MI
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
1 son, 2 years old
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
My husband and I both work full-time and we run a small family farm.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
I think our situation is different because in addition to the normal busy of two full-time working parents, we run a farm with cows, pigs, chicken, turkeys, not to mention a large garden. We think its important to know where your food comes from so we are busy raising animals and fruits and vegetables not only for our consumption but also for our family and friends.
1. We live in the small town of Hortonville, WI.
2. I have two amazing boys 4yrs and 11 months
3. Our day to day is different because I’m a single mom raising 2 boys while working full time.
4. What’s unique about our situation is that my oldest is AUSOME! He was diagnosed with Autism at 2 among many other medical issues. Our days are sometimes crazy with ever changing schedules and therapy sessions. Our Monday and Wednesday nights are spent with therapists for in home therapy. I work full time so it can definitely be exhausting being a single parent. But our home is filled with family, therapists, craziness and a lot of love!
Hi! My family and I are from Iola, KS. My husband and I have 3 kids. Braeden (8), Samantha (6), and Kloey (14 months). In March, just 4 days before my hubby’s birthday, he was diagnosed with Stage 3C testicular cancer with an abdominal tumor the size of a baseball wrapping around his aorta just to shake things up a bit. Our Monday mornings have since been filled with chemo and the dreaded bleo treatment. Every single Monday since the healing of his first two surgeries. Our life is crazy, 3 little ones and ball games and school, ADHD in the middle munchkin and all sorts of fun things that kids do. Then, we threw in cancer and everything has changed to a level of scary and difficult that I never thought we would have to deal with. We try to remain as normal as possible but with with white and red blood counts that drop into the single digits and having to seclude ourselves to protect Daddy, there really isn’t a normal.
That’s just a brief peek into our little life. Thanks for reading!
1) What city are you from?
Currently live in Streetsboro, Ohio. Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, but due to my fiance’s job, we have relocated to Cincinnati, Columbus, and now here – all in the span of 5 years.
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
We have 1 daughter, age 5 1/2, who at some point turned into a teenager overnight.
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
I work part-time dayshift, and my fiance works 12 hour swing shifts. For two weeks, he works 6a-6p, and for 2 weeks, 6p-6a. During midnight shift, he gets home around 6:45a, climbs into bed, kisses me, and then I get out of bed to start my day. It’s extremely exhausting, as around the time of the end of one shift, just when we start to get used to it, we’re back on the other shift. We switch roles often depending on what shift he’s on. When on midnights, I’m doing bedtime (and most of the time) morning duties, too. When he’s on dayshift, he does the bedtime routine, because he doesn’t get to see our daughter a lot, and I get morning duties because he’s up and gone before we’re out of bed. It oftentimes feels like a crazy whirlwind ride, but we’ve somehow managed to make some sort of routine in the last 5 years of doing it.
On his days off, he usually devotes the entire day to just her. Their bond is something beyond me, and it makes my heart melt every single time they are together.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
See above. Our daughter gets used to one schedule, and then it changes. She gets frustrated when her dad isn’t home because of work, and even more so when I take on more hours at work when I can. She likes to test her limits because we both do things differently, even though we try to stay consistent. For example, bedtime is usually anywhere between 8:30-9:00. When he’s just getting home from dayshift at 6:45 at night, she’s excited and ready to play and completely wound up – where when he’s on nightshift and it’s just us, I usually have her calmed down and semi-ready for bed by then. Somehow she’s adapted to the inconsistency, just as we have, but it’s still trying to say the least.
1) What city are you from?
Fargo, ND
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
1 have one son, 3.5 years old
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
I’m what you call a single mom by choice – I chose to have my son through the use of an anonymous donor. I also work full-time and recently completed a PhD and am glad to finally have graduated and am enjoying the simple day-to-day activities with my son that I didn’t have time for before – doing puzzles on the porch, playing in the kiddie pool in the backyard, or pulling weeds with him outside. I’m really enjoying the simple things now – now that I actually have the time. I also have a great support system in my friends, family and place of employment and my dad currently watches my son for me while I’m at work.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
Being a single mom by choice is probably the most unique piece to my story. And yes raising a child without a partner is challenging but it’s all I know and it’s something that motivates me every day. I have always been independent and this is just another way of me taking on challenges – I have always wanted to be a mother, and I feel that that having him was meant-to-be. He is a sweetheart and it is so fun to watch him learn and grow. This last year or so has been a difficult one for my family health-wise, in that my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and my dad with skin cancer – and both are in recovery from that. However my dad was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s as well and the effects of that are a new challenge for me to deal with, and I suspect those day-to-day challenges will only grow in the coming years especially with me also being an only child.
We live in Ludlow, MA. I have two kids. My 4 year old is autistic and his baby sister is 14 months old.
Life is a little more difficult and different than average because my 4 year old’s dad isn’t involved in day to day life which is super busy because of his therapy schedule but his step dad is amazing. My son started preschool at 3 to get the therapy he needs and he works ALL. DAY. LONG. We get up and go, pretty much immediately and it doesn’t stop until bedtime. He has a full day of school and therapy followed by more at home therapy in the evening. Then dinner, bath, maybe some playing and bed. Despite our crazy, hectic schedule he is so sweet and happy and I feel like that’s a side of autism that isn’t put on display all that often. He’s a truly beautiful kid and he brings so many people so much joy.
1) What city are you from? Somerset, NJ
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 2 girls — 9 and 4
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? every day is different (like many I’m sure) — dad works in city and his schedule varies daily, we moved farther away from our primary support (maternal grandparents) 2 yrs ago so that left much of the daily routine up to mom and dad assists when possible. we were lucky to have assistance from my sis in law w/ childcare for my oldest. the reality of the daily changes were roughest for mom and the then 7 y/o initially but over time smoothed out to where we managed to ebb and flow with any changes to routines.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? purchased a home and will be residing with maternal grandparents. this will obviously provide support with kids but will be a major adjustment to have 4 adults residing under one roof and learning new routines/patterns to blend structure from both households. really interested to see how this develops when both girls begin school in September so would love for it to be captured on film if possible (hint, hint)…
1) Houston, TX
2) 2 kids: Omar- age 5; Sofia- age 1
3) our day-to-day is a little different in that I am the breadwinner in the family right now as my husband is a grad student. So he does a lot of the stuff around the house and helps with getting the kids ready in the morning (our ‘roles’ are reversed, you could say)
4) our family is Muslim, and I want to show everyone that we are just like everyone else. its scary and challenging to raise our kids in a time where there is so much hate surrounding our religion, especially now that our son is old enough to ask questions. My husband was laid off in April 2015, the month before we had our Sofia. And with the oil crisis, it was hard for him to find another job, so he went back to school to get his master’s degree. With me working full time, and his studying and night classes, its a tough and hectic balance for both of us to make time and energy to care for our kids and maintain our standard of living. both kids go to school/daycare and i constantly feel guilty about not spending enough time with them. but we try to make it work!
1. Fairmont, West Virginia
2. Two children. Troy- 5 and Rose- 3
3. We are a very “average” family. I am a speech pathologist and my husband manages a tire shop in a neighboring county. My daughter goes to a wonderful daycare that is NAEYC accredited, and my son attends the rural elementary school I work at with me every day. He will be in first grade next year.
4. We aren’t dealing with any out of the ordinary situations currently. My husband is attending graduate school and we have a big, old home which require a lot of upkeep. Between cleaning, yard work, and cooking, we are pretty busy folks. We don’t travel often, but we are going on a well-deserved vacation this summer. We have wonderful friends and also some family in the area. We like making time for fitness and outings to the local pools and playgrounds.
Every parent has a unique situation and no one is dealing with the same thing, but we are all trying to raise adults, not children.
My name is MacKenzie. A friend of mine recently linked me your story looking for families with children with special needs!
Well we are a young family (22 & 25) from Cincinnati, Ohio! (Yay go Reds! Not ?) We have three awesome children! Noah (3) Nova (2) and Stitch (4 months). Stitch was our most recent bundle of crazy born in Feburary! He was born with two complex heart defects, Hirshsprung’s Disease and Down Syndrome! When he was born he went straight to the NICU. He had emergency surgery at 4 days old, first open heart surgery at 12 days old. And has since been in heart failure. He spent the beginning of his life in Cincinnati Children’s, and was finally able to come home on Friday June 3! Since his EarthSide arrival our lives have changed drastically but not a in a bad way! Stitch has a lot of needs, and sometimes it’s extremely frustrating and overwhelming but parenting ANY child is the same way! We constantly have to change his colostomy bag, his feeding pump, G-Tube site, give meds 8 times a day but that’s what it took to get our baby home and we couldn’t be happier! Our big kids are great help, and although we can’t do as much We are value the time and care that we do for him because they aren’t optimistic about his success in the future. But our spirits remain high! We would love to share our story with other families so they know, yes it totally sucks to have a kid with special needs, but there is even more GREATNESS that comes from those children then you can ever imagine! I’ve witnessed miracles because my child! He himself is a Miracle. He wasn’t supposed to make it to four months❤️
#HendrixStrong and the Jenkins Family
Cypress, Texas
3 kids ages 7, 41/2, 9mos
Our schedule is pretty hectic, as daddy works hours from home, and leaves early and gets home late.
I manage school and schedules all day, while also preparing for classes. I teach English 2 nights a week at the local junior college. We have a sitter who is here for awhile, on those nights, until daddy gets home. He handles baths and dinner, and i get home just in time to kiss goodnight and nurse the baby.
Did I mention we commute an hour to our schoolevery morning?
Our situation is atypical, and the money doesn’t always flow, but I want to be home w our kids as much as possible so we make it work
My name is Jodi. My two girls are 1.5 and 5.5 (going on 16). My husband and I relocated from Brooklyn, NY to Canton, MA (near Boston) a few years ago to be closer to family. I am an 8:30 – 5 working mom and my husband is a chef with night and weekend hours, so we are on opposite schedules. My husband takes care of the the little one Mon & Tues all day and the older one half day when she get’s out of pre-k, but he works Wed – Sun, so then the kids are all mine on the weekends. Mon & Tues we get the pleasure of having him cook a gourmet dinner, but my cooking is pretty much pasta with butter and salad made as quickly as possible while the kids keep nagging me for snacks. It’s a totally different dynamic when we’re actually all home together on those rare occasions. I think it would be amazing to see our lives documented and hear what others think.
1) What city are you from? Orland Park, IL (suburb of Chicago)
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 6-year-old son with Asperger’s and my 8-year-old great niece who is a pistol.
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? We have 4 adults (2 sets of parents) living in our house and two (formerly) only children that were thrown together. Currently, my niece’s fiance stays home to watch the kids and usually makes us all dinner at night. As parents, we have mutual respect for each other, but sometimes our parenting styles differ. It makes life interesting. We also have a crazy rescue dog with anxiety that eats anything possible when left alone in the house. We are a sitcom pitch!
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? See above. My husband and I are the “elders” of the house, but we walk a fine line with giving advice and interference. It’s difficult to mind your own business and let everyone live their lives when you are all under one roof.
1) What city are you from? Tampa, FL
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 2, Daughter is 4 going on 14 (lol) and son is 2
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? I am a WAH (Work at Home) Parent which allows me to spend more time with my children than your typical working mother because I do not have to lose time on a commute, etc. I love that I teach my children that it is possible to have a career and be a involved, hands-on mother. And that there father is able to do the same. His days are long, and the work demanding, but he never misses bath time or stories and good night kisses. Though the days can be long, and you often wish for more time, we both get to pursue our careers and our biggest life goal, our family, while working as a team.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? We are a small family with BIG dreams. My husband and I are growing our family without any roots of our own. We have a dream to give our children roots, firmly planted, to allow them the stability to flourish as wild and free as they can go. The challenge is remembering to nurture ourselves so we can in turn nurture them abundantly, and balancing our responsibilities and pursuits.
1) What city are you from?
Washington, DC. A sleepy neighborhood in the NE corner of the city.
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
5 year old twins and a 3 year old little boy.
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
I think our day to day is similar to a lot of families. We had to make creative choices to manage work and child care like so many others. When my twins we born extremely premature we were advised to keep them out of daycare after they came home from the NICU (after 3 months). This would keep them away from germs and make it easier to manage their 9 different specialists (we averaged 3 appts a week). We decided to do shift parenting (me working days and husband working nights). This fall all 3 kids will be in school and it will be the first time in nearly 4 years that we won’t have to shift parent. Needless to say my husband and I can’t wait to see each other again.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
Our first 2 years as parents were intense; raising twins with medical needs takes up all your life. Then just when they started to get healthy and specialist appts started to fade away my second pregnancy went wonky. I spet 7 weeks on bedrest and then the baby spent 2 months in the NICU. Somehow during all of that we saved enough money to buy a house in DC. Two weeks after closing we discovered that we were the victims of real estate fraud. We had bought an illegally flipped house from shady developers. Now we are in a legal battle with the developer who sold us our house and trying to work with the city to fix all the illegal and not to code work that had been done by the developers before we bought the house. Basically a gut renovation. All while living their with 3 kids, 2 cats, and a dog.
1) What city are you from? Little Chute WI
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? We have 3 year old twin boys.
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? My husband goes to school full time, and work’s part time, our children are disabled.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? Our twins were born at 24 weeks, because of this they have many challenges to over come. They are both tube fed, and one has a trach and is ventilator dependant. Along with thsee struggles we also have 20 hours of nursing staff to help care for our child. Both boys are fun, happy, energetic, and adorable!
We will be selecting families based on the comments during the month of July.
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1. Santa Monica, CA
2. 5 yr old girl, 3 yr old boy
3. Our family is probably NOT unusual – my husband and I both work full time, we have a nanny.
4. Nothing too unique, we are both juggling careers and transitioning our kids into school and our various schedules. Maybe we can represent typical working families. Hi Pam!
1) What city are you from? Leonia, NJ
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 3 year old daughter
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? We recently came to terms that we can’t have another child. We went through two rounds of IVF last year in the hope that we could add another addition to our family only to learn that my eggs are “old.” Right now, it is a daily struggle as I see other pregnant moms/friends/colleagues and have a pang of envy (that I don’t really want to feel). I realize this doesn’t necessarily make us unique, but I hope you can share a story of infertility through this series.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
When going through IVF, I was getting up at 4:45 am most days to get bloodwork and tests throughout the month….all so I could be home by 6:30 am for my husband to go to work. In the evenings, I was either home to give myself shots or brought them with me to work (and client events!). Then, on the weekends, I would drive an hour each way for more bloodwork and tests. In addition to some other medical stuff, I found it all to be rather overwhelming. I don’t think I’ll ever truly get over not being able to have another child, but it does make me appreciate each moment with my daughter (even when she’s a threenager!).
1) What city are you from? Cincinnati, OH
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 2 Boys, 6 & 3.5
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? My husband is a police officer and works 3rd shift (5 days a week) which is new for us and has been a tough adjustment for everyone. His morning are typically waking up just in time for a quick dinner/bath/bed with the boys on the days we can actually be home at the same time.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? We basically both feel like single parents while working full-time, never having the same days off (like EVER). What little time we do get together (typically around dinner time) we try to make special…but it feels like chaos!
1) What city are you from?
San Diego, CA
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
18 month old Fraternal Twin Girls
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
My husband and I both work outside the home, I am a high school athletic trainer and my husband works as a stock broker while simultaneously chasing his life long dream of becoming a professional race car driver for the NHRA. http://www.chuckbealracing.com/welcome-to-welch-for-the-win-brandon-welchs-blog/ We both have awkward schedules so our day to day schedules revolve around fitting in as much family time as possible. We may have family breakfast rather than family dinner, or we may let bedtime book reading go for a while if we are able to enjoy it as a family.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? My husband just received the largest sponsor of his driving career. He will be competing in 8 races all over the country in the next 6 months. This means a lot of nights away, more logistical planning for me and We are trying to figure out how best to make racing a family endeavor. We are trying to piece together a plan that allows me to still work at a job that I love, allows us to constantly travel with 18 month old twins, and have as much quality family time as possible.
1) What city are you from? Nashua, NH
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? One son, Peter, age 8
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? I am a single mom, a pastor, and a doula. I commute three times a week to the church I serve (an hour away) and am also on call when I have clients whose babies are due! Amid the unpredictability, I do my best to give my son a stable home life and comforting routine.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? We just moved from a small town in north central New Hampshire to a small city on the Massachusetts border. We loved our small town life and are adjusting to a new and different reality.
1) What city are you from? Rye, NY
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 1 girl, age 6
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? We have a beautiful daughter with special needs, and an au pair from Korea as both parents work.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? Our daughter has Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, an extremely rare condition impacting 1 in 2 million where her muscles and soft tissue progressively turn to bone, restricting movement. Falls or injuries would accelerate the process so we have to keep her safe at all times. When we are not with her, she is with our au pair or at school she has a full time aide. There is a lot of worrying about falls, and also she takes medication many, many times a day. I am always worried I’ll forget a dose. We both work, and in the evenings we are very active in advancing FOP research and awareness as part of the IFOPA (our non-profit)
Also, you have helped us raise awareness for FOP in the past (thank you!) and it is amazing that I read this today because I had a dream that I met you last night and totally embarassed myself fawning over you 🙂
1) What city are you from? Currently living in San Diego Ca
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 2 kids (21 month old girl and 2 month old boy
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? I am the spouse to a Navy officer, full time and primary caretaker of our two children, and working from home as a speech-language pathologist.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging – I struggled with infertility for years and was unsure I would ever have children. I was then blessed with two children back to back while my husband was deployed and away for most of their lives. We have also moved every two years and started over. We JUST moved to San Diego, don’t know anyone and are working to rebuild with two small children. On top of that, my youngest is considered to have colic and is allergic to dairy and soy (and I’m breastfeeding) so we have had to drastically change our diet, how we eat, where we eat, etc in order to keep him from being extremely sick. It’s a challenge for sure!
I would like my family to be featured because 1) a lot of military families have a tendency to feel they are all alone in their life/struggles. And 2) to show how living with allergies is a real thing! I never knew the struggle until my own child was diagnosed and I had to take on the role myself to keep him safe. People tend to treat me like I’m a bother, but it’s all for my baby.
Thanks for this!!
1) What city are you from?
Rossville GA, right outside of Chattanooga,TN
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
Sam is 4, Lauren 12, Mckayla is 8
all girls, Sam is the only one with us full time. Other 2 are from his previous marriage
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
I stay home as caregiver and as a parent. Some days it feels like we are both stay at home parents, and some days I struggle taking care of both of them.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
We both suffer from mental illness so some days can be really bad for us both.
My fiancé suffers PTSD from his deployment. He is considered 100% disabled. He is not physically disabled, so don’t have to take care of him that way but in other ways. Some days he doesn’t need as much as other days. Balancing him and the 4 year old can be really tough on some days. We have to stick to a schedule for both of them. He can’t drive and he hates for me to drive anywhere alone bc he can’t protect me. When we go anywhere we always have to take back roads. My 4 year old is a handful, she is stubborn and has no fear. She has the biggest imagination and scares us sometimes with her stories.
1) What city are you from?
Rossville, Ga. A small town outside of Chattanooga, Tn
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 3 girls but only youngest is with us full
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
1. Chesapeake, VA
2. One son, 2.5 years old.
3. My husband and I both have unusual jobs. He is a pastor and I am a self-care coach for moms and a certified personal trainer. We both work complete opposite schedules I work early in the morning through early afternoon, he works late afternoon to late evening. Often times, we find ourselves parenting alone. We both have big dreams, so we work HARD when we are working. We both are “elbow deep” in our clients’ lives and carry that with us often. But we both LOVE what we do. Our clients truly inform our day to day actions.
4. We are away from our family. We moved almost 1 year ago to about 5 hours away from our hometown. Before we were only one hour away. It’s taken a lot of strength to deal with being away from our families. We are both very close with certain family members.
1) What city are you from? Chesapeake, VA
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
4 kids. 4yr old twins, 2 yr old, 7 month old
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
We are the Swartz family. Party of 2 turned into 6, in under 4 years. My husband and I met over 10yrs ago. 6 years married. Im an RN, my husband is an engineer. After multiple fertility treatments, we welcomed our first babiesm Twin boys! Fastforward a few years and here we are. 4 deep. Our children are amazing, gifted and have a special need. Brayden and Marshall are 4 yr old twins…with Autism. Yes, autistic twins. Our day to day is not the norm. Certainly not the life we expected, not any of us. Not what you think or dream of when hold your babies. It is a long hard day. Our twins teach us how to perservere and be fearlessly authentic in our most vunerable, emotional times. I think its importaint for people to see the struggle for resources, heartbreaking decisions and the real raw emotions. We are facing some big decisions this fall with their education, with our family and moving forward in our marriage. So as we watch our friends take their little ones to tee ball and become more distant, we continue on. We take ours to their therapies, and slowly, the therapists become our friends. Our family supports us from states away. But at the end of the day it just us. Party of 6.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging. 4 kids under 4. Twins with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
1) What city are you from? Snelling, Ca (pop 231)
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 5 CRAZY KIDS 16, 12, 10, 8 and 4
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? We live and work on a very large farm/ranch that has been in our family since 1859. We run a very busy, all-consuming cattle, farming and orchard operation in the Great Central Valley of California. It is dirty, hard, long, strenuous work. There are bugs, and critters and dust everywhere you look. But, we consider ourselves stewards of this place for the next generation and we love this land. The children are active participants in the work. With such a wide range of ages, we have a little bit of everything going on…teaching a kid to drive and teaching another to use the potty. Teaching internet and dating safety alongside playground and kitchen safety. AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN! We have 5 DISTINCT personalities in our kids and, many times, what works for or with one causes problems or difficulties for another. So, conflict is INEVITABLE and we are all always working to resolve conflicts, big and small, with love, patience and a minimum of yelling.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? The nature of our business is 24/7. Farming is very dynamic; a new day…a new world. We must work together and work efficiently. If trees or crop or cattle need water, there is no substitute or work around. There are no excuses; only perseverance in solving the problem. Mother Nature does not care about family trips or school plays or baseball championships. Mother Nature does not work on our schedule. Plan A is often only an afterthought. What the ranch needs always comes first. If we take care of her, she will take care of us. But, this stewarding does not come free or easy. There are sacrifices made by all members of this family. But, there is also a greater PURPOSE and I think that helps guide a person’s life forward when they are part of something larger than themselves. Success and disappointments are handled together. While this may all sound a little grim, it is anything but! We have a very focused, simple life revolving around family and the ranch, and yet, it is a life filled with fun and silliness and games and family dinners and a deep connection to each other. Not all of my children are destined to be farmers. It will be interesting to see what each of them builds based on this very unique foundation.
1) What city are you from? Gilberts, IL (northwest suburb of Chicago)
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? #5kids – Will (age 9), Logan (age 8), Mackenzie (age 7), Mason (age 7), and Bryson (age 3)
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? Management of a family of 7 where both parents own their own business is just kind of NUTS! We are constantly figuring who needs to be where and when – all the while managing the regular day to day that every family has. We have lots of processes in place (chore charts, huge kitchen calendar, etc.) that help keep us on track and running smooth. But not without hiccups… 😉 With 3 IEPs, sports, extra curriculars, mom’s meetings, dad’s travel, doctor and dentist appointments (there seem to be at least 1 a week!), and everything else, something is bound to slip through the cracks!
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? Logan, Mason & Bryson are our nephews who came from Alabama to live with us full time in May 2014. Their mother and father were both unfit to care for them (drug users, in and out of jail, etc.). We filed for temporary custody of the boys and our family went from 4 to 7 in the blink of an eye. Nothing indicates they will be going back to their birth parents (probably ever). We view them as “our boys” now and treat them as such, while still trying to make sure our own children know we still love them just as much!
1) What city are you from? We live in Alexander, Arkansas.
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? Owen, age 7 & Caroline, age 5.
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family? My son has Aspergers, which is on the Autism Spectrum. I am a stay at home mom who is trying to start her own health and wellness business and father who works 65 hr+ work week.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? Same as above! We also live way out in the country on 5 acres, 14 miles from the closest stop light!
I live in Ravensdale, Washington state (about 45 min from Seattle, in the country). My husband owns his own business and I work part time as a RN. We have two daughters, ages 5 and 2. Until recently I would have said there was nothing especially unique about our family. Then I became pregnant with triplets! Shocking, to say the least, especially since there were no fertility drugs used! I will be done working in July and the triplets (identical girls and a boy), although not due until Sept 25th are expected to make an appearance sometime in August 🙂 I appreciate being considered, I have absolutely loved this series 🙂
1. )What city are you from?
I’m in NJ (Morris County), about an hour west of NYC.
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
I have one child. He’s 3 years old and everything people warned me a 3 year old would be. ?
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
Depends on the day but my cancer diagnosis has changed everything. See below for more.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
Being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer (bile duct cancer) at my age has made every aspect of my life challenging but especially being a parent to a very active toddler. Since my cancer returned in February 2016, I have been out of work. We have very little.routine at this point because I have to be flexible with treatment, tests and procedures. As a family we’ve been dealing with this for almost 2 years (July 2014). There are days I don’t feel well enough to get out of bed but I force myself too. I put on a happy face for my son. I do everything for my son. There’s so much more I have to say and share but ultimately I want to give other people hope. I want other parents dealing with cancer or a terminal illness to know they aren’t alone.
1. My husband and I are both originally from rural Maine. Last year, we left everything and everyone we knew and moved to Ogden, Utah for his family medicine residency. We have been so lucky to land in a great neighborhood and have built an awesome support system and pseudo-family out here! Two years from now, moving back to Maine will be very bittersweet.
2. We have two girls, Rosalie (3 years old) and Madeleine (2 months old).
3. Our oldest daughter, Rosalie, has Down syndrome which a lot of people would probably think makes us different than them. I think they are often surprised to find that we are delightfully ordinary. Rosie goes to dance class, does swimming lessons, loves to play outside in the garden, etc! Her communication is delayed, so we do a lot of signing, but that’s probably the biggest difference! And trust me, Little Miss is very effective at getting her point across with some powerful finger pointing!
4. I think my husband’s residency schedule has definitely been a struggle for us to get used to. He often works 80 hours a week at the hospital and usually only gets 4 days off per month. One week a month he works nights. This is made even more challenging since we live 2,500 miles away from our families! The amazing thing about my husband, however, is that he does everything in his power to leave work at work and be fully present and engaged with the girls and me when he is home. He is truly the best Daddy and husband!
While we are looking forward to having more time with together as a family after Caleb’s training is complete, we certainly are not wishing this time away. Despite his crazy schedule, we truly are enjoying our adventure in Utah! Being so far from family has allowed us to grow even stronger as a couple and more close-knit as a little family unit.
I am so very excited this series is back, it is one of my all time favorites!
Hello! We are the Hamilton family from Birmingham,Alabama. My husband,Bain,and I own our own business which we run from our kitchen table. We represent ten different commercial furniture lines and our territory is AL,TN,and the Florida panhandle. We have 3 adult children ages 27,21,and18. Our 21 and 18 year old still live with us and our 27 year old has a 7 year old daughter who we received custody of in April. We were so close to being empty nesters!! Our granddaughter has a rare genetic disorder and requires some special care. We are so honored for the opportunity to raise her and we’ve always been as close to her as we are to our own kids. With the anticipation of it just being my husband and myself,we moved to a garden home three years ago so we’re packed in here like sardines but wouldn’t have it any other way. Since our business requires a lot of traveling,I’m not able to help my husband as much as I used to because I need to be accessible to help our granddaughter daily. Everyday brings it’s own challenges and it can get pretty chaotic over here at times but there’s plenty of love and laughter to go around. My husband and I joke that we’ll definitely be the oldest “parents” at meet the teacher day in August when our granddaughter begins first grade,but maybe with our years of experience we can encourage others since this isn’t our first rodeo!!
1) What city are you from?
Chapin, SC (outside of Columbia)
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
Two children, a girl who is 4 and a boy who is 13 months
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
Honestly, our days are not that much different from the average family. Howeber, I am a SAHM who never thought she would be a SAHM. My days are filled with cooking, cleaning, preschool drop offs and pickups, swim lessons, dance lessons, and running a playgroup with over 100 families. My husband works full time as an actuary, but he takes a completely active and joint role in raising the kids. A couple mornings a week he takes our daughter to school for me. Many nights we sit together after the kids are asleep and fold laundry while binging on Netflix.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
My unique situation is that I am a mother with severe anxiety who also suffers from
Trichotillomania. For those who don’t know, trich is a hair pulling disorder. I have been suffering from it for well over 20 years now and spend a good amount of my day pulling my eyebrows or consciously trying not to. My four year old daughter often asks when they will grow back which is completely heartbreaking. With the anxiety There are days I am totally and completely fine and then bam, I can barely breathe. I had severe post partum anxiety after my son was born, which I feel at times I am still working through. I think my simulation is unique because on the surface I am an extremely outgoing, put together mom, but there are days that I am barely holding it together. I hold it together for my children.
1) What city are you from? West Hartford, CT
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages? 2 girls, 3 yrs. and 1 yrs
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
I don’t think our day to day is too much different than an average family. My husband is currently not working (hoping that changes in the fall, he’s a teacher). In the school year, because of our schedules, I am responsible for getting the girls ready and out the door. It often feel like a ran a marathon once I get to my office!
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging?
The situation we’re in now is difficult for us a parents, we’re living with a single income until my husband finds a teaching job for the fall. Previously we were living pay check to pay check, and now we’re cut down to less than half our income. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at us, we live in a very nice town but still qualify for state assistance. As a parent, I’m happy our girls are young enough that they don’t really understand our financial situation. They just play and love life.
1) What city are you from?
Woodstock, GA
2) How many kids do you have and what are their ages?
1 Girl – she is 2.5
3) What makes your day to day a little different than the average family?
My husband travels a lot in the summer for his job. In Aug he will be gone for almost 2.5 weeks. While he is away, my mom comes to stay with me and help out – especially in the mornings when I’m trying to get me and my daughter ready along with walking our 2 dogs and eating breakfast.
4) What unique situation are you dealing with that makes your job as a parent a little more challenging? Dealing with my husbands travel schedule in the summer months. When he is away, my mom comes to “fill in”. I try to work from home while he is out of town but I can’t always do that. If I’m able to stay home that day I may or may not take my daughter to daycare. If she stays home, it can get a little crazy, even with my mom there to help me.