Neither step-mothers nor mothers-in-law enjoy very good reputations. Now, one future-mother-in-law in England is embodying the worst of both camps. After a recent visit with her stepson and his fiancé, the monster-in-law sent a scathing email to the bride, who is undoubtedly blushing now that the email went viral after she forwarded it on to a few friends. If family gatherings were uncomfortable before, imagine what they'll be like now...
While many pregnant gals feel downright heroic for waddling their way around the block, one expectant mom really is a hero after saving a drowning boy. The police officer, who was six months pregnant at the time, was assisting at a summer camp when she noticed a 14-year-old boy in a pool slip under the water. Fully-clothed and fully-pregnant, she jumped right in and saved him. A pregnant cop hero? Her kid's going to have some serious bragging rights about his or her mother.
Has the maternal instinct skipped the Gen X chromosome? A study that's set to be released in late July (but has been leaked) found that nearly half of college-educated women ages 33 to 46 are sans offspring. The women, whose mothers were inspired by the feminist revolution, were raised to aim high and focus on their careers. Taught they could be anything they wanted to be, a relatively high number seem to be deciding they don't want to be mothers. The phenomenon has some wondering if the hope of having it all has gone by the wayside, and if so, why.
The power a fourth grade bully can wield over her victim, even when that victim's own kids are fourth-graders themselves can be striking. One woman, who was bullied for an entire school year, reflects on the experience and the lessons she learned from her childhood bully. After a bit of separation, she gained confidence and perspective and was later able to keep the bully at bay. Over time, she realized that the experience had taught her resilience as well as compassion, which has made her a better, stronger adult as a result -- an adult who would now never tolerate bullying by her own children.
Many of today's parents grew up hearing stories of their grandparents or parents surviving the Great Depression. From poor farms, to family members who shared a winter coat, to reusing wrapping paper, they had stories of serious hardship which have been unrivaled. Until now. Today's Hard Times Generation is experiencing a poverty many thought was strictly consigned to the history books. The child poverty rate is the highest it's been since the Great Depression and the middle class has experienced the fastest fall into poverty since the government started tracking that data more than 50 years ago. One can only hope that when these kids are senior citizens, they'll be able to tell these tales to their grandchildren from the comfort of a warm home that they own, as many who experienced the Great Depression were later able to do.
Dana Macario is a TODAY Moms contributor and Seattle mom to two sleep-depriving toddlers. She is currently developing an alarm clock that will start an IV coffee drip 10 minutes prior to wake-up time. Once properly caffeinated, she also blogs at www.18years2life.com.