Ask Amy: Woman is hurt, lonely, and far from home
Dear Happy: According to 2020 statistics published by the United States Census Bureau (census.gov) “Overall, about 292,000 children had parents living with a same-sex partner or spouse.”
You are in a very small – but growing – demographic.
When you first bring a baby home, it’s natural to spin out optimal scenarios. Good parents are like good movie directors, story-boarding every shot in order to ease the way to a happy ending.
Real life is much more fluid, slow moving, and unpredictable. Raising a child is the very essence of “one day at a time.”
Your household will be the norm for your baby and toddler, and likely for your circle of friends. You – or your child – will choose what names to call each of you, and you will each mother your child in different and important ways.
You won’t have to “explain” your family as much as demonstrate your family values and answer your son’s questions about your family if they arise.
There is a widening and diverse range in what constitutes a family, and you should make a point of mixing with families of all kinds in order to show your son that no two families are exactly alike.
I love the sweet and brightly illustrated board book (perfect for babies) “Love Makes a Family,” by Sophie Beer (2018, Dial Books).
Dear Amy: You totally missed the mark on your response to “Dad in Name Only,” the father who decided to cut his daughter out of his will.
Why did you call him a “quitter”?
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