A place where people share stories about turning difficult moments, days, and situations around.
Strengthening Family Bonds
How can families increase togetherness and build stronger bonds? Six people share short essays about how – from family volunteering; card games; camping; family storytime; to lower-stress mealtimes – they strengthened their family ties.
How Family Volunteering After a Storm Helped Us Grow Closer
A derecho storm nearly derailed a summer camp’s opening day. Here’s how one family’s volunteer effort turned a crisis into one of their most meaningful days together.
Family Card Games: A Tradition Connecting Generations
Card games have done more to bring my family together than almost anything else: they’ve crossed generations, languages, and thousands of miles.
How to Camp as a Family: a Step-by-Step Guide
Pitching a tent in the backyard can be the first step towards adventurous trips through national parks. Here’s a step-by-step look at how one family built confidence, courage, and connection through camping.
How Kid-Friendly Appetizer Dinners Brought Our Family Closer
”What’s for dinner?” wasn’t always a welcome question: especially when picky eaters, changing tastes, and busy schedules entered the mix. How one family’s low-stress solution turned into a family tradition.
How a Grandmother’s Gift of Time Helped Increase a Family’s Togetherness
Her mother’s yearly gift of time helped save her marriage during the early years of parenthood. Now, she’s passing that same gift to her own family, and discovering its legacy.
Family Bonding Activities: Books, Memories & Mealtime Traditions
From performing a favourite folktale to reenacting a family photo — how one family strengthened bonds by establishing simple traditions.
Popular Stories
My Journey to Better Mental Health
An educator shares how she’s improving her mental health using strategies for dealing with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“As I entered middle age, my mind and body changed — and my stress relievers no longer served their intended purpose ….”
Think Big: My Mother’s Enduring Message
What parental guidance has the biggest impact on a child’s future? For author Kern Carter, a large part of success has been his mother’s steady encouragement of, and belief in, his longtime goal of becoming a published author.
Remembering Others in Joyful Times
Author Deborah Kerbel shares the story of a memorable gift celebrating the birth of her daughter, which also helped a baby living in an area affected by Hurricane Katrina.
12 Children’s Books About Mental Health to Read With Your Kids: Spring 2026
Here are 12 new reviews of children’s books about mental health, suggested as titles for parents and kids to share. Adults have the option of reading a book on their own, or with their child. Leading American and Canadian organizations recommend the books, which include 10 fiction titles and two guidebooks.
We chose these books in recognition that an estimated 13 to 20 percent of mental health problems begin by the early adolescent years of 11 to 14.
A New Mother’s Early Discoveries
Becoming a mother is a huge transition for women, involving physical, psychological, and spiritual shifts. Psychiatrist Barbara Robles-Ramamurthy recounts her early motherhood journey, revealing how conventional approaches failed her. She shares how she and her partner are co-creating a family life that centers on children’s needs and family health.
A ‘Mother-in-Love’ to Remember
Advice received long ago from her husband’s mother is still valuable today, explains researcher Amanda Doherty-Kirby. She remembers the practical help her mother-in-law, Jean, provided during key events, like wedding preparations and setting up their family home.
