Imperfect Parent Columnists

Why do drug addicted parents retain custody of their children?
By Robert Green
Not unlike many drug addicts’ homes, Jessica Kasten’s house was a garbage refuge and only one of the things that was sorely neglected in her life. Officers who were called to investigate the scene of a crime against a child -- an infant to... read the rest

More Silence is Not an Option

Outside the Box
By Karen Murphy
I have decided that in my next life I am going to be my son. Of all the people I know he is the one who seems to be having the best time. Eric goes to a special-needs preschool four mornings a week. Other than some cryptic hastily-scrawled... read the rest

More Long Journey on a Short Bus

On the Imperfect Kitchen
By Kim Foster
I am thrilled to be a new columnist here at Imperfect Parent, mostly because I am absurdly imperfect and thus, fit the definition perfectly. Those nuts at “Perfect Parent” wanted nothing to do with me and I can’t say that I blame them.... read the rest

More The Yummy Mummy: Dishing Up Imperfection

MapQuest My Life, Please!
By Amy Nathan
When my daughter started kindergarten eight years ago, I spent three weeks looking at the clock. What was I supposed to do with two kids in school full-time? My son was in third grade, so long days apart were nothing new for us – but with both kids... read the rest

More The View From Here

How much is too much?
By Prescott Carlson
I opened the newspaper the other day and the headline jumped out at me:   "Talks for Teachers Contract Have Intensified" ... read the rest

More From the Editor's Desk

Damn the excuses.
By Jessica Carlson
Damn the excuses, this past Thanksgiving holiday weekend I was determined to get a project done that I had been putting off for years. With the gift giving season rapidly approaching, it was time to organize the mess in the basement which once held... read the rest

More Imperfections

Writing the book on makeup; Halloween makeup for kids; Removing temporary tattoos
By Kelly Reising
It's officially October people. And ya know what I just did? Painted my toes black. Well, not actually black, but Russian Navy from OPI. It's a dark sparking (subtle)... read the rest

More Mother Magnetism

Mominatrix Sex Toy Smackdown: Travel Vibrators
By Kristen Chase
With summer travel in full swing and moms already packing their fair share of battery operated toys for those long hellish family trips called “vacation,” the last... read the rest

More Mominatrix

Hollywood’s Single Parents: Real or Really Wrong?
By Susan Courtad
Is it just me, or have single moms come into their own in Hollywood – or, dare I say, are in vogue in our celebrity-crazed world? Solo parenting is nothing new, but being a single mom seems to be one of Tinsel Town’s... read the rest

More Dinner for One

We need more mom holidays, dammit.
By Kelley Cunningham
Going into this long holiday weekend, I realized that the 4th of July did not revolve around mothers. Why not? You can keep Mother’s Day. I want no part of a holiday where I have to remind my kids to buy me a card. I shun the crowds at the Mother’s... read the rest

More What's the Matter With Mommy?

Saving Face: What to do when your girlfriend could care less about California
By Melissa Doak
I clicked on the BBC news. Hordes of couples were celebrating on the steps of San Francisco City Hall. I whooped. “Look, Saads!” I pointed to the T.V. “California ruled lesbian and gay people can get married. Everyone’s... read the rest

More Not Your Average Fairy Tale

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
By Julie Marsh
I worked outside the home for more than ten years - three of those years with a child of my own at home (or, more accurately, in day care). I was an officer in the Air Force, and then I was an IT project manager in the private sector. My resume has length... read the rest

More The Parental is Political

Work is a Four Letter Word. So is Jose.
By Dana Tuszke
If you've ever worked in a busy office, you know that phones are constantly ringing, fax machines are incessantly beeping and the click-clack of keyboard typing fills every moment of potential silence. It's enough to drive a person to drink (after... read the rest

More Home/Office

No More Trips to Disney For You!
By Elizabeth Thompson
Wrapped tightly in a light comforter and waking to crispy blue skies reminiscent of a morning in early October, a blessed relief from the wetness of a typical summer in New Jersey, I considered the day a gift. Then, I remembered that we... read the rest

More Growing Pains

The Life of a Ninja's Wife
By Anita Doberman
My husband and I disagree on what I should or shouldn’t say in my column or in other areas of my life for that matter. To clarify, I write about my life not his life, but since we’re married my actions affect him.   To... read the rest

More Mamma Mia

F*ck Staycations! Bring on the real thing!
By Rachael Brownell
These are hard times: unemployment, foreclosures, food and gas prices, and children gnawing on lead-laced toys. Add to that kids home for the summer, cranky need-to-get-laid-spouses, the treadmill that sits gathering dust under a laundry pile, and... read the rest

More Rugrat Reprieve