Following is a description of the articles I have available for reprint. For pricing and other information about the articles described below, please email me at cindy@cindyhudson(dot)com.

Essays About Motherhood/Raising Children/Personal Issues

• Hammock Weather—Most of the moms I know find it hard to take time for themselves to relax. All too often, tasks on the to-do list trump taking time to read a book or put their feet up on the couch, or in better weather, swing in a hammock. And yet, I believe it can benefit everyone in the family when children see their parents take a breather. This 791-word essay explores this common issue and encourages moms to set aside time for themselves.
• Forty-Nine Perfect Hearts—First appearing in Chicken Soup for the Soul, this 768-word essay is about the tradition my husband and I have been carrying on throughout out marriage; we give each other heart ornaments each year when we decorate our Christmas tree.
• Letter to My Younger Self With Advice on Being a Mom—Like a lot of moms raising children, I worried a lot—when my kids were sick, when things were tough at school, when they had problems with friends. Most of all, I worried that somehow I wasn’t doing it right, and that the problems I encountered along the way would always be there. Now my daughters are grown, and although I still worry about any number of challenges they face, I have learned a few things over the years that help me take heart when I do. This 591-word personal essay in the form of a letter from my older self to my younger self is meant to encourage moms who are currently raising growing children.
• Diet Buddies—Many people struggle to lose a few extra pounds, and it sometimes helps to have a diet buddy, someone who can help keep you on track with diet and exercise. I found an unusual diet buddy—my cat—who needed to lose weight the same time I did. My 994-word essay recounts our sometimes humorous adventures getting healthier together.
• Lunch Date—When one child in a family is a picky eater, it can strain the whole family dynamic. This is particularly true during vacations, when eating out is more common and finding restaurants to please everyone’s taste can add stress to what is supposed to be a fun time. My 980-word personal essay talks about the day we changed our thinking on eating out during vacation. I believe many families can find inspiration from it to tackle similar issues.
• Bonding Through Books—Mother-daughter book clubs offer so many advantages to both moms and daughters, including the opportunity to forge a closer bond as the daughter grows. This 630-word personal essay talks about the joys of sharing books with you daughter and it comes with a 228-word sidebar with tips on how to start a club.
• Six Reasons You Will Fail When Cleaning Out Your Child’s Room After She Leaves for College— When kids leave home for college they often leave chaos behind in their rooms. Inevitably, moms will go in to clean things up, but it’s easy for them to get sidetracked and sentimental when considering what to put away.This 766-word essay addresses this experience.