LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
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A fter that October 2020 ice storm and February 2021 snowmageddon, I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to welcome the sunny days of summer! As we celebrate the return of this season of outdoor adventure, longer days, bare feet and plenty of ideas for #okcfamilyfun in these pages, we’re also honoring metro parents who’ve been inspirational to so many in the past year. Meet our Awesome Mom finalists on page 28 to read their stories of perseverance and strength, as well as the ways they lean on and cherish their support systems. In a brand new contest, meet our Cool Pops finalists on page 40 for their best dad advice, both encouraging and hilarious. As these heartening stories remind us, navigating parenthood, much less in a pandemic, is not for the faint of heart, but it’s made easier when the challenges we face are normalized. Along those lines, several metro parents share their journeys to having children that have been construed as outside society’s norms, all in an effort to celebrate the many wonderful ways for creating family. Jillian Bray shares the realities of pre- and postnatal healthcare disparities faced by Black mothers as well as important next steps to move toward equity and away from the harm of implicit racial biases. In our family mental wellness series, Thai-An Truong, LPC, describes common symptoms of postpartum anxiety for new moms and practical ways to begin to heal.
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Publisher Sarah Taylor Managing Editor Erin Page Assistant Editor Lindsay Cuomo Contributing Writers Jillian Bray Chelsea Traber Burns April Deocariza Thai-An Truong, LPC Contributing Photographer Bridget Pipkin Art Director Stacy Noakes Senior Project Manager Kirsten Holder Director of Events Marissa Raglin Sales Dana Price Laura Beam Office Manager Andrea Shanks Contact us NEW MAILING ADDRESS: 6608 N. Western Ave., #458 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 Phone: 405-601-2081 tips@metrofamilymagazine.com www.metrofamilymagazine.com
CHECK OUT ONE OF MY CREW’S FAVORITE SUMMERTIME DESTINATIONS ON PAGE 58.
As we ease into a new summertime normal, I hope you’ll join me in seeking to affirm and celebrate the moms, dads and families around you — yourself included! With gratitude,
Erin Page Managing Editor
This Month’s Cover Sisters Madison, 10, and Gracie, 8, have fun together making slime, dancing, swimming, playing volleyball and watching scary movies. Both attend Waylond Bonds Elementary School in Moore, Madison in the fourth grade and Gracie in third. Madison and Gracie are the daughters of Stephanie and Kris, and they are a proud U.S. Navy family who moved to the metro less than a year ago. They love to travel as a family, and the girls are enjoying exploring their new hometown, checking out local splash pads and restaurants whenever possible. The sisters are pictured in front of the mural Oklahoma’s Barite Mystery, by Matin Alavi and Haley Spradlin, at Classen Curve.
MetroFamily Magazine is published monthly. Copyright 2021 by Inprint Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Articles and advertisements in MetroFamily do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine or Inprint Publishing, Inc. We do not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising by MetroFamily does not constitute an endorsement of the products, services, or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service which is fraudulent or misleading in nature.
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