We’re nearing the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day season, which means summer is right around the corner. What of LGBT families though? What do kids with two father or two mothers do? Do you celebrate one and not the other? If school today is anything like school when I was there, kids make projects for both holidays. Poor Jonny has two moms and now he feels left out because he has no one to make a present for.

Now, I know this is a common occurrence not only because LGBT people are becoming more accepted but also because shit happens in life. Sometimes you’re dealing with a one-parent family because of divorce or death. The “traditional” nuclear family is changing. Parents should be able to have a serious conversation with their children’s teachers about the subject. Children can make cards for both their same gender parents for one holiday and a favorite uncle, aunt or role model for the other holiday. You don’t want your child to feel left out or somehow completely different from everyone else.

In the commercial world it seems that there is a push for card companies such as Hallmark to take the lead and start making greeting cards specifically for gay and lesbian parents. Last year a petition was started on Change.org to push the issue. It only got 1,663 signatures but it’s a start. As far as I know, and I searched, Hallmark has yet to come out with LGBT friendly cards for these holidays. It’s kind of strange because in 2008 they debuted cards for same-sex marriages. It seems like this might be the next logical step.

This is actually an interesting concept that I’ve never thought about before. When I have children with my future partner, I’ll have to share a holiday with him that I never thought I would have to share. But that’s a crap thought because for years my father and my stepfather have had to share this holiday with each other and so have my mom and stepmom. It’s not a new concept really. The only difference is that those two parents are now living in the same household.

The breakfast in bed, the attention, the flowers now have to be a shared experience with someone. Now that I’m thinking of it, that’s a beautiful thing. A continuing celebration of the family these two loving souls have created. It shouldn’t be met with selfishness. It should be welcomed as another way for families to show their love with each other.