How Household Contributions Teach Kids to Care for Others
Chores teach children something that is less measurable and yet is critical to success in life: how to care.
There Are No French Fries at the Masada Visitor Center
When our family takes trips now, no matter how packed our touring schedule might be, I make sure to bring a few familiar items from home.
6 Reasons to Take a Brain Break From Video Games
Video games cause over-stimulation of the brain. Even after playing, the brain craves this stimulation, which can cause tics and other problems.
Am I Raising My Kid to Be Too Sensitive?
In my attempt to raise an empathetic child, have I trained her to scan for trauma where there is none?
Fun Things to Do With Your Newborn Who Doesn't Care, Obviously
What are you supposed to do when you’re in charge of someone who has no neck strength and can’t even figure out where/what their limbs are?
Beyond "Because I Said So" – 16 Phrases You'll Actually Want Your Kids to Remember
The words we speak to our kids root deeply within them and become part of who they are.
Don’t Mind Me, I’m Just About to Light Myself on Fire Inside This Walmart
When you are evaluating store trips, you have to grade the experience on a huge curve when you have small children with you.
In the Space Where Birth and Death Meet
My mother died and all at once it hit me: my own mortality and the mortality of everyone around me – everyone I cared about, and even those I didn't.
The Comprehensive Guide to Your Happiest Pregnancy
In a perfect world, a woman’s pregnancy would be the happiest time of her life. Birds sing, flowers bloom, and everything seems full of possibility.
The No-Matter-What Parenting Habit I'm Most Proud Of
I know that one of my most important jobs as a parent has been to make a place for reading (and writing) in our home.
Challenging Myself to Pursue My Passion in an Electric Car
When we work on something that energizes us, we teach our kids the importance of working towards their dreams and standing up for what they believe in.
Don’t Eat the Vagina Cake: Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Lost Art of Discretion
Your maiden voyage into motherhood was likely accompanied by lots of advice. Like the vagina cake, this advice will give you indigestion and nightmares.
Do Boys Really Go To The Emergency Room More Than Girls?
What if the differences in injury rates are less about the native traits of boys or girls and instead about our collective scientific literacy?
10 Simple Ways to Take It Down a Notch When You’re About to Boil Over
You might want to buy stock in Hubba Bubba.
I'm Staking Claims on the "Fun Parent" Status
Why can’t I be the fun parent? At the risk of sounding like my 7-year-old, it just isn’t fair. So I'm changing the game.
Butt Wipes and Seaweed Gripes: Adventures With the Poison Control Hotline
Spoiler alert: she's fine.
8 Meaningful Ways to Support a Friend Through a Divorce
When it came to helping friends through divorce, I was as comfortable as a seventh grader at a school dance. Then they told me what they needed
10 Books About Libraries to Regale Your Bookworm
The library is a magical place, full of worlds whose passport is a free library card and good imagination. These 10 books will make you want to pay a visit.
8 Parenting Habits That May Undermine Your Good Intentions
Big wins often require small steps. “Overnight success” is a myth that too often hides the pain, hard work, and failure associated with each and every success. Much like Hemingway’s description of ...
Choosing Between Art and Family: A Mother’s Dilemma
Who do you think you are? What kind of mother picks her pie-in-the-sky hobby over her children? A good one who considers her needs, that's who.
The Magical Powers of Validation
Validation is an important part of raising children. It opens up the lines of communication between parents and their children.
Staying at Home Versus The Virtue of Busyness
I might work hard, but I’m simply not as busy as I would be if I worked outside the home. Admitting I'd prefer not to be busy comes with a dose of humility.
The 5 Questions That Help You Decide What Clothes to Toss
Need to declutter your closet? Having a hard time deciding what goes? These five questions will help with those tough decisions.
Dial Down the Chaos When You Turn Up This Playlist
Whether it's in your kitchen or the world in general, things can feel pretty chaotic lately. Crank up the tunes.