Visiting Mom in Rehab

“I got these for you,” my mom said. She chucked a bag of Laffy Taffy at my sister.I looked through ...

Embracing Family-Friendly Cooking Adventures

Studies have shown that families that take part in group activities together share a stronger bond; one that improves communication ...

A Bout of Amnesia

On a Monday night in April 2021, my sister texted me: “Have you talked to mom?”The message felt ominous. If ...

Board Games Feel Like Existential Punishment

Nothing strikes fear in my parental heart more than hearing one of my daughters say, “Mama, can we play Candy ...

What is Emotional Deafness & How to Deal with it?

How many times have you heard stories about husbands who have been asked to nail a shelf for 10 years, ...

Financial Infidelity Prevention

Lack of physical infidelity does not always mean that everything is fine. There is another kind of betrayal, known as ...

Everyday Habits That Destroy Your Relationships

It happens very often that the relationship that starts beautifully and develops quickly suddenly ends… Women are puzzled: what has ...

Healthy Pets for Your Family

There are countless benefits to owning a pet. The companionship of an animal can lower the risk of developing depression ...

Well: Early Puberty in Girls Raises the Risk of Depression

Photo Credit Getty Images When girls come in for their physical exams, one of the questions I routinely ask is ...

Well Family: A New Name and New Home for Motherlode

Photo Credit Lars Blackmore When The New York Times started Motherlode in 2008, the name was a play on words ...

Whether Our Foster Child Stays or Goes, He Is Loved

Photo Credit Illustration by Abigail Gray Swartz “Can you tell me again, Mommy? Can you tell me who decides whether ...

Personal Health: Parenting Advice From ‘America’s Worst Mom’

Photo Credit Joyce Hesselberth Lenore Skenazy, a New York City mother of two, earned the sobriquet “America’s Worst Mom” after ...

The School Conference Blues

Photo Credit Getty Images Middle school parent-teacher conferences are tomorrow and I can’t bring myself to think about going. It’s ...

When Another Child Wants to Be Friends and Yours Does Not

Photo Credit iStock Sometimes every parent needs advice. For our occasional advice column, we post readers’ questions that we know ...

A Family Adds Five Children, Special Needs and All

Photo Members of Diane Stanley’s family gathered in the courtroom on the day the five youngest children were adopted.Credit Diane ...

Calorie Counts on the Kids’ Menu

Photo Credit Tony Cenicola/The New York Times One kid-favorite Panera cinnamon crunch bagel: 430 calories. Add a medium low-fat strawberry ...

Stop Asking if My 4-Year-Old Has a ‘Girlfriend’

Photo Credit Getty Images My father isn’t the first person to ask my son if he has a girlfriend. The question ...

Food Lessons From Families of Kids With Allergies

Photo Kelly Rudnicki’s son Michael, 6, prepares batter for cookies that are allergy-safe for her family.Credit Kelly Rudnicki “I always ...

Why Teenage Girls Roll Their Eyes

Photo Credit Getty Images Many people can roll their eyes, but adolescent girls have practically monopolized the ocular gesture as ...

Mile 13 in the Deployment Marathon

Photo The author's contribution to a Navy ship's slide show on what families look forward to when their loved ones ...

Doctor’s Orders: Stay in Bed and Do Nothing

Photo The author’s son.Credit It’s 3 in the morning when a lovely woman dressed in baby blue slips through a ...

A Blended Family Survival Guide

Photo RibsyCredit Rique Sollisch Almost 20 years ago, when our five kids were all in elementary school, Rique and I ...

A Conversation With ‘The Restaurant Critic’s Wife’

Photo Credit Two things engage me when it comes to fiction — characters I want to spend more time with, ...

Two Cooks, Two Kitchens, Two Organizing Plans

Photo KJ Dell’Antonia’s kitchen, en route to tidiness. The process took 10 days.Credit My kitchen wasn’t awful. Many nights, the ...

Why Students Lie, and Why We Fall for It

Photo Credit iStock Photo Maria KonnikovaCredit Margaret Singer and Max Freeman I’ve been a teacher, primarily of middle and high ...