Parenting

My parents rarely praised me. I didn't realize I repeated the pattern with my own kids.

4 min read

Young woman using laptop while lying on bed at home - stock photo

I thought I was ready to turn my daughter's bedroom into my office. I'm not ready to accept she's leaving for college yet.

3 min read

I wanted my daughters to be independent. They carried 'kid licenses' so adults wouldn't be concerned.

Kristin Howard wanted her daughters to be independent from ages 5 and 3. They carried "kid licenses" in case they were approached by concerned adults.

4 min read

The author playing guitar for her daughter when she was a baby.

My toddler started having tantrums, and nothing we did was working. Then, I read a book that changed everything.

My toddler started having tantrums and nothing helped. I was stressed, and my husband and I were arguing. A book taught us techniques that worked.

5 min read

My family traded Brooklyn for Spain for 3 months. Slowing down brought us closer together.

A three-month stay in Spain made me rethink hustle culture, parenting, and what a fulfilling family life looks like.

5 min read

VaNessa Duplessie and her college-age daughter at a restaurant

I'm spending nearly $6,000 to visit my daughter at college 4 times this year. I never factored that into our budget.

When my daughter chose an out-of-state school, I had factored in all the college costs. But I didn't think about the price of traveling to see her.

3 min read

Woman hugging her son, view from behind.

Our 5-year-old son was sad when we moved from LA to Kentucky. We helped him through the change by focusing on the positives.

When our son was 5, we moved from California to Kentucky. He didn't want to leave, so we focused on the positives to help him through the change.

5 min read

Mindy Kaling, 46, says becoming a mom changed why she wanted to lose weight

"Do I wake up every day being like, 'I look amazing and I'm so gorgeous'? No, unsurprisingly, but I truly feel so healthy," Mindy Kaling said.

2 min read

The author poses with her daughter at school.

Our elementary school lets parents eat lunch with their kids. My youngest is off to middle school, and I'll miss those priceless moments.

For me, the best part of elementary school wasn't the first day, Field Day, or any of the many events — it was eating lunch with my kids.

4 min read

These $70 satin Adidas pants are the latest status symbol in mom groups. They're totally worth it.

The Adidas Originals Satin Animal Print Pants have become the latest obsession in mom Facebook groups, repeatedly selling out online.

3 min read

I wanted to be a 'chill mom.' My son needed something different.

I imagined myself as a laid-back parent, but raising a neurodivergent son forced me to rethink what he actually needs.

5 min read

It feels like whenever I'm not cooking for my family, I'm thinking about groceries or meal planning. It's overwhelming.

I'm always cooking, meal planning, or grocery shopping for my family, and it's overwhelming. I finally asked my husband for help.

5 min read

The author and her son at his college graduation.

I spent 20 years and nearly $100,000 paying off my student loans. I'm done just in time for my youngest to start college.

I finally made the last payment on my student loans. It's been hard paying for a career I left years ago.

4 min read

The author is sitting in the bleachers at a youth sports event.

My kids don't need another coach yelling from the bleachers. I'm choosing to focus on their love of the game instead.

I've stopped caring so much about the score at my kids' games. I wish others would do the same.

5 min read

My first concert at 13 was No Doubt. Now 43, I saw them again at the Sphere and realized I'm still the same person.

Seeing No Doubt at The Sphere decades after my first concert brought back memories of independence, friendship, and growing older.

4 min read

I'm a mom of 3 and an interior designer. It's OK not to give your kids the decor they're asking for.

Lauren Behfarin shares practical advice for designing children's bedrooms that can evolve as kids grow.

3 min read

I was burned out postpartum. A trip taught me how to embrace community and changed how I parent.

After burnout and postpartum exhaustion, a trip to India helped me rethink routines, community, and parenting.

5 min read

Most parents manage their kids' social lives. I expect my 8-year-old to do it himself.

My son arranges his own playdates by phone, and watching him do it has changed how I think about independence.

5 min read

the author and her husband in country Victoria.

We moved from a small town to live with my parents in the city. I'm making sure to build our community here.

My family of five moved from a small town to a big city to live with my parents. I'm making sure we still enjoy simple fun and spend time in nature.

4 min read

The author's son sitting at the edge of a lake.

My 14-year-old son wants to study abroad. He may be ready — but I'm not.

My 14-year-old son loves traveling and wants to study abroad. I want to encourage his independence and think he's ready, but it's hard to let go.

4 min read

The author's daughter reads while sitting with her mom at a bar.

My daughter grew up hanging around bars. I'm glad she has such wonderful memories.

Spending time in bars taught my daughter how to have conversations with people she might not have much in common with. I'm grateful for that.

4 min read

My husband and I took our first solo vacation. It was romantic, but I missed my son.

My husband and I revisited our honeymoon destination without my son and realized how much our family dynamic shapes us.

4 min read

My daughter is a 'trinket kid.' Her collections are taking over our house.

My daughter collects tiny treasures everywhere she goes. It's sweet, chaotic, and slowly taking over our house.

3 min read

The author's son wearing a white graduation gown and cap.

I've had kids in elementary school for 16 years. Now that my youngest is moving on, I realize I wish I'd done a few things differently.

My youngest of four kids is graduating elementary school, and it's caused me to reflect. I wish I'd been more present while my kids were young.

5 min read

Cutting Edge of Care

I'm 65 and raising my two teenage grandsons on $40,000 a year. I can't afford to retire or get legal custody.

Carol Leonard, a 65-year-old grandmother in Baton Rouge, raises her grandsons alone, facing financial challenges without legal custody support.

6 min read

The author pictured at a port with her mom and sister.

My dad died of cancer at 56. My family used some of his insurance money to go on a cruise, and it helped us grieve and connect.

We are not "cruise people," but after my dad died, a trip that involved little planning had a special appeal.

4 min read

My dad's dementia care costs $9,000 a month. I'm selling my parents' home to pay for it.

Keith Alan Pavlick says caring for his dad amid dementia and rising elder care costs has taken over his life and forced him to sell his parents' home.

7 min read

the author and her daughter sitting on the hood of a baby blue classic car

I'm a French mom raising my daughter in Florida. I wasn't prepared for how differently people parent here.

I'm a French mom raising my daughter in Florida. I've noticed differences between the way I parent and how people in the US parent their kids.

5 min read

I got laid off from Google, then found out I was pregnant. Going from DINK to self-employed has felt like the wild west.

Shanon Morris and her husband lost their jobs around the same time. Instead of looking for new ones, they started traveling — and started a business.

6 min read

Serena Williams says freezing her eggs in her 20s lifted 'all this weight' off her shoulders

"You just have so many more opportunities and options, and so, I don't know, for me, I was really happy that I did it," Serena Williams said.

3 min read

A mother and daughter smiling into the camera.

We couldn't afford elder care for my mom. A little-known program changed everything.

Natalie Tucker says her mother's falls and memory loss made caregiving overwhelming until she found a Medicaid-supported adult day care program.

4 min read

My kids didn't become independent overnight. It took me years of not hovering.

My kids moved to cities like New York and Chicago. I'm calm because I spent years teaching them independence.

4 min read

Playfulness is the key to my parenting. I choose silliness over a power struggle whenever possible.

In this excerpt from 'The Playful Way,' author Piera Gelardi writes about the role of playfulness in parenting, and how it helps build connection.

3 min read

Jamie poses with her kids in the desert at sunset.

I'm self-employed, so I rarely take time off. I've found 5 ways to work while traveling with my kids — without ruining our trip.

I try to travel as often as possible with my kids, that means working from anywhere. Here's how I meet my deadlines without annoying my family.

4 min read