Conversations

I Let My Daughter Sit in the Car and a Stranger Called the Police

A trip to the department store with an over-tired post sleepover kid turned into a scary encounter we'll remember for a lifetime.

One Simple Way to Raise a Child Who Isn’t Afraid to Fail

If I want to raise a child who shows tenacity, there’s one thing I need to do – I need to praise him or her for the journey and not the destination.

The Inevitable Echo of "Enough"

When my firstborn was six months old and still waking in the night to nurse, I remember feeling as though the last shreds of sanity were slipping from my grasp. I’d never functioned well with a sle...

Chasing Our Own Kind of Independence on the Fourth of July

Inside our house, we're parenting a child with special needs who dreads the Fourth of July more than any other day on the calendar.

Solve Your Parenting Problems Through Murphy’s Law

The experienced parents out there, they know the real secret to success: parenting through Murphy’s Law.

How to Parent for the Long Run Not the Heat of the Moment

Threats and ultimatums can solve problems in the short term, but parenting with big picture intentionality has a much richer pay off.

All the Families in Your Parent Entourage

Life happens. You move, you find a partner, you have kids, you throw yourself into your career. Eventually though, you assemble your tribe.

A Family Without Neat and Tidy Edges is Still a Family

When I’d envisioned my life and future family it lacked any mess or complications. What I, in fact, produced, has been quite the opposite.

Finding the Gap Where Disappointment Exists

You have not lived until your child vomits deep inside the aisles of a retail store, dashing all your best laid plans right along with it.

6 Tips to Help Your Highly Sensitive Child Make Their Way

Even though some of your kid's emotions may seem overwhelming, there are some strategies that can help to quell the storm.

I Didn't Stay for the Kids and We're All Better For It

We decided we could love our kids better, love ourselves better, and be better parents apart than we could together. And I know we made the right decision.

Six Parenting Trends for an Easy Breezy Summer (For Real)

There’s a reason these parenting hacks are hot right now. They save so much work.

Older Dads May Raise Smarter, Geekier Kids

A recent study shows there may be some clear benefits to having an older father that positively impact a kid's education and career.

Could Adopting a Uniform Improve Your Parenting?

Cognitive research suggests that autopilot mom-style might be making me a better parent.

Summer's Quest for Independence: You Might Be Surprised by All Your ASD Kid Can Do

Why not use the freedom of summer to tackle issues such as responsibility for household tasks or personal independence and growth?

Finding My Way Around "Advancing Age" and Into Motherhood

Advancing Age got the last laugh when two weeks later we got the news that I wasn’t pregnant. I needed to take a long hard look at my 40-something body.

Science Says Toddlers Are Smarter Than Apes, Barely

In early infancy, kids and apes aren't all that dissimilar in their physical and communication milestones. By toddlerhood, it's shifted, but only a little.

Growing Up, You First Then Me

I raised you to be a compassionate, independent young man. Instead of celebrating your incredible victory (and mine) I remain steadfastly stuck in the past.

The Summer Nights I Want My Kids to Remember

I’m fond of all our summer days, but it’s expansiveness I crave, the flow state of summer where time melts and boundaries blur.

Why Not Passing My Passivity On to My Daughter Is Top Priority

How much will she miss out on if she doesn’t ask? The unasked-for promotion. The raise. How much will she shoulder?

A Simple Reassurance Family Vacation is Worth the Hassle

The kids are over-sugared, overstimulated, over-sunned, overstuffed, and off schedule. Remind me again why we go to the trouble?

The Best Way to Support Your Kid's Coach? Let Them Do Their Job.

It's easy to become over-invested in our kid's sports experience. But the foundation should always include respecting their coaches.

Having a Baby Changes Everything, or So They Say

There's no denying it, our kids slow us down. Which is exactly why we should take them with us.