Conversations

It’s My Job to Say No

I want to be your friend, but you have many friends and only one mother and one father. I'm sure you will love us no matter how many times we say no.

The First Hurt

As a mother, unfortunately I can't be everywhere always and my arms only reach so far.

I Let My Kids Play with Knives

When did we become so preoccupied with safety that we forgot to let our kids live in the real world? Or are we simply focused on the perception of safety?

It's up to Us to Turn the Tide of Entitled Kids

Kids become entitled when they've been given everything with little asked in return. Teach them that you don’t get ahead by being served, but by serving.

How I Bumbled Through the First Months of Fatherhood

My first emotions were fear, joy, terror, wonder, shock, excitement and panic when first I learned I was going to be a father.

9 Caddyshack Quotes I Use Everyday as a Dad

Parenting is such a roller coaster ride. There are times when we need to be serious, times when I need to teach my boys, and a time to laugh.

4 Lessons My Incorrigible Dog Taught Me About Parenting

What I learned from Diego, a willful Rhodesian ridgeback mix, laid the foundation for my next 12 years of parenting.

The Bad Handwriting Is On the Wall    

Some people call me Visa or Lira or Lina. My name isn't difficult to pronounce; my handwriting is impossible to read.

5 (Possibly Useless) Tips for Moms Returning to (Paid) Work

The kids have to do the laundry now. Be prepared for this to be a complete disaster because you forgot to teach the kids how to do the laundry.

Your Busy Schedule May Help Keep Your Memory Sharp as You Age

All that hustling may translate into superior brain power as you get older, as a study finds that the busiest people perform best on cognitive tests.

Burden of Student Loans Linked to Lower Net Worth After College

People who had outstanding balances on their student loans when they graduated or dropped out of college had lower net worth, fewer financial and non-financial assets, and homes with lower market v...

Do We Need a Community in Order to Truly Feel Joy?

Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.

Watch the "What's Your Watermark" Video

The "What’s Your Watermark?" film is inspired by a desire to educate people about water issues, and to challenge them to make positive change.

Sometimes Attachment Parenting Fails, and That's Okay

Since becoming a mother two years ago, I have been haunted by the notion of attachment parenting.

5 Things To Do If Your Child Is Struggling

Whether your child’s struggle is temporary or longer lasting, the truth is that struggle is a part of life. It's how we all grow and mature.

Letting Go of Trying to Do It All - and Getting so Much in Return

One day, I just looked at the cards I was dealt and said to myself, "So what if the house gets messy? So what if you have to hire a babysitter?

4 Ways Millennial Parents are Raising a Generation of Great Leaders

Many of the qualities millennial parents are imparting to their children are contributing to the creation of a generation of great leaders.

Study finds that social media use is significantly associated with increased depression

Social media use was significantly associated with increased depression. Given the proliferation of SM, identifying the mechanisms and direction of this association is critical for informing inter...

What Empathetic Parents Know About Tears

Sometimes the best way to be there for our children is to give them the freedom to cry.

The Ones We Wanted to Stay

We can do this, all of us who’ve lost the ones we wanted so badly to stay. We can keep them alive, we can introduce them to our children, we can carry them in our stories.

Is ADHD a Gift or a Curse?

No sugarcoating here: ADHD is a burden. It can also come with potential upsides. Could seeing it as a gift (even if it isn't) produce better life outcomes?

8 New Tina Fey-Inspired Words For Your Parenting Dictionary

Oversharenting, Dad-bod, manny, mommy-jacking- it seems like everyday, someone is creating a new word for parents to add to their lexicon. I have no use for any of them - so I invented my own.

Mispronouncing a Student's Last Name Can Have a Big Impact

Effort is the biggest obstacle to learning how to correctly pronounce a person’s name; teachers have to want to do it.