Parenting
Playground Thunderdome
What’s the best way to react to toddler fights and aggression on the playground…especially if the offender isn’t your child?
Big Kid
Tiny Changes To Earth
There was an unexpectedly large snowstorm that paralyzed parts of the NY tristate area. This is one of the many stories of bravery by young people that night.
Money & Work
A Rocket Building Mother’s Feminist Dilemma
A mom’s dream career opportunity will take her away from her family for the summer. She is concerned and is getting some guilt trips from family and colleagues. What should she do?
Big Kid
New School, Friend Blues: Navigating Lonely Tween Trouble
A reader wants to know how much is too much when it comes to managing new friendships for her tween after switching to a new school.
Parenting
To Bra or not to Bra: With Sons, That Is The Question
A reader says her husband thinks she can no longer go braless at home because their sons are growing up. I have a few things to say about that.
Big Kid
13 Reasons Why: The Book, the Series, the Issues
Unsure about whether 13 Reasons Why on Netflix is okay for your teen? My teen and an educator help me break it down for parents who have concerns.
Big Kid
When the Parenting Formula Fails to Solve For X
We talk about cranky babies and unwieldy toddlers; why don’t we talk more about struggling teens? We fear judgment, but that’s just got to stop.
Big Kid
When Other Kids Suck the Joy Out of Beloved Activities
A reader asks how to help a teen stick out a difficult activity when the other kids are making things unpleasant.
Big Kid
Teenagers and Bad News Parties: What Do We Tell Them?
A reader asks how we deal with teens and the specter of poor teen decisions about drugs and alcohol and parties.
Relationships
The Gift That Keeps On Giving: In-Law Drama
A mom is stuck in an awkward family situation with an in-law who is holding an unreasonable grudge. What can she do to make future family gatherings tolerable?
Party & Play
The No-Gifts Birthday Party
I want my young daughter’s upcoming birthday party be of the “no gifts” kind. How does that work on invitations? Will my daughter be disappointed?
Health & Safety
A Daycare Food Dilemma
A mom is really happy with the care provided by her kids’ in-home daycare provider. However, she is concerned about the lunch and snack options they are offering her toddlers. Is she overreacting and what are her options?
Big Kid
Please Get Off My Back! (The Perils of Overprotective Parenting)
I vowed never to become an overprotective parent like my mother. Then I had a child.
Big Kid
Teaching Kids How to Handle Life’s Disappointments
It is inevitable. We all face disappointments in our lives, many times out of our direct control. How we handle those disappointments is up to us. Teaching our children to weather setbacks and failures is one of the more important jobs we face as parents.
Big Kid
Recovering From a Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Morning
The truth is that we all have times when we handle ourselves badly and our kids pay the price. The goal is to find a way to make things right and move on.
Big Kid
Your Child Says Their Teacher Is Mean, What Do You Do?
It is the time of year when you begin to hear complaints from the kids about their teachers. “My teacher hates me!” Do you step in or let them work it out?
Toddler
When Should I Let My Child Pierce Her Ears?
How do you determine the best age to let a child pierce his or her ears.
Young Child
Lance Armstrong and the Legacy of Lying
How can we make our children realize that lying and cheating are wrong when they see people whom they admire lie and cheat?
Big Kid
When Is It Okay To Leave Your Kids Home Alone?
All that said, the decision to leave your kids alone is obviously a very personal one and depends on factors such as their maturity, their environment and your basic comfort level. As well as other issues like whether you should put the oldest kid in charge and your kids’ ability to follow safety rules to the letter.
Big Kid
It Is None of My Business What Other Teenagers Do, Or Is It?
Do you tell parents if you know their kid is involved in destructive behavior? I happen to think it takes a village, even if it makes me uncomfortable at times.