parenting
Homework Battles With an 8-Year-Old: Picking the Right Fight
Somewhere around second grade, the after-school worksheet stopped being a worksheet and started being a referendum on my parenting. My
Everyday Family
Parenting, routines and family life told with realism and a bit of humor.
boredom
When Your Kid Says "I'm Bored": The Case for Letting It Ride
"I'm bored" hits a specific nerve in parents, somewhere between guilt and irritation, and the reflex
daycare
Separation Anxiety at Daycare Drop-Off
The morning my daughter wrapped both arms and legs around my thigh at the daycare door and wailed like I
tantrums
Tantrums in the Grocery Store: A Calmer Playbook
Nothing humbles a parent quite like a full-body tantrum in the cereal aisle while a stranger watches you fail in
school mornings
The School Morning That Doesn't Start With Yelling
There was a stretch where every school morning ended with me yelling up the stairs, a kid crying about a
allowance
Allowance and Chores: What We Pay For and What We Don't
We started allowance the year our oldest asked, in the checkout line at Target, why she couldn't just
new year
New Year, Same Chaos: Routines That Actually Reset in January
Every January 1st I make a beautiful new family routine, and every January 4th it's in the trash
new years eve
New Year's Eve With Kids Who Can't Make It to Midnight
The year we tried to keep our kids up until midnight, we ended up with two overtired children sobbing on
toy clutter
The Toy Clutter Reset Between Christmas and New Year
The week between Christmas and New Year's is a strange, formless stretch where nobody knows what day it
holidays
A Low-Key Family Holiday Tradition Worth Keeping
Our best holiday tradition cost almost nothing and started by accident. One December a snowstorm canceled everything we'd
holidays
Cousins, Grandparents, and a 4-Year-Old's Big Feelings at Holiday Gatherings
The first time my son melted down at his grandparents' house on Christmas Eve, I was mortified. He'
bedtime
The Bedtime Routine That Finally Ends the Stalling
Every parent knows the stall. The water request. The second water request. The sudden urgent need to discuss whether sharks