Wants vs. Needs: What Kids (and Parents) Often Mix Up
Your kid melts down over one T-shirt or a third ice cream. Here's what's really going on, and why saying no can still be loving.
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Lisa
Old Friends, Frozen Feelings: Why the Past Thaws So Fast
One song and you're 16 again. On Halloween night, I realized my kids are saving tomorrow's “remember back then?” moments right now.
Family
More family stories →How to Talk to Your Kids About Bodies, Sex, and Boundaries
Forget the one big sex talk. Sex ed expert Eliane Retz shows how pool days and bath time can teach kids about bodies, boundaries, and feeling safe.
Read moreI Kicked My Husband Out, but His Baggage Stayed
He moved out 14 months ago, but his stuff never did. Now she's raising three kids on her own and still answering to him at work.
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Three-Plus Years at Sea: How a Family Homeschooled Twins on a Boat
Her twins slept through most of the storms. She didn't. Here's how two third graders learned on a catamaran, and why boat time ended.
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A Dad Writes About the Sexism His Daughter Takes for Granted
A tow truck, a pushy driver, and a daughter who shrugged: "I knew what to expect." That line stopped her dad cold.
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One F in Math, and Suddenly You're Picturing Their Future
Your kid brings home an F, and by dinner you've pictured them without a job. Here's how to stop your mind from writing the whole story.
Read moreChildren
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"I Never Would Have Told an Adult": A Mom on Her Teen Years
Michaela never told an adult what was really going on. Now that she's raising a teen, she explains what she wishes someone had heard.
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I Was a Nightmare Teen. Now I'm Raising Two of My Own
Door slamming, noodles on the wall, a midnight escape. She was a nightmare teen, and now her 15-year-old is sharpening herself on her.
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Let Them Dawdle: Why Doing Nothing Is Real Work for Kids
Your kid stops dead on the sidewalk for a puddle and you just want to go home. What if that pause is the most important part of their day?
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Steady Kids in a Shaky World: 5 Simple “Crisis Buoys”
You can't fix the headlines, but you can give your kids something steady to hold on to. It starts smaller than you think.
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Big Kids, Big Worries: One Mom on Raising Three Daughters
She thought bigger kids meant fewer worries. Then came waiting lists, hard talks, and three daughters who each need something different.
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What Teens in a Mental Health Crisis Need From Their Parents
Your teen won't talk, won't leave their room, won't put the phone down. After 18 months with 25 teens in crisis, one author says what helps.
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More column stories →Old Friends, Frozen Feelings: Why the Past Thaws So Fast
One song and you're 16 again. On Halloween night, I realized my kids are saving tomorrow's “remember back then?” moments right now.
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Where's Mom's Car? When Every Kid Can Drive
We came home from dinner and the car was gone. The family chat, a dangling fuel cap, and why I ended up laughing instead of yelling.
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Midlife Moms Episode 2: When Your Kids Need You Less
Your kids need you less, and it feels a bit like heartbreak. Lisa and Katharina talk about what comes after the caregiving years.
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Always There for Everyone Else? Katharina's Self-Care Book Is Out
Katharina had to write a book without Lisa, and her inner critic had opinions. Here's how she shook it off and what 1-Minute Self-Care means for your day.
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Our New Podcast, Midlife Moms, Is Here (Tech Skills Not Included)
It took us forever to find the Record button, but we did it. Meet our first, slightly wobbly, completely honest podcast episode.
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Living la Vida Low Carb? I'm Eating Frozen Pizza at 9 PM
I showed up four hours early, then ate frozen pizza at 9 p.m. Is it midlife, my personality, or just way too many good plans?
Read moreLife
More life stories →Keeping Kids Safe Without Scaring Them: Advice From a Cop and a Mom
A little girl didn't go into a store for help because she had no money to buy anything. What a cop and a mom of five want every child to know.
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I Landed in the ICU With Kidney Failure. My Goal: A Punk Concert
Franziska blamed feeling off on stress. Then came the ICU and one stubborn goal: be at a punk concert in August. Did she make it?
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Why Kids Bully, and What Helps Kids Who Are Targeted
A girl who was bullied swore she'd never feel that way again, so she started bullying others. Elisabeth Raffauf explains why kids switch sides.
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Math Without the Meltdown: Helping Kids Get Past Math Trauma
Your child isn't too dumb for math, just too stressed to think. One teacher's fix starts with a trampoline, not another explanation.
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Seven Weeks Into Fifth Grade, We're Both Overwhelmed
No homework, they said. Then came the vocab quizzes, four big exams, and evenings of tears. One mom on a fifth grader who's lost his footing, and how she's coping.
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After Paul Died: “Sometimes I Wonder If He’s Disappointed in Me”
Jill cared for Paul for 18 years. Now she wonders if he's disappointed in her, and she's learning to laugh without guilt.
Read moreMothers
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Dating as a Single Mom: Apps, Time, and Making Room for Love
You plan the dentist, the soccer practice, the work call. So why does your love life only get the leftovers? Two experts have a few uncomfortable, helpful answers.
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When Your Adult Son Cuts You Off: We Remember It Differently
She hung balloons for the homecoming from the hospital. Months later her son blocked her everywhere, and she's still finding her footing.
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Anke Neckar's First Novel Is for Every Mom Who's Had Enough
Julia loves her family, but she's lost herself in the to-do list. Anke Neckar on writing the novel every worn-out mom will recognize.
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One Dinner, Six Eaters: How to Make Everyone Happy
Pasta-only preschooler, protein-counting teen, a husband who wants meat. Here's how one nutrition counselor feeds them all without cooking six dinners.
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Young Mom, Widowed: How Lini and Thilda Live With Grief
Three years after losing her husband, Lini is raising her daughter alone. She shares what helped, what didn't, and why she's still grateful.
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After Two Miscarriages, I Didn't Recognize Myself
She was the cheerful one who always believed it would turn out okay. Then two losses left Julia staring in the mirror, wondering who she was.
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