Our Oldest Is Moving Out (and I'm Fine. Mostly.)
Her text said WE GOT THE APARTMENT, and suddenly I was teary in the car. Our first kid is leaving in a few weeks, and I'm fine. Mostly.
Read moreLisa Harmann
Teen Time: The Last Baby Is Growing Up, and We're Not Ready
Driver's licenses, exchange years, first apprenticeships: our youngest kids are leaving the nest, and we're standing on the path swallowing hard.
Read more
Your Teen Is Lying (a Little). Here's What to Do
At a summer party, every parent swore their 16-year-old never drinks. Then I remembered what my own mom believed about me. Whiskey in plastic bottles, anyone?
Read more
The Only Parents on the Beach Without Kids
Two weeks without the boys, a quiet beach, and a surprising ache. Why the freedom we dreamed about feels so strange now.
Read more
“Does Elisa Have to Die?” A Dad on Raising a Daughter With DIPG
“Does Elisa have to die?” Her big sister asked it, and her dad had to answer. A father's honest words about love, a tumor, and one more good day.
Read more
Two of My Three Kids Are Away, and the House Is Way Too Quiet
The fridge door isn't clicking and the laundry pile isn't growing. Two of my three kids are gone, and the quiet is almost eerie.
Read more
Goldi Turns 19: Our Oldest's Last Teenage Birthday
Her last teenage birthday, finals piling up, and a mom wondering if those apartment listings mean what she thinks they mean.
Read more
22 Reasons 44 Is a Great Age: A Birthday Letter to Katharina
Katharina isn't thrilled about 44 and the march toward 50. So here are 22 reasons, one schnapps number included, to change her mind.
Read more
Is Every Other Family Doing Better Than Ours? Spoiler: No
The riding pants are gone, bedtime visits are over, and one mom is in tears. Why you're never the only one sitting there.
Read more
Our Kids Are Growing Up, and Yes, We're a Little Thrilled
Her door was closed, and "Fine." was all I got. Then she walked out and went partying, and I almost wished she'd gone back in.
Read more
“He Didn’t Do This to Me”: A Mom After Her Son’s Suicide
“Lukas didn't do anything to me.” A mom explains which well-meant phrases hurt most after her son's suicide, and what she wishes people would say.
Read more
When You and Your Partner Parent Your Teen Differently
Her teen lives in chaos and has an alpaca mop of hair. Mom shrugs, dad fumes, and she's stuck in the middle. Sound familiar?
Read more