I've lived overseas for 15 years. Saying goodbye to my mom never gets easier.
4 min read
When my friends moved to the suburbs, I decided to raise my kids in Chicago. Being an urban mom was the best choice.
I was sometimes worried about my kids' safety as an urban mom, but Chicago gave my children access to parks, museums, and learning opportunities.
4 min read
I thought downsizing would be hard for our family of 4. It ended up changing our lives for the better.
We moved from Texas to Denver and downsized our home, gaining more time together, walkability, community, and freedom for our kids.
5 min read
I escaped a cult and was homeless and desperate. Chris Martin gave me a piano, and I became a successful musician.
Top musician Jean-Philippe Ri-Opy escaped a cult and led a difficult life. He turned things around with the help of Chris Martin who gave him a piano.
4 min read
I made over $30,000 from my side hustles this year. The extra money is great, but I felt like I never stopped working.
I made over $33,000 from freelance writing and teaching mahjong, but the time commitment hurt my relationships and work-life balance.
4 min read
Mandy Moore says motherhood has reshaped her friendships
"I've had to sort of mourn in a way, not the loss of those friendships, but like how they've changed," Mandy Moore said.
4 min read
I gave my 8-year-old a landline. It has parental controls, but gives him the freedom he craved.
I chose a screen-free, internet-based phone for my 8-year-old to offer freedom, safety, and responsibility. We both love the Tin Can.
3 min read
I'm glad I made time to get to know my grandmother as an adult. Learning about her 99 years helped me see the world differently.
My grandmother lived to 99, and I'm glad I made time to get to know her as an adult. Her wisdom helped me see the world differently.
4 min read
Jennifer Lawrence says a 15-minute compromise helps her and her husband make their differences work
"I married somebody who is the opposite of me. He is so organized," Jennifer Lawrence said.
2 min read
My nonprofit celebrates birthdays for families who can't afford them. In 14 years, I've never grown tired of seeing their joy.
Paige Chenault Lohoefer shares why she founded The Birthday Party Project. It brings joy, consistency, and celebration to homeless children.
4 min read
My family took a weekend trip with my parents. They're still full-time caretakers to my younger siblings, so the time with my kids was priceless.
Being the oldest of eight made time alone with my parents rare. A weekend trip with my family gave them a chance to be grandparents to my kids.
4 min read
Living abroad for 28 years gave me everything I wanted — and a quiet guilt I still carry
When Kris LeBoutillier's mom got older and her health declined, she wanted him closer to home. "Haven't you been in Singapore long enough?" she asked him.
4 min read
I took my 5-year-old to the wrong birthday party. It taught me a lesson about the grace of strangers.
A mom got mixed up about a party invite. She showed up with her kid at the wrong celebration. What happened next taught her an important life lesson.
5 min read
I became a tattoo artist with my dad's support. Tattooing my family was the most meaningful gift I've given.
A tattoo artist skipped store-bought gifts and gave her family tattoos, creating a meaningful tradition rooted in creativity and trust.
4 min read
My husband and I learned that blending our families was a terrible mistake. Now we live alongside each other.
I married into a family of 10 and learned that forcing a "blended family" made things worse. Living side by side saved us.
4 min read
I worried my toddler would roam after moving to a bed. A new home security system made me feel safe again.
I worried my toddler might wander out of the house after moving to a bed, so I got a home security system to help me sleep at night.
5 min read
We live in the Midwest, and my sons stay occupied in the winter with duct tape, cardboard, and trash. They craft all day.
My sons love crafting with duct tape, cardboard, and trash. It keeps their imaginations going during winter when they can't play outside.
4 min read
I stayed home while my family traveled because I needed a break. I loved my alone time.
I sent my husband and kids to visit family and spent the holidays alone, discovering how restorative intentional solitude can be.
5 min read
I'm a psychologist and grandmother of 6. Here are 6 ways grandparents can build better relationships with their kids and grandkids.
The 77-year-old psychologist Dale Atkins shares six practical rules she uses to build healthier relationships with her grandchildren.
4 min read
My dad died at 43. His friend texts me every year a photo of the last beers they shared together.
Denise Warner's dad was always outside watching the neighborhood kids play. He was diagnosed with esophageal cancer at 43 and died shortly after.
4 min read
My family lives nearly 2,000 miles away from my mom, but my kids are still close to their grandma
My two daughters are growing up across the country from their grandmother. We've figured out ways to shrink the distance.
4 min read
I left a mom group over parenting decisions. I don't regret it.
I joined a mom group hoping for community, but judgment over my parenting, work, and family size pushed me to leave.
4 min read
My daughter was 19 when she was hit by a car. I learned too late that I had no medical authority.
Shawnee Baker's daughter had catastrophic brain injuries and was kept on life support. She didn't have a healthcare proxy allowing her to die.
7 min read
I quit my job at 35 after my husband died. It's been 6 years, and finding a new job has been harder than expected.
After Alex Delaney's husband died suddenly, she left her career behind. Years later, she's trying to reenter the workforce after grief and motherhood.
5 min read
The unpaid job many women shoulder in relationships — and how to make things more fair
In an excerpt from Laura Danger's book she explains what emotional labor is, how it shows up in daily life, and why it is often exploited.
4 min read
Lego's high-tech Smart Brick is dividing its adult fanbase
Love it or hate it, Lego's Smart Brick has elicited strong reactions from its adult fanbase as they process the analog toymaker's embrace of tech.
5 min read
Tin Can 'landline' for kids is so popular it crashed at Christmas
Tin Can, the "landline" for kids, got 100 times its normal call volume on Christmas. It crashed. Kids were upset. Now, it's almost back to normal.
4 min read
I recently learned my 12-year-old son is dating. I'm worried I waited too long to have the sex talk.
When I learned my son started dating, I knew it was time for the sex talk. I worried I didn't have the proper, up-to-date information, so I struggled.
3 min read
I regret not practicing gentle parenting with my oldest kids. I'm making up for lost time now.
I raised my kids the old-school way for years before gentle parenting showed me a better way — and cleared up a big misconception.
5 min read
I bought two bowls at Goodwill for $.99 each. I later sold them for almost $1,400.
A Milwaukee thrifter sensed potential in two 99-cent bowls that turned out to be rare Natzler pieces and later sold for nearly $1,400.
3 min read
My kids are growing up 400 miles from their cousins. It's shown me that family can be whatever you want it to be.
After my family moved, my two kids, 9 and 11, are growing up far from their cousins. It's caused me to redefine family.
4 min read
My mom encouraged me to put my $50,000 savings on the line. It turned into a company I sold for $22 million.
Jaclyn Johnson turned a $50,000 gamble into a business she sold for $22 million. Repurchasing it for a fraction of the price reshaped her journey.
4 min read
My son had to do a family tree for a school project. I went on a genealogy deep dive to learn about a side of the family I never knew about.
After my son asked about our family history, I set out to uncover my father's lineage, piecing together a family tree once lost to silence.
4 min read
A rattlesnake bit my toddler at a birthday party. What happened next changed me.
As my son fought a venomous snake bite, I confronted old grief over my parents' deaths and learned how deeply we all need someone to simply show up.
5 min read
A week of taking care of my 8 and 2-year-old grandkids left me exhausted. It also taught me we all need a little grace.
After an exhausting week caring for my grandsons, I realized the real lesson wasn't perfection but the quiet power of grace.
5 min read
How Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and other tech execs parent their children
Besides having screen time limits for their kids, many tech execs also have philosophies around encouraging curiosity and learning in their children.
7 min read
My family is stranded in Puerto Rico because our flights were canceled. It's having an impact on our finances.
A mother describes how her family was stranded in Puerto Rico after flight cancellations following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
4 min read
My daughters attended Harvard, Yale, and Stanford; they then became the CEOs of YouTube and 23andMe. Letting them fail helped them grow into leaders.
Esther Wojcicki shares how her TRICK parenting method — trust, respect, independence, collaboration, and kindness — helped her raise successful kids.
4 min read
Target doesn't get enough credit for its healthy grocery options. These are my dietitian-approved picks from the store.
Target has become one of my go-to stores for healthy groceries. As a dietitian and a mom, these are the 10 nutritious picks I buy on repeat.
4 min read
My 12-year-old couldn't read, and even as an educator, I had no idea why. It turned out he had dyslexia.
My son's dyslexia went overlooked for years. After getting proper phonics-based instruction, he finally learned to read — and it changed his life.
5 min read
When I started my company, my wife and I were in our 20s. Ten years later, we've made over $250 million in sales.
Chirp wellness, founded by Tate Stock, grew from $450 and a barn to $250 million in sales, pivoting from yoga wheels to pain relief tools.
4 min read
I moved my family of 5 from a big city to a small town. We love our new life, but there are some things we miss.
My family gave up big- city life for small-town living. There are pros and cons to living in both places.
4 min read
I am a mom and a longtime writing teacher. My kids' slang shows me how fast language is changing.
I'm a parent and teach writing. Watching my kids adopt new slang gives me a window into how expressions go viral, burn out, and reshape how we talk.
4 min read
When I was diagnosed with low sperm count, I felt guilty and embarrassed. I want to break the taboo.
After months of trying for a baby, Brian Mazza learned he had a low sperm count. He turned to IVF and now speaks openly about male infertility.
4 min read
I haven't spoken to my mother in 6 years. I'm making sure to show up for my sons in different ways.
I stopped speaking to my mom years ago. I've learned that it's my job is to model regulation and support for my sons.
3 min read
I'm always eager to offer advice to my adult kids. I've learned to wait to be asked for it.
I realized my kids stopped wanting my advice, and the shift hurt — but it also taught me how to let them grow and trust the adults they're becoming.
4 min read
4 signs you might be the family scapegoat — and how it ties into all your relationships
Family scapegoats, often blamed for larger family issues, can struggle with boundaries and trust
3 min read
I'm a parenting coach and mom of 3. Here's how I avoid shopping meltdowns.
Like many parents, I used to dread errands with my kids. Here's how we shop together without meltdowns or constant demands.
4 min read
I bought a company with my credit card. Twenty years later, it generated $55 million in global sales.
Teresa Johnson shares how a leap of faith on a pottery studio grew into Color Me Mine, now earning $55 million and transforming her family's future.
4 min read