When Your Kid Melts Down: How to Say No and Stay Close
The tablet time is up, the appointment is looming, and your kid is losing it. Romina Alberti on what to do when your own nervous system is in alarm mode.
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Lisa
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?
Family
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A Pony Farm in Germany Where Families Say Goodbye to a Baby
A dad sat alone by his daughter's cradle after days of walking away. Here's what a pony farm in Germany gives families who lose a baby.
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My First Grader Hates School. What Do I Do?
He loved daycare, was ready for school, and now cries the whole ride there. Maria's son Johann won't settle in, and she's asking for your honest advice.
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Living Apart From My Kids: My Oldest Two Are in Denmark
Every birthday, she's hundreds of miles from her kids. Marlene on the goodbyes, the court ruling, and a love that distance can't shrink.
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Growing Up With a Mom Who Was a Hidden Alcoholic
She was ashamed when friends came over and fought with her mom for years. Then a long hospital stay changed everything between them.
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Perimenopause, a Teenager, and a Husband Headed for Burnout
Her teen asked whether Dad had always been this way, or whether work changed him. That question stuck with Jara long after the fight.
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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 →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 moreIf I Won the Lottery, My First Hire Would Be a Personal Chef
One mom, one 110 million euro jackpot, and a very specific dream: someone else deciding what's for dinner. Guess how much she actually won.
Read moreMy Twins Turned 18, and This Column Is Heading Into Midlife
Fish sticks, a bunch of canceled classes, and six sentences from the people who know them best. Plus: why this column is growing up with my kids.
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What We're Really Saying When We Say “Fuck You”
Sex is supposed to be something good, so why do we use it as a threat? Teens say it about the other team, and I can't stop thinking about it.
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My Twins Just Turned 18. What a Wild Ride.
From a surprise ultrasound to a mint-green microcar, my twins have never done anything the easy way. Now they're 18, and I can't stop crying.
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What We Regret, Where We Feel Free, and When We Go to Bed
After years of daily calls, one of us just learned the other won't board a boat for more than an hour. What else don't you know about your best friend?
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More life stories →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.
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When Your Kid Yells "I Hate You": A Family Therapist Explains
Your kid screams 'I hate you' and your heart drops. A family therapist explains why it's often a sign you made the right call.
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Is Your Child Being Bullied in the Group Chat? What to Watch For
Your kid is quiet, glued to the phone, or suddenly avoiding it. A social worker tells us what's really going on in the group chat, and what to say.
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Nearsighted Kids: What an Eye Doctor Wants Parents to Know
Your kid squints at the TV and holds books inches from their face. Is it a habit or something more? An eye doctor tells us what's worth checking.
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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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