We owe our children safe spaces to adorn themselves with color and material and fit and comfort as they decide. By Kristen H. McLeod
pandemic
As the pandemic has dragged on, he’s grown into a thoughtful person who hears everything and wants answers. By Maya Schenwar
I have spent years juggling my three jobs: teacher, mother, and alcoholic. By Jennifer Dines
The last 18 months have clarified one thing for me— my job was not worth what I had been giving up to keep it. By Laura Longhine
Whisking him off to surgery without even a mention to his parents seemed a premature exit from the cocoon of childhood. By Lauren Apfel
The saying that a mother is only as happy as her unhappiest child is true. By Beth Thompson
Literature is a great way to put our pandemic struggles into perspective. By Laura Catherine Hanby Hudgens
I wasn’t used to saying “no” to Mom—and didn’t know where to begin. By Elizabeth Newdom
He’s sick to death of online school, of not seeing his friends. By Heather Hewett
Strong kids embrace the changes in their lives. They work on adapting to the things going on around them instead of resisting them. By Amy Morin
The Naked Baby Dance encompasses all of my favorite parts of toddlerhood. It is both silly and sincere. By Martha Quinn
He’s been out of daycare for nearly a year, but he has befriended the couch. By Maya Schenwar
We didn’t ask for this new life, this set of unattainable demands and responsibilities. By Karen Paul
If you know the taste of real yogurt, or freedom, you won’t give it up easily. By Daniela Elza
I repeatedly suggest that my daughter Zooms or FaceTimes more often, but she gets annoyed. “Mom, I know what I need.” By Laura G. Owens
The temperature hovers near forty degrees. More than a dozen children stand with me in a haphazard circle in the playground. By Megan Sager
Regardless of who works outside of the home, men do less housework than women. And COVID has made the imbalance worse. By Molly Winter
I wonder if this is the year I’ll get to invite my son inside. By Kathi Valeii
At 42, I’d gone from newlywed to grandma. And no, it didn’t feel like a blessing. By Rica Lewis
There are few things I take genuine pleasure in, and one of those is eating. But what message does that send my daughter? By Jennifer Furner
Here are some great ideas for how parents can help encourage their kids to read. By Lisseth Aizpurua
“I’m scared!” she refuses to go upstairs alone. “Sit next to me,” she pleads from the couch. “Closer,” then clings to my arm. By Jennifer Alessi
Now it is deep into fall and all I know is this: he sleeps late, he is very tall, and sometimes he still wants to walk with me. By Gretchen Michelfeld
We’re not cut from private school cloth, but we’d also reached our breaking point. By Amy Paturel
When I was younger, there were life choices I viewed as a certain death of the soul. Now I’m the owner of a Honda Odyssey and parent to three kids. By Cara McDonough
