family

As She Battles COVID-19 Alone, My Mother Has Become Another Face In The Window
Like so many others, Cynthia Dockrell's mother is battling COVID-19 away from those who love her. Some 60 years ago, their family experienced something agonizingly similar.

David Brooks Says The Nuclear Family Was A Mistake. Is He Right?
David Brooks wants Americans to ditch the idea of the nuclear family. We'll hear why.

Why You Should Never Stop Reading To Your Kids
The magic of being read to does not disappear just because it’s no longer a practical necessity, writes Sharon Brody.

Surprise! Research Says You Shouldn't Shy Away From Politics At Thanksgiving Dinner
By overestimating how unpleasant it will be to engage with those we disagree with, writes Timothy Phillips, we wind up tuning out the other side altogether.

The Gift Of Showing Up
Julie Wittes Schlack never fully appreciated the expression "your presence is present enough' until her daughter's recent wedding.
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Meghan Markle Is Not OK, And That’s OK
We owe the Duchess of Sussex a debt of gratitude for saying publicly what all new mothers feel.

'Do I Have To Leave Now?': Our Foster Care System Makes It Too Easy To Give Up On Kids
“You only need to give us 10 days notice if you this gets to be too much for you,” our caseworker told us one day. “No one would blame you...

'Inheritance': When DNA Genealogy Shakes Our Identity, Foundation To The Core
A big meditation on the meaning of ancestry and family. We'll talk to the author of the celebrated new book "Inheritance."

'They' Is Here To Stay. Get Over It
My 12-year-old is now using "they" pronouns, writes Jane Roper. So far, people have been very supportive. But many also add, with varying degrees of consternation, that they just have...

Parents Of Newborns Aren't The Only Caregivers Who Need Paid Family Leave
Paid leave must take into consideration eldercare as well as childcare, writes Liz O'Donnell.

'No Part Of Me Ever Questioned My Paternity': The DNA Test That Upended Identity
Author Dani Shapiro's DNA ancestry test results shook her to her core. Her late father — whom she’d loved and cherished for a half-century — wasn’t her biological father.

'Inheritance': When DNA Genealogy Shakes Our Identity, Foundation To The Core
A big meditation on the meaning of ancestry and family. We'll talk to the author of the celebrated new book "Inheritance."

Social Services, Taxpayer Dollars And Religious Freedom: A Balancing Act
Last year, a South Carolina faith-based organization turned away a couple that wanted to become foster parents. Why? The couple was Jewish, and Miracle Hill Ministries accepts only Christian parents...

Good Childcare Is Out Of Reach For Too Many. It Doesn't Have To Be This Way
If mothers choose to stay home because of costs -- not because of personal preference -- it’s bad for women and bad for our economy.

'Diblings': Embracing The Sperm Donor Sibling Network And Building Kinship
These days, more parents are up front about their decision to conceive through donor sperm, and donors are more open to releasing biographical details so that they can be contacted...

Sperm Donor Siblings: The Growing Movement To Unite Genetic Families
Sperm donations are creating genetic families around the world. And there’s a new push for those siblings to meet.

Putting The Election In Perspective, For Our Kids (And For Ourselves)
As parents, we can teach our children that an election is not an apocalypse, but an opportunity to discuss and debate and be heard, writes KJ Dell'Antonia, and no one...

'Will You Die?' And Other Questions My Kids Have About Death
Death is a topic all parents have to address with their kids eventually. The experts offer some guidelines, writes Cloe Axelson, but in the moment, what does a parent say?

It Happens To All Of Us Eventually
Almost everyone I know has these instances of astonished recognition as we find ourselves turning into our parents, writes Julie Wittes Schlack.

I'd Rather Be Shopping For School Supplies
For the first time, writes Sharon Brody, neither of my kids is going back to school. It's disorienting and sad, but not for the reasons one might expect.