My family fell apart and I don’t know how to fix it
DEAR ABBY: My husband of 31 years died suddenly five years ago. Our family — four kids, six grandkids — was devastated. We still haven’t recovered. We used to be a happy bunch, spending time at the lake, backyard barbecues by the pool and football games. My husband was an integral part of this. With […]
How to deal with money stress in your relationship
Financial issues are one of the top five reasons couples experience relationship conflict, and many are feeling it amid cost-of-living pressures. That’s according to Elisabeth Shaw, CEO of Relationships Australia NSW. She says while tension between partners isn’t always about money, many people clash over values, spending habits, and how they respond to financial pressure. […]
This inexpensive device makes it easy.
This is One Thing, a column with tips on how to live. At first, trying to give my baby medicine brought to mind a Wikihow illustration of a cat, with its owner’s hands holding its head back, prying its jaws open, holding a pill over its tongue while the creature winces. You can tell what’s […]
My son wants to know when our life will “go back to normal.” I don’t know how to tell him it won’t.
Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here. Dear Care and Feeding, Just under four months ago, I learned my now-ex-husband was having an affair with a woman at his office, and I divorced him. The problem is that we have two kids, aged 1 and 5, […]
Do you have a mother wound? Here’s how to heal it
It’s not hard to find examples of dysfunctional mother-daughter storylines in pop culture. Think Pride and Prejudice’s marriage-obsessed Mrs Bennet, Matilda Wormwood’s neglectful bingo-addict mum, and the protracted mother-daughter battles of Everything Everywhere All At Once. The vexed bonds and painful rifts in mother-daughter relationships are rich fodder for creative work because they persist so […]
We’d finally figured out how to handle my brother’s kids. Now they’re moving to our town.
Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here. Dear Care and Feeding, My brother and his wife have “Alfonso” (15) and “Gabriel” (16), who really don’t get along. The boys are both autistic with different needs. Alfonso is easily overstimulated by bright lights or loud sounds, and […]
How To Do Less For Your Kids: 3 Things That Help Anxious Parents Hover Less | Elaine Taylor-Klaus & Diane Dempster
Parents ask this question all the time: “I can see my kid struggling, so how do I help without enabling them?” It’s a fair concern. Most parents swing between two extremes. Some push too hard, convinced they know what’s best, and end up frustrated when their child resists or shuts down. Others step in too […]
Gaslighting can mar holiday gatherings. Here’s how to identify, avoid it
Gaslighting in your family can be disguised with loving and caring messages that seem to demonstrate warmth and interest. Your aunt may ask: “Did you find that special someone yet? You know, you could talk to a professional about how to date,” leaving you feeling insecure and second-guessing yourself. Gaslighting can also be overtly aggressive […]
My husband’s family has a history of alcohol abuse. I need to protect my children.
Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here. Dear Care and Feeding, My husband and I need to talk to our children about drinking culture and alcoholism before we visit his family, and I’m at a complete loss. My husband and I are from different countries. We […]
How to handle awkward comments and conversations this Christmas
Ah, Christmas. There’s nothing like tearing into a few presents … and then your argumentative uncle. While your Instagram feed says the holidays are about joy and love, for many people Christmas is a time of managing tricky family members, inappropriate comments and probing questions. “When any groups gather there are going to be mixed […]