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Compliment my kid and I just don't know what to do. I've worked a long time to figure out how to accept compliments on my own behalf, but even with best friends and supportive strangers, there is [...]

Sometimes one conversation can change everything. When I first found out I was going to be a dad, I became a nervous wreck. My own family didn't give me much of a blueprint for what healthy [...]

Traditions are great...but sometimes they can create unforeseen expectations among siblings. For example, I've made it a habit to build certain "milestone" celebrations into my parenting with my [...]

Back, back, back in the day, families generally lived near their extended relatives. In some countries where land and heritage are priorities, this is still the case. But because we in the U.S. [...]

  I recently found out that my daughter's dentist has a child of her own who's had multiple cavities. I actually did a little dance in my head when I heard that. (I really had some sweet [...]

I'd like to think that tee-ball started off as a good idea. In reality, tee-ball is a one-hour exercise in paying attention. I'll get to that in a moment. But let's first put ourselves into the [...]

One day we wake up and realize we’re not children anymore. Another day, we wake up and realize our children aren't children anymore. (Ouch! Yeah, this is going to be one of those posts. Sorry - [...]

I've been to plenty of wedding receptions in my life. I'm guessing you have, too. How many cheese cubes and veggie plates in total do you think you've eaten over the years while waiting for the [...]

You're familiar with the following stereotype, right? Parent: "Anything happen at school today?" Teenager: (Grunts something incoherent while texting friends on an overpriced smartphone) Parent: [...]

Growing up in Chicago with a large extended Italian family meant four things during the holidays: We never went to the Olive Garden - those commercials lie. We'd gather together and eat lots of [...]