Parents
/Home & Leisure
The Middle Ground to Happiness
If you trust surveys (and if you are an American, of course, you do not), you may be surprised to learn that we, as a nation, are a group of unhappy people.
The World Happiness Report, released recently, shows that the U.S. is the 24th happiest nation, continuing a steady decline from its highest point of 11th place in 2012. The data shows we...Read more
For Non-Depressing, Non-Political News -- Turn to Science
Maybe you're getting a little stressed out. Let's say it's increasingly difficult to ignore the political news these days -- the stuff about the looming government shutdown, the tariffs, the Tesla sitting on the White House front lawn, the green-card-carrying legal resident of the U.S. being detained for being a member of a group who said some...Read more
The Road to Wellness: Paved with Red Lights and Vibration Plates
I went in for what I call a "shake and bake" recently, cooking like a chicken in a rotisserie under thousands of tiny red LED bulbs and then jiggling myself silly on a weight-loss platform.
I wasn't entirely sure how I wound up in a "wellness spa" looking like a sweaty submariner under emergency drills in "The Hunt for Red October," but most ...Read more
Parents, Overstressed and Overburdened, Need Help
One day, when I was a new mother, I was offered a choice.
I had a premature newborn, one who seemed to spit up every drop of milk he drank and who was incapable of sleeping anywhere other than in someone's arms.
Getting enough nutrition into his tiny stomach so that he could meet his growth goals had become not just my job but a mission. I ...Read more
There's Joy, as Well as Fear, in Missing Out
I've decided to miss out on more these days.
Maybe you've heard of FOMO, the "fear of missing out." Well, this is the opposite. I'm trying to find JOMO, the "joy of missing out."
For my JOMO education, I can thank Christina Crook, an author who specializes in "digital decluttering." She encourages people to intentionally disconnect from ...Read more
It's Not DEI, It's Corporate Culture That's to Blame
When President Donald Trump blamed the hiring of disabled FAA employees for a midair crash in Washington, D.C., between a passenger jet and a military helicopter, he didn't convince me (or most liberals) that diversity results in poor performance, but he sure did unwittingly reveal the underpinnings of the conservative push against diversity ...Read more
Trampolines, Germs and the Kids Who Love Them
I hate trampolines.
Not because I consider the weird faces you make in midair unbecoming, not because I have a problem with spring-based athletic activities and not because I'm an enemy of fun in general.
I mostly blame my hatred on my kid's friend -- or my kid's friend's dad, to be more accurate.
The friend is a good kid, and a real boy's ...Read more
Which America Will Trump Be President Of?
On Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump will be sworn in as president of the United States of America. But which one?
Increasingly, there's two of them, and which you live in depends entirely on how rich -- or un-rich -- you are.
In one America, you have a 401(k) or other retirement account. There's probably an automatic debit from your paycheck ...Read more
An Update on Trump's Campaign Promises
I now officially call to order this month's meeting of the Trump Campaign Action Committee, which, as all of you know, is responsible for updating the public on progress made on the topics that are near and dear to the heart of Donald J. Trump, former and future president.
I see that our meeting today is a little bit less well-attended than ...Read more
When Bad Things Happen to Good Laptops
There wasn't a full moon. I didn't walk under a ladder or break a mirror. No black cats crossed my path. Yet it was undeniably one of those days when I felt cursed. It started with the demise of my coffee maker, followed by the nervous breakdown of my washing machine, and an unfriendly letter calling me for jury duty. I blatantly ignored all ...Read more