4 mins read

Halloween Hysteria – How Parents Can Enjoy Halloween

Sometimes, it seems like American parents, in our quest for perfection, specialize in leaching parenting of every ounce of joy. We try so mightily to protect our children from danger, disappointment, and emotional pain, that we ironically miss the true risks to our kids’ long-term happiness. Take Halloween. Many historians believe Halloween originated not with…

5 mins read

Truthiness and Other Dilemmas

Half a truth is often a great lie. Benjamin Franklin The other morning I got up at 6 a.m., but my children were way ahead of me. Stealthily quiet, they greeted me in the kitchen with surprised and not-so-innocent smiles. A stool was placed suspiciously close to the out-of-reach cabinet of special treats. I figured Id come in just in time before one of them fell, or their mission was successful and I …

5 mins read

Do You Need a Dose of C.T.F.D?

After surviving another holiday stressmas season, my New Years Resolution is simple: Im adopting the new parenting approach experts call CTFD.CTFD was first endorsed by parenting authorities this past summer. Especially now that my kids are teenagers, I see the wisdom of CTFD, or Calm The F*ck Down.Most parenting advice focuses on kids. This is a real problem. Kids are fine as is. Its parents who clearly need help …