Posts written by Kristin van Ogtrop
Books You Definitely Should Never Read in Bed
My family thinks I read in bed to relax; to learn something; and to make everyone stop talking to me (i.e. asking me for things). And they are right—but only partially. I mostly read [...]
How Do You Handle a Determined Lip Kisser?
As far as I’m concerned, there are two kinds of people in life: those who kiss you on the lips, and those who kiss you on the cheek. ACCEPTABLE LIP KISSERS Your spouse/romantic partner [...]
How I Spend My Day: the Dream vs. the Reality
Do you ever get to the end of the day and ask yourself, “OK, where did that one go?” I feel like I do frequently, and not just when I’m particularly sleep deprived or [...]
Let’s Put an End to This
Ellen Seidman is a woman I worked with years ago when we were both editors at Glamour. While we were working together (well, not actually during work hours, but during the years we were [...]
Wanted: “He Is Such a Role Model for Men”
Over the weekend I was reading a story in the New York Times about Sheryl Sandberg, she of Facebook fame, Silicon Valley royalty, and—soon—more than a billion dollars. The article was about how Sandberg is [...]
The Hardest Decade in a Woman’s Life
The other week I had dinner with a dear friend and her daughter, who is 13. My friend’s daughter is interesting and sweet and charmingly quirky, and I’ve known her since she was born. [...]
The Drum Teacher Says I Remind Him of the Mother on “Modern Family.” Is This an Insult?
My middle son has a wonderful drum teacher. His name is Josh and he is a musician and seems to have boundless energy. He is also a lot of fun, and really appreciates Middle’s [...]
Five Battles That Aren’t Worth Fighting With Teenagers, and Five That Are
A highly subjective list, from this mother of three boys: It is not worth fighting over… 1) Wearing a winter coat instead of that flimsy springlike thing, even though it is 25 degrees. 2) [...]
Kindness Online Starts With You (and We’re Here to Help)
Have you ever had someone write something horrible online that was to you, for you, or about you? You know, the sort of thing that most people (either out of a sense of politeness [...]
What’s Better: To Start the Year With a Bang or a Whimper?
In other words, do you embrace your postholiday, back-to-work funk and stay in your pajamas for as long as possible, eating leftover cheese fondue and wondering how early in the day you can start [...]









