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 Your toddler Your grandfather Your former boyfriend QUESTIONABLE LIP KISSERS Your teenage child Your siblings Your best friend UNACCEPTABLE LIP KISSERS Your neighbor Your coworker Anyone […]
more about: kids
What Your Babysitter is Thinking
In this month’s issue of Real Simple, a reader wrote to say that her friend told her to find her own babysitter, instead of sharing. “You said this person was not being a true friend, and I completely disagree,” writes Gracie1220. “I am a babysitter,” Gracie1220 writes. “I have worked with children for ten years, and I was a preschool […]
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 colleagues) Ellen gave birth to a son, Max, who had a stroke when he was born. Max has cerebral palsy, is both a challenge and a […]
Dad to Daughter’s Laptop: ‘Bang Bang, You’re Dead’
In the eight days since a fed-up North Carolina dad who shot up his teenage daughter’s laptop with a .45-caliber pistol uploaded a YouTube video that documents the incident, more than 25 million viewers—parents and children alike—have watched him pump eight bullets into the computer. “That right there is your laptop. You see it’s out there on the ground. This […]
Do You Eat Your Kids’ Leftovers?
One of the devils I didn’t feel applied to me too much was little devils—a.k.a., eating your kids’ leftovers. Yes, I do have a toddler, but she eats pretty much what we eat, so I don’t often have the opportunity to snatch, say, fries off her plate or finish up her mac and cheese. But this little devil reared its […]
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 sense of humor—always a plus where Middle and his mom are concerned. When the lessons began a couple of years ago, I said to my son, […]
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) Rearranging his room so it’s more aesthetically pleasing to you. 3) Cutting his hair in a way that’s more aesthetically pleasing to you. 4) The ability […]
How to Explain Why Mommy and Daddy Don’t Live Together Anymore: Blog It
I think the phrase we’re supposed to use to describe what happens when a blogger publicly reveals the most intimate details of her personal life is: “full disclosure.” But how do you describe the urge that prompted the revelation? A few days ago, readers of the popular mommy blog at Dooce.com learned that blogger Heather Armstrong and her husband (previously […]
