Family

The Pandemic Will Cleave America in Two

Some will emerge from this crisis disrupted and shaken, but ultimately stable. Others will come out of it with much more lasting scars.

The 3 Equations for a Happy Life, Even During a Pandemic

“How to Build a Life” is a new column that aims to give you the tools you need to construct a life that feels whole and meaningful.

How Are Parents Supposed to Deal With Joint Custody Right Now?

The rules of the pandemic require every person to stay put in one household. The laws of joint custody require the exact opposite.

It’s Okay to Be a Different Kind of Parent During the Pandemic

When something outside your control changes your life, it’s what you do with what you can control that really shapes your children.

Why People Are Confessing Their Crushes Right Now

Feelings, like most everything else, become more urgent during a pandemic.

Dear Therapist: What’s Your Advice to Parents Whose Kids Are Stuck at Home During the Coronavirus Lockdowns?

I’m making sure that our kids exercise, have a schedule, spend time outside each day, and try to maintain as normal a life as possible. What more can I do?

Trapped at Home With People You Met on Craigslist

No one answers an ad for roommates expecting to end up quarantined with them.

How the Coronavirus Is Influencing Children’s Play

Play is children’s language, and parents shouldn’t be concerned if the pandemic has been showing up in kids’ games lately.

How the 1918 Pandemic Frayed Social Bonds

The influenza pandemic did long-lasting damage to relationships in some American communities. Could the mistrust have been prevented?

Dear Therapist Writes to Herself in Her Grief

My father died, there’s a pandemic, and I’m overcome by my feeling of loss.

How Not to Tank Your Relationship in Quarantine

“This time of isolation could be a period of great growth or great struggle in your relationship.”

My Whole Household Has COVID-19

“The thought of simply breathing in and out without coughing and reuniting with my children ... is goal enough. To—literally—live and let live will be enough.”

If You and Your Friends Are Bored, PowerPoint Parties May Be the Answer

“It’s a distraction from all that’s going on … This is a way to come together, in a different way—teaching instead of just talking.”

The Child-Care Crisis Is Even Worse for Health-Care Workers

Medical professionals need to be at work more urgently than ever, but their child care has essentially evaporated. Eager (but fragile) networks of volunteers have stepped in to help.

The Four Possible Timelines for Life Returning to Normal

The coronavirus outbreak may last for a year or two, but some elements of pre-pandemic life will likely be won back in the meantime.

All the Cozy Little Things Keep Me Going

The sound of rain, the feel of a pencil, the routine of making the bed—the power of these things to make me feel better, even in a pandemic, shouldn’t be underestimated.

There’s No Zoom Party Like a College Zoom Party

Gen Z’s impulse to congregate online and post constantly—which older adults often mock—is serving them well in self-quarantine.

Dear Therapist: My Best Friend’s Wife Cheated on Him

I don’t want to be cruel to her, but I cannot be her friend.

The Biggest Worry for Doctors Fighting the Pandemic

America’s medical professionals are risking their lives. But their greatest fear is that they’ll move from being part of the solution to part of the problem.

When You’re Pregnant During a Pandemic

I’m a war correspondent, but nothing prepared me for navigating the joys and fears of pregnancy under lockdown