The Secret to Happiness at Work
Your job doesn’t have to represent the most prestigious use of your potential. It just needs to be rewarding.
The Two Reasons Parents Regret Having Kids
A small but significant proportion of mothers and fathers wish they’d never had children. The whole family can suffer as a result.
Child-Care Workers Might Not Come Back
Centers are closed, pay is low, and young kids aren’t vaccinated. Some caregivers have had enough.
The Pandemic Is Making Dads Reevaluate Their Work-Life Balance
The past year and a half has been exhausting and stressful for parents. It also, unexpectedly, gave many fathers more of the family time they want.
We’re All Second-Guessing Ourselves Now
Parents and grandparents constantly rely on their intuition for raising kids. With Delta, I just feel helpless.
The Real Reason Kids Don’t Like School
Loneliness is a far bigger problem than a distaste for hard work.
There’s No Time for Small Talk in Middle Age
“It really is the most unexpected thing that you can meet some of your best friends in your 30s. I thought that ship had sailed," Jessica St. Clair said of her friendship with fellow actor June Diane Raphael.
The Remote Work–Fertility Connection
It’s easier for parents whose jobs can be done remotely to juggle work and child care. This digital divide is starting to shape who chooses to have kids.
Fake Forgiveness Is Toxic for Relationships
Accepting an apology or brushing off a slight can benefit the offender and the offended alike—but only if you really commit to it.
Amazon Killed the Name Alexa
Parents are fleeing from a name that can be, at best, a nuisance and, at worst, associated with subservience.
Parents Are Losing Their Minds Over Masks in Schools
Several states have low vaccination rates, rampant COVID-19 spread, and no mask mandates in schools. Parents are worried for their kids.
The Opposite of Toxic Positivity
“Tragic optimism” is the search for meaning during the inevitable tragedies of human existence, and is better for us than avoiding darkness and trying to “stay positive.”
The Link Between Happiness and a Sense of Humor
A little laugh goes a long way.
The Best Time-Management Advice Is Depressing But Liberating
You can make time for things that matter, or you can make time for more email.
They Met During Lockdown. They Realized Who They Were Dating Later.
All relationships have a private and a public side. Many couples who met during the pandemic are just starting to grapple with the public part.
When the Dream of Growing Old With Your Friends Comes True
“We all dreamt, We’ll grow old together. We’ll be old ladies together. And we did.”
Yes, the Pandemic Is Bad Again
Masks are reappearing and return-to-office plans have been postponed. Welcome to Delta’s whiplash.
Which Pet Will Make You Happiest?
A pandemic puppy can increase your well-being—if you choose one for the right reasons.
The Surprising Benefits of Talking to Strangers
So many of us have been raised to see strangers as dangerous and scary. What would happen if we instead saw them as potential sources of comfort and belonging?
How to Avoid the Worst Parenting Mistake
Emily Oster caters to a data-obsessed crowd of modern parents. But sometimes you just can’t optimize your kid.
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