The Devaluation of Care Work Is by Design
American capitalism relies on free and cheap domestic labor. Our economic systems cannot be truly equitable and just unless we compensate care work fairly.
The Key to a Good Parent-Child Relationship? Low Expectations.
Imperfect people can still enjoy a satisfying and healthy bond.
How Affluence Pulls People Away From Their Families
Money and education allow many people to venture farther, without needing to rely on relatives for child care or a place to sleep. But that freedom sometimes goes hand in hand with isolation.
How to Quit Intensive Parenting
It’s the prevailing American child-rearing model across class lines. But there’s a better way.
‘Mom Brain’ Isn’t a Joke
When our culture makes fun of mothers’ forgetfulness, it is abdicating responsibility for the overwork women are experiencing and its effects on their health.
The Holocaust Started With My Great-Uncle’s Murder
Arthur Kahn is believed to be the first Jewish person killed by the Nazis. I’ve known the story of his death as long as I can remember, but I wanted to learn the story of his life.
Ben Franklin’s Radical Theory of Happiness
Ken Burns grades the Founding Father’s pursuit of a good life.
How to Stop Freaking Out
If you can prevent your emotions from taking over in the face of stress, you can avoid a lot of regret and set a good example for others.
A Smarter Way to Divide Chores?
Couples who share every task, rather than having their own separate to-do lists, tend to be more satisfied with their relationship.
Dear Therapist: My Dad Is Trying to Force His Way Into My Life
I’ve told him that I don’t want to talk to him, but he won’t leave me alone.
How Two Internet Nemeses Became Friends
“As you find more common ground with someone, they become more of a person.”
10 Practical Ways to Improve Happiness
For when you need advice that goes beyond “Be Danish”
Should Couples Merge Their Finances?
Couples’ choices about how to share money require trade-offs between togetherness and autonomy.
The Stepparent’s Dilemma
Who parents whom in a blended family? A popular, controversial approach to stepparenting teaches that if they’re not your kids, they’re not your responsibility.
Naming Objects Is the Opposite of Thoughtless Consumption
When we christen cars, instruments, and the other important possessions in our lives, we interact with them differently—and we may be more likely to appreciate them.
Sports Are Great Because They’re Pointless
The most trivial things can build the strongest relationships.
These Dreadful Days
If it feels like the vibe shifted to existential despair, you’re not alone. But it won’t always be this way.
How Homeownership Changes You
It’s not just a financial commitment. It can alter people’s relationships to a community, a place, and even time.
The Marriage Lesson That I Learned Too Late
The existence of love, trust, respect, and safety in a relationship is often dependent on moments you might write off as petty disagreements.
The Friendship Researchers Who Are Also Friends
“In our writing, it got to the point where we could no longer remember who wrote which sentences, or who came up with this or that idea.”