episodes

Whining is what experts call a “low-power strategy of dominance.” Kids do it because it’s what’s available to them. Since it drives parents bonkers, it’s remarkably effective. Can we deal with whining in ways that might make it stop a …

This week Margaret answers a question from a listener whose potty trainer is having some trouble giving up diapers.

Sometimes our kids are a little behind on meeting their milestones. Sometimes they’ll never reach those milestones at all. How do we let go of “should be”? How do we meet our kids where they are, while still holding expectations …

Sometimes it’s the little things that make us the craziest: the plastic thingies on juice box straws. The never-ending “Mom?” with that question mark at the end. Here’s all the teeny-tiny things about mom life that still manage to drive …

Why do kids tell lies? How do we know when it’s a problem? Making kids admit their lies isn’t always necessary, as long as we parent in ways that focus less on those falsehoods and more on our kids making …

Anyone old enough to remember New Coke thinks things were better in the free-wheeling, “come home when it’s dark” days of our childhood. But were they really? We decide whether the things we loved are better then or better now- …

If you make a list of all the stuff you do that your spouse has no idea happens, it will probably be very long and rage-inducing. So don’t stop there! Here’s how to redistribute the household workload for good. Guest …

When kids need rescuing, they look to Mom. Whether we do so or not, we’re left second-guessing whatever it is we just did. Here’s when we should step in, and when we should hang back— and how to give our …

Have you ever felt coerced into parenting in a way you usually wouldn’t because you were in public? Is the disapproval of Aunt Joan even worse than eyerolls from strangers? Here’s how to stay focused even when it’s YOUR kid …

What is it about the kid who throws sand that other kids find so irresistible? How do we keep our kids away from bad influences in their lives, especially as they get older? And why do parents sometimes peg exactly …

We asked all of you for your hot takes and unpopular opinions. From athleisure to mayonnaise to french-fry consistency to the enduring fame of Coldplay, these are your extremely fervent feelings about things most of us hadn’t seriously considered.

There are a lot of reasons that one kid might be hogging our bandwidth. Some are positive; some not so much. Sometimes it’s temporary; sometimes it's a “new normal” that can reshape family dynamics. Here’s how to keep our other …

What do we do when our parents overindulge our kids? Or undermine our parenting choices in front of them? What about when our parents don't seem interested in our kids at all? Here’s how to create grandparent relationships that work …

Our kids are pretty happy being dependent on us. Doesn’t a grilled cheese taste so much better when Mom makes it? So how do we start the nest-leaving process early and often? Guest: Mary Dell Harrington, co-author of the new …

Helicopter moms, snowplow moms, tiger moms, free-range moms…these parenting types are usually defined in the negative: well, at least I’m not THAT. But might there be useful takeaways from any parenting style that we can custom-blend for ourselves?

We asked you to tell us your spouses’ most unacceptable- and also extremely minor- infractions. Whether it’s turning off the AC, creating a Sock Mountain, or pausing Netflix to point out plot holes, these husband (and wife) crimes deserve justice.

Most little kids have an ironclad sense of right and wrong and are happy to report on whoever isn’t sharing in the dress-up corner. But as they get older, the stakes get higher- for them, for us, for the kid …

Can a kid ever have TOO good of an imagination? Does there come a time when we need to lead kids back to reality? Will they take their imaginary friends to prom if we don’t? Here’s why an overly active …

Why do kids prefer one parent over the other? Why do those allegiances shift as kids grow? Are we supposed to ignore our own hurt feelings because it’s developmentally appropriate? Or are there times when we should push back? Here’s …

How do we own the time we've spent out of the workforce? How do we re-enter our former careers— or find new opportunities? Guest: Christina Geist, mom-gap survivor and author of the new children's book SORRY GROWNUPS, YOU CAN’T GO …

Parenting experts say we shouldn’t take our kids’ snarkiness towards us personally. But shouldn’t we insist on their respect? What happens when it really starts to wear us down? Here’s why kids take it all out on us, and how …

What is empathy, exactly? It’s not pity… or passive. Empathy involves both emotion and action. For our kids, it’s an acquired skill- one that needs our guidance and encouragement to be cultivated. Here’s how to model and teach empathetic behavior.

What are your house rules- the ones that keep your home life tolerable, the ones kids know so well they self-police? Whether it’s “no feet where we eat” or “ask Mom twice and it’s no forever,” here are our (and …

How do we find a mom tribe? How can we get closer with the ones we already have? Do online tribes count? In an age when our family of origin is less likely than ever to live next door, here’s …