Historically, natural disasters, terrorist attacks and blackouts have affected the birth rate. Similarly, initial signs during the COVID-19 pandemic point to fewer babies in the coming years, continuing a trend that first gained noticeable momentum during the Great Recession. You may be wondering if you should have a baby during the pandemic or if you’re Being Practical… Read More
The assumption seems to be that only children are having a tougher time dealing with social restrictions related to the pandemic than kids with siblings. But the reality is COVID-19 created challenges for all families. Nonetheless…… Read More
Many young Millennials are moving back home in the COVID-19 era. In this guest post, Wilfred Farquharson IV, Ph.D., director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic at Stony Brook Medicine in New York, shares advice for families readjusting to having adult kids under the same roof with their parents: The pandemic has ushered in a time of… Read More
Home life can be fragmented and finding time to create lasting positive memories and be together are a rarity and a treat. Doing so is much easier and more important than you may think. In a study of autobiographical memory, Dr. Susan Bluck, who directs the Story Lab at the University of Florida and her co-authors asked, “What do… Read More
When you work from home fulltime or part time, too many people in your life—definitely in mine—think you’re available 24/7 to cover an extra carpool run, walk their dog, watch for a neighbor’s delivery, drop a package at the post office… To others, it’s no big deal for us to juggle our schedules; we’re mostly… Read More
Whether your parents or in-laws care for your children on a regular basis or occasionally, best practices when a grandparent is nanny help build a win-win collaboration. Tantamount to making the arrangement work for you are taking steps to avoid misunderstandings and recognizing often overlooked benefits and advantages that you may not have considered or… Read More
No matter how old you or your parents are, a parent’s controlling or critical behavior doesn’t seem to change. Parents have a special knack for pushing your buttons or inserting themselves into your adult life. Some parents are overly controlling, constantly critical or intrusive in obvious ways; others are less apparent, subtle. The annoying behavior… Read More
Only children are far from a rarity these days. Yet, as many only children and their parents can attest, people are still quick to judge and comment. Has this happened to you? Pamela, mother of a nine-year-old, aptly told me, “It’s open season on only children; they remain one of the most discriminated against groups… Read More