The Most Tortured Relationship in America
Monogamy is one of the last bipartisan ideals—even if people struggle to live up to it.
Family
In Praise of ‘Difficult’ Kids
Feisty children can be exhausting. They also possess a moral fire that deserves cultivating.
The Endless Goodbye
More than a decade before my dad died, I lost him to dementia.
Everyone Thinks They Need a NeeDoh
But no one can find one.
The Family Who Tried to End Racism Through Adoption
Bob and Sheryl Guterl saw their family as a kind of “ark for the age of the nuclear bomb” and attempted to gather “two of every race.”
Special Ed Shouldn’t Be Separate
Isolating kids from their peers is unjust.
How to Find Joy in Your Sisyphean Existence
Life is full of boring, futile, absurd tasks. You’ll be happier if you can laugh at it all.
Dear Therapist: My Daughter’s ‘Brother’ Is Actually Her Father
After 30 years, I want to tell her the truth, but I don’t know how.
How My Wife and I Took Back Our Sundays
We have an agreement: One day a week, we do absolutely nothing. In a society obsessed with productivity, this is harder than it should be—but it’s worth it.
Happiness Is a Warm Coffee
All hail the miracle bean.
The Parent Test Stokes American Parenting’s Worst Impulses
The reality competition show reinforces an isolationist vision of family life that is fueled by fear.
The Children of the Nazis’ Genetic Project
Across Europe, some adoptees have had to face a dark realization about their origins.
The Secret-Police Files That Revealed My Family’s History
If those records are damaged in Russia’s invasion, other Ukrainians might not have the same chance.
Judging Parents Online Is a National Sport
Whether they share their joys or their struggles, parents just can’t win on social media.