parenting - The Atlantic

parenting

March 23, 2026

a crying kid running away with his toy truck

Family

Let Your Kids Fail

Russell Shaw

February 4, 2026

Photo illustration of a toy-size chair and desk; on top of the desk is a white piece of paper and a red circled F

Family

The Father-Daughter Divide

Isabel Woodford

February 2, 2026

a black and white photograph of a father and daughter on a see saw next to a large tree

Family

‘Grandparenting on Eggshells’

Rheana Murray

November 26, 2025

A colorful illustration of two parents holding a grandmother back from hugging their child while the child looks on.

Family

The Most Useless Piece of Parenting Advice

Olga Khazan

November 7, 2025

An illustrations of a mother with a baby looking into the distance at a group of parents with children

Family

When Helicopter Parents Touch Down—At College

Russell Shaw

November 2, 2025

Family

The Parental-Happiness Fallacy

Stephanie H. Murray

October 21, 2025

A sparkling gold baby buggy against a purple background

Family

Avoiding Ultra-Processed Foods Is Completely Unrealistic

Olga Khazan

October 13, 2025

A miniature cart holding fruit slices and colorful cereal

Family

One Obvious, Underused Child-Care Solution

Marina Lopes

October 6, 2025

Black-and-white photo of a grandmother hugging two young children

Family

When Adoption Promises Are Broken

Nicole Chung

October 2, 2025

A woman sitting at a table inside a cafe, looking out the window at two adults and a child walking to car

Family

AI Is Coming for Parents

Miranda Rake

September 23, 2025

photo of a mother and her two children at home

Health

MAHA Is Complicating One of the Hardest Parts of Parenting

Yasmin Tayag

September 14, 2025

A bowl of tomato soup in which noodles spell out "MAHA," next to a blue plastic spoon

Family

When Your Kid’s Best Friend Is a Great Big Problem

Russell Shaw

September 2, 2025

A black-and-white photo of 10 boys smiling for the camera, several of their faces obscured by blue dots

Family

The New Millennial Parenting Anxiety

Faith Hill

August 27, 2025

Illustration of three airplane seats with children's mobiles strung above them.

Family

How Parents Hijacked the College Dorm

Meagan Francis

August 26, 2025

A mama bird holding a pile of stuff, preparing to follow a baby bird as it leaves the nest

Family

What Many Parents Miss About the Phones-in-Schools Debate

Gail Cornwall

August 25, 2025

cartoon of parent looking on while kids use phones in school

Family

What Parents Lose When They Don’t Read to Their Kids

Ilana Kurshan

August 24, 2025

A toddler and baby lay in their mother's lap while she reads a book

The Wonder Reader

The Pull—And the Risks—Of Intensive Parenting

Isabel Fattal

August 16, 2025

Family

A Tech Rule That Will ‘Future-Proof’ Your Kids

Rheana Murray

August 11, 2025

illustration of a phone in a small toy bed

Family

Enough With the Mom Guilt Already

Maytal Eyal

August 6, 2025

A cracked photo of a mother and a child, overlaid with eyes

Family

The Mistake Parents Make With Chores

Christine Carrig

July 21, 2025

painting of a mother and child doing chores

Family

Let Your Kid Climb That Tree

Henry Abbott

July 12, 2025

A black-and-white image of a girl smiling as she hangs from a tree branch, with one foot propped against the tree's trunk

Family

AI Will Never Be Your Kid’s Friend

Russell Shaw

July 11, 2025

A child shown in a glowing green bubble, using a digital device in a chaotic classroom

Family

A Classic Childhood Pastime Is Fading

Erin Sagen

July 1, 2025

A line of four kids biking, with the bicycles of the last two fading away

Poem

A Father’s Prayer

Gioncarlo Valentine

June 15, 2025

A polaroid of two people facing the camera, wearing casual clothing and afros, with their palms clasped together.

Ideas

Being a Dad Is About More Than Being Around

Stanley A. McChrystal

June 15, 2025

An illustration of a child holding hands with what looks to be a blank figure of his father.

Family

Bring Back Communal Kid Discipline

Stephanie H. Murray

May 29, 2025

An older woman on the metro gently taps the foot of a child standing on the seat.

The Wonder Reader

What We Inherit From Our Parents

Isabel Fattal

May 17, 2025

Family

The Wrong Way to Motivate Your Kid

Russell Shaw

May 12, 2025

The hands of a young child playing the piano

Poem

Infant Longing

Li-Young Lee

May 11, 2025

An image of an infant's hand on top of an adult's hand, both resting on a white comforter

Family

A Grand Experiment in Parenthood and Friendship

Rhaina Cohen

May 11, 2025

A group of friends nurturing a garden together

The Wonder Reader

Nostalgia for the Early Days of Parenting

Isabel Fattal

May 10, 2025

Book Recommendations

What to Read to Understand Your Mom

Sophia Stewart

May 9, 2025

Portrait of a woman sitting down from behind

Books

Parenthood Cannot Be Optimized

Hillary Kelly

May 5, 2025

a woman switches between looking at her phone and a baby

Family

What Parents of Boys Should Know

Joshua Coleman

April 30, 2025

Three young boys tenderly holding one another

The Wonder Reader

Grandparenting Is Changing

Isabel Fattal

April 19, 2025

Sections

The Print Edition

Why I Stopped Forcing My Kid to Share

Let Your Kids Fail

The Father-Daughter Divide

‘Grandparenting on Eggshells’

The Most Useless Piece of Parenting Advice

When Helicopter Parents Touch Down—At College

The Parental-Happiness Fallacy

Avoiding Ultra-Processed Foods Is Completely Unrealistic

One Obvious, Underused Child-Care Solution

When Adoption Promises Are Broken

AI Is Coming for Parents

MAHA Is Complicating One of the Hardest Parts of Parenting

When Your Kid’s Best Friend Is a Great Big Problem

The New Millennial Parenting Anxiety

How Parents Hijacked the College Dorm

What Many Parents Miss About the Phones-in-Schools Debate

What Parents Lose When They Don’t Read to Their Kids

The Pull—And the Risks—Of Intensive Parenting

A Tech Rule That Will ‘Future-Proof’ Your Kids

Enough With the Mom Guilt Already

The Mistake Parents Make With Chores

Let Your Kid Climb That Tree

AI Will Never Be Your Kid’s Friend

A Classic Childhood Pastime Is Fading

A Father’s Prayer

Being a Dad Is About More Than Being Around

Bring Back Communal Kid Discipline

What We Inherit From Our Parents

The Wrong Way to Motivate Your Kid

Infant Longing

A Grand Experiment in Parenthood and Friendship

Nostalgia for the Early Days of Parenting

What to Read to Understand Your Mom

Parenthood Cannot Be Optimized

What Parents of Boys Should Know

Grandparenting Is Changing