In Praise of ‘Difficult’ Kids
Feisty children can be exhausting. They also possess a moral fire that deserves cultivating.
Family
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 Sneaky-Saver Generation
Gen Z may have a Peter Pan reputation—but it’s also saving a lot of money.
The New Age of Endless Parenting
More grown kids are in near-constant contact with their family. Some call this a failure to launch—but there’s another way to look at it.
Gambling Enters the Family Zone
Habits once labeled vices are creeping into all areas of life—thanks to our phones.
My Life Depends on Playing Chess 40 Times a Day
When I’m moving pieces on a board, I do not think of death.
Social Media Broke Slang. Now We All Speak Phone.
The irony: Online is where we most need the identity cues that idiosyncratic language used to provide.
Dear Therapist: I’m the Golden Child, and My Siblings Resent Me for It
I never asked for this role.
Dog Food Is So Fancy Now That I Ate Some
Pets today are eating like kings. We should all be so lucky.
It’s Time to Stop Inviting Plus-Ones to Weddings
Extra guests are expensive. What if we did away with them?
The Decline of Streaking
Naked runners used to disrupt events seemingly all the time. Why’d they stop?
An Ode to My Intact Dog
We should have done it, but—we didn’t.
The Father-Son Talk I Never Expected to Have
I almost never spoke about my past as an addict. Then adolescence came for my son.