My son is almost four years old, and he still doesn’t sleep through the night. There it is. While plenty of parenting books promise that kids will “figure it out” eventually, some of us are still wandering the house at 2:00 a.m. holding a glass of water in one hand and a stuffed animal in the other.

Every parent knows the joy of watching their child climb the monkey bars, zip down the slide, or race across the swings. Playgrounds are where scraped knees meet big laughs, where friendships are born over a shared game of tag, and where kids get their first real taste of independence.

At some point, every parent has looked at their kid’s circle of friends and felt that twinge of worry. Maybe it was the class clown who always seems to be in trouble or the shy kid who never speaks above a whisper. It’s natural to worry—friends are a huge influence.

Once upon a time, having a baby meant gathering in a living room with cupcakes, games involving melted chocolate in diapers, and a mountain of pastel-wrapped gifts. Baby showers were a rite of passage. But today, a new trend is spreading among expectant parents who are tired of guessing the size of baby socks and opening their tenth bottle warmer.

Most parents feel like raising kids in the age of social media can feel like walking a tightrope dressed in flippers. You want to empower your kids to explore, but the digital world isn’t just content and friends—it’s an evolving jungle that can mislead, alarm, and even harm.

Picture this: school starts, the doors close, and mobile phones—those ever-present pocket temptations—are locked away until final bell. And guess what? It’s starting to feel like a secret passcode unlocking better focus, deeper friendships, and even a calmer mind.

If you’ve ever heard the sound of your kids fighting over who gets the blue cup, who gets to sit in the front seat, or who gets to push the elevator button, you know that sibling rivalry is alive and well.

Not long ago, the idea of a man choosing to become a single parent by design would have raised eyebrows. Parenthood was supposed to be something you stumbled into with a partner, not something you pursued solo with intent. But the times are changing, and today an increasing number of men are stepping up.

There is something timeless about curling up with your kid at bedtime and cracking open a book. The routine, the closeness, the shared laughs over silly rhymes or wide-eyed gasps at a cliffhanger—it’s one of those rituals that feels like parenting at its best. And it turns out the science is on our side.

The smell of freshly sharpened pencils. The crinkle of new notebooks. The sound of a backpack zipper being tugged up for the first time in months. All former kids know what this means: Back-to-school season is here.

Every parent has an image of the kind of mom or dad they’ll be. Some of us picture being firm and consistent, others imagine being the fun, laid-back parent who says yes to popsicles before dinner. But real life rarely happens in sync with those mental snapshots.

I’ve come to believe that “I’m bored” is not a problem. It’s an opportunity. That may sound odd in a world where most parents, myself included, are surrounded by a buffet of instant distractions. The second a kid sighs, we can queue up Netflix, hand over a tablet, or suggest a quick craft we saw on Instagram.

If you’re a parent with a preschooler, chances are you’ve already been pulled into the colorful, imaginative world of Bluey. And if you haven’t…well, brace yourself. This Australian kids’ show is more than just something to keep little ones occupied while you fold laundry.

One minute, my kid was happily stacking blocks, and the next, every waking hour was filled with “Did you know the velociraptor had feathers?” and demands that I attempt (and fail) to pronounce “parasaurolophus” without sounding like I was choking on a peanut.

One dad opens up about what he sees his wife and other moms going through—and why parenting culture needs to stop expecting perfection from mothers. Here’s what actually matters most for kids.

Data from the Atlantic says kids don’t actually want to spend all their free time on their phones, but they feel that’s the only way they can hang out with friends. Modern parenting has taken real‑world connection without adult supervision off the table for most of them.

Yes, your kid banging on a saucepan with a wooden spoon is adorable. But what if we gave them an actual instrument and a little instruction? What if we treated music not just as something fun to dabble in, but as a real skill worth developing?

Parenting can feel like trying to juggle eggs on a unicycle during an earthquake. Some days you’re up at sunrise, throwing frozen waffles on plates. Other days you’re quietly questioning if you’re actually doing any of this right—or if you’re just dragging yourself from one chaotic moment to the next..

Between packing lunches, changing diapers, attending school events, and Googling “how to remove slime from carpet,” it’s easy to let your romantic relationship fade into the background. But here’s the truth: If you have a partner in this wild ride, your relationship still matters.

That’s right—summer is almost over. But before we all shift back into morning routines, PTA sign-ups, and lunchbox math, let’s talk about going out with a bang.