Going under the knife is never an easy proposition. But being of a certain age and after some not-so-subtle deliberations with my personal manager (AKA my wife), the time came for me to make a truly unassailable decision: I needed to remove the bullets from my gun. Intellectually, I realize that a vasectomy is a […]
True Parent
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Ask the Parent!
“Can I Send My Kid to College?”
Got a question too embarrassing to ask anyone else? Send it to asktheparent@trueparent.com, and we’ll find an expert to answer it for you! This month we have Janet Marthers, M.A. dishing out the real talk. My wife and I have given up on sending our 11-year-old to college. We’re not poverty stricken, but the idea […]
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Is a Family Travel Trailer Right for You?
If you hate camping, but feel guilty about not camping, you’re not alone. A travel trailer could be the answer to your summer camping woes—especially if you want to sleep in a reasonable facsimile of a bed, escape the rain, and not make midnight journeys to the scariest public toilets in the world. But there […]
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Build a Better Parent
What Can American Families Learn from Japanese Free-Range Parenting?
Remember the Sesame Street cartoon where the little girl was sent to the corner store for groceries? She had to remember a list of three things, and succeeded by repeating the list and then visualizing her mother saying it. I remember being sent to the store sometimes, too. Nowadays, it seems people would sooner call […]
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In Which Circle of Hell Do They Play Tee-Ball?
Like most parents, I had children so I could live out my failed hopes and dreams through someone else. One of those dreams happened to be “team sports.” I’d always longed to spend my days playing on sunny fields, attending post-game pizza parties, and building lifelong friendships. After deciding my daughter should experience the joy […]
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How to Help Your Kid Own Their Parties
I’m a parent who tries to infuse greater purpose into activities I do with my kid. I don’t mean in an obvious or prissy way—I’m talking about sneaking fun into a job, such as the time I directed him to whack down the bush in our yard after explaining we were planning to remove it. […]
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The Toddlers’ Guide to Successful Parent Management
Or, What to Expect of Your Parents
Congratulations! You are two years old. By now, you will have gotten well acquainted with the people you call “parents”: their charms, their foibles, their many strange and hairy parts. But you may be wondering about the next steps toward raising parents you can be proud to call your own. And if you are reading […]
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Getting Kids Outdoors
Balancing tech with outdoor play is something I bet you’ve fretted over in your daily fretting routine—but getting your kids into nature doesn’t necessarily mean outfitting them in Patagonia and embarking on miles-long wilderness excursions. A strip of woods at the edge of a park, or even a vacant lot (if you can find one), […]
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Don’t Be a Butthole Soccer Dad
Butthole soccer dads are the worst—and it’s really tough not to be one. Getting caught up emotionally in a game, especially if your kid is involved, is insanely difficult to avoid, but it’s imperative to your child’s mental health and your sterling reputation within the community. So JUST… CALM… DOWN. Here are some tips to […]
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Ask the Parent!
“Attack of the Instagram Kids!”
Got a question too embarrassing to ask anyone else? Send it to asktheparent@trueparent.com, and we’ll find an expert to answer it for you! This month we have Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Intern Gianna Russo-Mitma dishing out the real talk. My daughter (she’s 10) wants an Instagram account. When my wife and I expressed doubts […]
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My Daughter, Tilda Swinton
How Parenting a Preteen Just About Killed Me
When my daughter was in sixth grade, I started having recurring nightmares about Tilda Swinton. In my dream, no matter where I went in my house, angry Tilda Swinton was there, glaring at me with hateful contempt, while seemingly always wanting a snack. “I’m sorry, Tilda Swinton!” my dream self would say. “I love you, […]