Parenting

She hasn’t been a great parent to me, and I don’t want her repeating those patterns with my future kids. My husband and I are planning to have children in the very near future, and I have concerns about my mother’s ability to be a positive influence in their lives.

The world that exists inside the male mind is often a mystery to most women (and sometimes to the men themselves). Not only are our brains biologically structured differently, but, well, men just don’t usually talk about how they’re actually feeling.

What makes people truly happy? Two experts behind the world’s longest-running study of human happiness offer answers in a new book.

A friend of mine got divorced not long ago. Her new apartment is clean and quiet, and every single object in it vibrates with significance. Here is the kettle. Here are the light fixtures chosen hastily out of necessity. Divorce brings inanimate objects to life.

Thema Bryant's list of professional accomplishments is undeniably impressive. As of 2023 she is the president of the American Psychological Association. Bryant is also a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University where she directs the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory. 

Humans are social animals. Our well-being depends on the company of others.

One of the keys to living a life of calm and purpose is the art of letting go. If you’d like a more peaceful life, it’s powerful to look at what disturbs that peace, and practice letting go of whatever you’re holding onto that’s causing you anxiety and frustration.

“That’s why they call it work,” as dads and managers have quipped for years in response to the complaints of young workers. Meaning: don’t expect it to be fun or easy (and quit your whining!) But when work feels like a slog and is unrewarding, it is hard to stay motivated.

Sarah Trocchio recalls a moment during her mid-tenure review when she could no longer ignore the contradiction between her research as a scholar of inequity and the ways that her contributions to the academy were being measured.

Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group. I am a happily married middle-aged woman with two girls, “Bailey” (16) and “Sera” (14). They are great sisters.

This article originally appeared in Brooding, a newsletter delivering deep thoughts on modern family life. Sign up here. There are two kinds of people at a ski resort: Those who feel the wind of freedom and those who feel the record scratch of class anxiety.

Thema Bryant's list of professional accomplishments is undeniably impressive. As of 2023 she is the president of the American Psychological Association. Bryant is also a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University where she directs the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory. 

One of the joys of friendship is that you continually learn more about each other. A good friendship involves growth, and part of that comes from actively choosing to stay curious about your friend. 

Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

“I saw that you were perfect, and so I loved you. Then I saw that you were not perfect, and I loved you even more.” ~Angelita Lim I’m not a perfect parent. I’m not a perfect partner. I’m not in perfect health. I’m not a perfect friend. And I’m far from perfect with my finances.