Family

Does Overindulgence Make You Happy?

Why we binge as a way of celebrating.

My Family Oversimplified My Brother’s Adoption Story

Believing that your sibling was “almost aborted” has a way of crystallizing one’s convictions.

How Much Alone Time Do Kids Need?

Solitude can help children grow, but some might not be getting enough of it.

Parents Need Their Own AARP

Raising kids in America is expensive and isolating. A caregivers’ lobby could help.

Meetings Are Miserable

One of the most straightforward paths to happiness at work is to fight against the scourge of time-consuming, unproductive meetings at every opportunity.

America Is Pursuing Happiness in All the Wrong Places

The U.S. is undergoing a crisis of our personal and shared sense of meaning as polarization rises and institutions erode. The solution is as simple as it is difficult: Love one another.

The Questions We Don’t Ask Our Families but Should

Many people don’t know very much about their older relatives. But if we don’t ask, we risk never knowing our own history.

Mental-Health Days Are Only a Band-Aid for Burnout

Workers don’t need a new type of sick day. They need sustainable jobs.

Dear Therapist: My Brother-in-Law Is a Thanksgiving Freeloader

Do I have to invite him this year?

Marriage Is a Team Sport

Approach disagreements with your partner not as a “me,” but as a “we.”

The Case for a Long Divorce

Some people going through breakups are reconsidering the best way to end a relationship, including how to honor their time together.

What I’ve Learned From Four Years of Open DMs

Some of the meanest users turn out to be vulnerable, even decent, when I engage with them.

Why Did We All Have the Same Childhood?

Children have a folklore all their own, and the games, rhymes, trends, and legends that catch on spread to many kids across time and space.

How to Love People Who Love Conspiracies

Fighting over the facts is unlikely to convince anyone.

The Decline of Etiquette and the Rise of ‘Boundaries’

For centuries, strict social norms dictated what people could politely talk about. Now we have to figure it out for ourselves.

Why Are People Weird About Only Children?

“Onlies” don’t seem to be any worse off than kids with siblings. So why do stereotypes about them persist?

Dear Therapist: I Don’t Think I Can Accept My Boyfriend’s Past

Seeing photos with his ex-wife and kids pushed me over the edge.

Adult Halloween Is Stupid, Embarrassing, and Very Important

The most inherently childish holiday might be the one grown-ups need the most.

How to Make Life More Transcendent

Even if you’re not religious

Adoption Is Not a Fairy-Tale Ending

It’s a complicated beginning.