You’re stuck. The idea that had you vibrating with delight last week now seems so boring. Or you’re floundering in the doldrums of the middle of your novel. …

I don’t do seasonal decorations or bake sales or, most importantly, guilt In October, I was asked weekly if I had gotten my Halloween decorations up yet. In November, a lot of the small talk among my friends was focused on what everyone was cooking for Thanksgiving. …

And I Hope My Children Do the Same I was fortunate to grow up in a house with a lot of books and within walking distance from an excellent public library. (Shout out Queens Public Library!) As a result, from a young age I was able to really experiment, to…

Not only can labeling hurt your child, it can hurt you too — Good Kids and Bad Kids “How’s the one that drives you crazy?” We were at a family event, and a distant cousin was asking after my children. He was smiling as he added, “You know, the bad one?” My cousin was trying to be funny, sort-of, but I felt my…

First off, no one — no one — excels at multi-tasking. That we all sort of believe we are capable of multi-tasking is comparable to the way we all sort of believe that we are of above-average intelligence; it’s just not true. But women in particular are vulnerable to the…

I’m an educator, so it’s particularly painful for me to admit this, but when I sit my kids down at the dining room table to do homework, I turn into this monstrous version of myself, barking at my kids to “Just read the word!,” criticizing messy work, and volleying threats…

I love the New York Times Book Review — it’s the first section I go for each Sunday and the only one (besides Real Estate) that I’m sure to read all the way through. Maybe not all the way through. I often only skim the “By the Book” interview. It’s…