Parenting and family stuff

Kids who are taught to keep a stiff upper lip become adults who hide their suffering. Appearing composed doesn't mean they aren't hurting. They might be reluctant to show vulnerability or impose on others. The emotions people express aren't always a clue to the pain they feel.... See more

addressing the behavior first or only addressing the behavior is a band-aid solution, whether it’s done through punishment or appeasement. It may stop the behavior in the moment, but it never gets to the root of the issue.

All kids need the same things from their parents:

• To know they’re acceptable exactly as they are


• To know that no matter what, their parents will be there to help them, take care of them, protect them, give them food and shelter, and emotional/physical love


• To be delighted in

Let me be clear: there is no way to make social media safe for children by just making the content less toxic. It’s the phone-based childhood that is harming them, regardless of what they watch . Kids need to be freed from the grip of smartphones and social media, especially through early puberty. This is why two of the four norms I propose for

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In short, good values have to be grown from the inside out. Attempts to short-circuit this process by dangling rewards in front of children are at best ineffective, and at worst counterproductive. Children are likely to become enthusiastic, lifelong learners as a result of being provided with an engaging curriculum; a safe, caring community in... See more

Putnam believed that the single biggest risk factor was the growing amount of time people spent alone.

Even back when he wrote Bowling Alone —before smartphones and apps—teens were solitary for three-and-a-half hours per day. Adolescents spent more time alone than with their family.

For the first time in history, people were growing up... See more