Magazine

A tiny baby kitten wrapped in an organic cotton baby bodysuit sleeping safely.

Dear Me: The Unvarnished Truth About Raising a Baby Kitten

Dear Sarah from six months ago. You're currently standing in your kitchen at 4:15 PM on a Tuesday, wearing those grey Target sweatpants with the mysterious bleach stain on the left thigh, holding a damp cardboard box. Your four-year-old, Leo,...

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Stressed mom holding a baby while a boomer grandparent offers unsolicited advice.

The Truth About the Baby Boomers Years and Grandparenting

I was standing over the kitchen sink, scraping congealed mac and cheese off a plastic plate with my fingernail, when I heard my mom tell my oldest, "Here you go, baby boo, let's just put a little extra blanket in...

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Frustrated mom holding coffee next to a pile of vintage 1980s baby gear.

When The Grandparents Bring Over Their 1980s Death Trap Baby Gear

I was wearing my husband’s stained grey sweatpants, the ones with the mysterious hole near the left knee, standing in my driveway at 10 AM on a Tuesday while clutching a mug of coffee I had already microwaved three times....

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A tiny newborn squirrel resting safely on a smooth cotton cloth inside a dark cardboard box

My chaotic guide to finding an orphaned baby squirrel in your yard

The wind in Chicago in April is basically a personal insult. I was already standing in the kitchen watching my toddler have a full-scale meltdown because his morning banana had the audacity to break in half. I was mentally calculating...

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A tired dad holding a swaddled baby pig and a coffee mug in a messy kitchen.

What I Learned Debugging Life With Baby Pigs

I'm currently sitting on the kitchen linoleum at 3:14 AM with a laser thermometer in one hand and a syringe of milk replacer in the other. My 11-month-old daughter is finally asleep upstairs after a brutal teething episode, and I'm...

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Toddler looking at a baby horse in a barn while wearing a structured carrier

The truth about a baby horse, toddler safety, and fairy hooves

Three people gave me completely conflicting advice when my toddler developed a sudden, violent obsession with farm animals. My mother-in-law claimed children and equines share a psychic bond that transcends language. My old charge nurse from the pediatric trauma unit...

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Marcus typing on his laptop while his baby plays on a wooden play gym

Why The Simone Biles Baby Rumors Make Me Rethink Family Boundaries

My mother-in-law was hovering a forkful of heavily buttered mashed potatoes in mid-air when she casually asked if we had started trying for "the sequel" yet, which is a genuinely wild thing to ask someone who hasn't slept for a...

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Sarah holding a cold cup of coffee while looking stressed next to a pile of vintage toys.

My In-Laws, A Drop-Side Crib, And The Great Grandparent Divide

It was 10:14 AM on a Tuesday, I was wearing a nursing tank that smelled strongly of sour milk and desperation, and my mother-in-law had just proudly wheeled a vintage, splintering drop-side crib into my living room. I'm pretty sure...

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An unplugged flat iron cooling precariously close to a crawling baby on a tile bathroom floor.

The Truth About Baby Bliss (And Why It Doesn't Have a Power Cord)

The smell of singed nylon bathmat is something that stays with you. I was standing in my cramped Chicago bathroom, trying to salvage two hours of sleep with some under-eye concealer, when Kiran started doing his signature banshee wail from...

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