Magazine

Twin dad Tom looking exhausted while Googling newborn rashes at 3am

Dear Past Tom: The Truth About Achieving That Baby Smoove Skin

Dear Tom from six months ago, You're currently sitting on the cold tiles of the downstairs loo at 3:14 AM, the only room in the house where you can turn on a light without waking your wife or the twins....

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Stressed mom holding a rubbery seafood tentacle near a high chair

Why The Whole Infant Octopus Trend Almost Broke My Mama Sanity

I was standing at my kitchen island at 2:00 PM on a Tuesday, poking a slick, purple tentacle with a pair of tongs, questioning every life choice that had led me to this moment. My oldest son, Liam, was fourteen...

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A small orange fox cub exploring a suburban garden near a baby blanket

That Time a Baby Fox Invaded Our Garden (And Teething Saved Us)

It was 6:13 AM on a Tuesday, and I was standing in the kitchen wearing one sock, watching my daughter aggressively gnaw on the corner of our faux-mid-century sideboard like a starved termite. I glanced out the glass doors hoping...

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A tired dad holding a teething toddler with red cheeks

Why Baby Face Nelson Has Nothing on My Toddler

It's 4:17 in the morning, and the glowing screen of my phone is illuminating half of my face while the other half is being rhythmically kicked by a two-year-old foot. I'm frantically trying to Google why one of my twin...

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A tired mom holding a silicone teether and a baby bottle in a messy kitchen

The Baby Bottle Pop Hack That Actually Works (And What Fails)

Dear Sarah from six months ago, You're currently sitting on the cold kitchen tiles at 2:14 AM wearing that grey Def Leppard t-shirtβ€”the one with the hole in the left armpit that smells vaguely like old French roast and pure...

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A tired mother checking her sleeping baby's skin tone in dim nursery lighting.

The yellow baby panic and other postpartum surprises

Three in the morning. The cheap humidifier is humming in the corner, throwing a weird blue light across the bassinet. I'm staring at my newborn son's face, trying to figure out if the bulb is casting strange shadows or if...

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Toddler standing near a muddy pond at a Chicago nature center

What a wild baby beaver in Chicago taught me about toddlers

We were standing ankle-deep in mysterious brown water at the North Park Village Nature Center when I saw it. The temperature was hovering around forty-eight degrees. My son had already thrown his left shoe into a patch of reeds. I...

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Bewildered dad holding an avocado teether while looking at his drooling baby

When Do Babies Get Teeth? A Dad's Troubleshooting Guide

Dear Marcus from six months ago: Put down the tactical flashlight. She is not going to let you look in her mouth, and shining a 1000-lumen beam at a five-month-old's face at 2 AM is exactly why your wife is...

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A tired mother holding a teething baby while looking at her phone in a dim room.

Why raising a toddler feels exactly like domesticating a wild mammal

It was three in the morning and my son was slick with sweat, drool, and the unmistakable rage of a creature who had just discovered teeth. He was thrashing against my chest, refusing the bottle I was offering. I was...

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