Relationships
The Contempt Creep That Started So Small
The Contempt Creep That Started So Small The Contempt Creep That Started So Small Then came the sarcastic tone when they forgot to pick up milk. Again. “Oh, that’s surprising,” you said, with just enough edge to sting. They didn’t respond, but you saw their jaw tighten. A few months later, you’re interrupting each other […]
The Intimacy Killer Hiding in Plain Sight
The Intimacy Killer Hiding in Plain Sight Sarah sat across from her husband at their favorite restaurant — the one they’d been talking about trying for months. The food was incredible. The ambiance was perfect. And yet, as she watched him scroll through his phone between bites, she felt more alone than if she’d stayed […]
Why Your Marriage Needs More Conflict (Not Less)
Why Your Marriage Needs More Conflict (Not Less) Last Tuesday night, my neighbor Emily sat on her porch steps looking utterly defeated. “We never fight anymore,” she said, and I waited for her to smile — like this was good news. Instead, her eyes filled with tears. “We just… exist next to each other. Like […]
The Activities Trap Every Family Falls Into
The Tuesday Night We Almost Forgot Why We Started It was 7:47 PM on a Tuesday when Sarah realized she hadn’t actually looked at her daughter’s face all day. Sure, they’d been together — shuttling from soccer practice to piano lessons to the drive-thru for a hurried dinner. But somewhere between the third practice drill […]
The Mealtime War That’s Not About Food
The Mealtime War That’s Not About Food Last Tuesday, Maya watched her five-year-old son cross his arms, glare at a plate of perfectly good chicken nuggets (his favorite!), and announce with the confidence of a union negotiator: “I’m not eating this. I want cereal.” It was the third night in a row. Maya felt her […]
What Your Family’s Unspoken Rules Are Costing You
What Your Family’s Unspoken Rules Are Costing You Last Tuesday, my friend Maria texted me in a panic. Her 10-year-old had just exploded at the dinner table — not because she was asked to eat her vegetables, but because her older brother got to share a story about his day while she was told to […]
What Your Partner Hears When You’re ‘Just Being Honest’
What Your Partner Hears When You’re ‘Just Being Honest’ You’re standing in the kitchen after a long day, and your partner asks how dinner tastes. You pause for a millisecond too long and say, “It’s… fine. Maybe a little salty?” You meant it as helpful feedback. You were just being honest. But somehow, the temperature […]
The Hustle Culture Stealing Your Childhood Memories
The Day I Almost Missed My Daughter’s Firefly Moment It was 8:47 PM on a Tuesday — I know because I was staring at my phone, responding to a Slack message about a project deadline that wasn’t even until Friday. My daughter tugged at my sleeve. “Mama, come see! The fireflies are doing a dance!” […]
The Family Role Each Child Gets Stuck Playing
The Family Role Each Child Gets Stuck Playing Maya’s mom called it her “sunny disposition.” Her teachers praised her for always being “so helpful.” But at seventeen, Maya sat in my office and whispered something she’d never said aloud: “I’m tired of being the good one. My brother gets to fall apart, and everyone rushes […]
The Invisible Scorecard Destroying Your Marriage
The Invisible Scorecard Destroying Your Marriage You load the dishwasher — again — and notice your partner scrolling through their phone on the couch. A tiny spark of resentment ignites. That’s the third time this week, you think. Meanwhile, in the other room, your partner is mentally tallying how they handled bedtime solo last night […]