Because competitive parenting is not a real sport.
A B- is a pandemic-appropriate goal As schools closed and shelter-in-place orders sprouted, my social media filled with parents swapping tips for homeschooling and entertaining suddenly-schedule-less kids. These posts had an aura of panic, cloaked in a layer of winking-emoji-and-wineglass humor, but there was a strong social-norming message too: good parents would adjust to this... Continue Reading →
With disruptions to work and school, social distancing rules, and conflicting advice on all sides, many of us are feeling confused, anxious, and overwhelmed. But living with a happiness expert means I have a pile of science-backed tactics to help you navigate these strange and difficult times. Here’s our best-of list of tips (BONUS: they... Continue Reading →
So now that (I hope) you’re all hot and bothered about race, I’ll spend the last week of Black History Month on ways white people can continue to learn more. Because (and this is super important) it’s not your black friends’ and colleagues’ job to educate you. It’s exhausting and demeaning to have to tell... Continue Reading →
It's week 3 of Black History Month so here are another seven days of articles, videos and memes to help my fellow white folks get more comfortable talking about race. (Are you having the same sense of exhaustion and overwhelm as you did halfway through your last Whole 30 or gym challenge? Me too. But... Continue Reading →
Ready for your second week of race-related nuggets of wisdom? DAY 8: How learning to connect across difference is like learning about math I love the idea that learning to connect with people across our differences (in race, gender, workstyle, whatever) is a skill you learn just like math: step by step. You can’t jump... Continue Reading →
In honor of Black History Month, I’m going to share my favorite thought-provoking articles, videos and learnings about race each week. If we’re going to fix the massive racial disparities in this country — in health, education, incarceration, income, basically in EVERYTHING — white people need to explore how being white shaped their experience and... Continue Reading →
Growing up in Southern California in the ‘80s, I learned that there were three categories of people: boys who played sports and liked girls, girls who wore Bonnie Bell lip gloss and liked boys, and everyone else, who we lumped into a catch-all category labeled “gay.” This “gay” bucket included everyone from Martina Navratilova to... Continue Reading →
This month's flashback post brought to you in honor of Let's Talk month. Dear World’s Okayest Mom, It’s happened. My daughter came home from school and asked me where babies come from. She’s only nine! What do I tell her?! I don’t want to freak her out, but I know I’m supposed to talk about... Continue Reading →
The first time it happened, we were at In-n-Out waiting for our burgers. In front of us was man in full Army uniform, missing a leg. “Mommy,” my daughter whisper-screamed as only a toddler can do. “Where’s his leg? Why doesn’t he have a leg?” I reacted like many new parents who also lack social... Continue Reading →
Dear World’s Okayest Mom, Dinner is pure torture in our house. I make us all put away our phones and turn off the television like I’m supposed to. But instead of quality family time, I get slouching and pouting and one-word answers. It is so painful that my wife and I are ready to give... Continue Reading →
Let’s admit it: our generation is a lost cause. Despite our Take Back the Night rallies, candlelight vigils and rampant use of hashtags, our generation keeps doing and saying terrible things to other humans. But when I think about a world where my kids have to post #MeToo and #TakeaKnee on their 2040 virtual-reality equivalent... Continue Reading →
The World's Okayest Mom 