It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the things. All the people you have to get back to (usually with the sad starter-line “Sorry for the delayed response ...”). All the words you’re supposed to write. All the minutes you promised you’d run on the treadmill, all the meals you said you’d prep, all the closet clutter…

Lifehacker creative producer Heather Hass told me a story about the hermit crab her five-year-old son Theodor got for Christmas last year. His name was Crabber, and he lived for two months. But the news of the crustacean’s passing has yet to reach Theodor. “We told him Crabber was sick and needed to go to the crab…

For new parents, Alexa can be a huge help—it can create a playlist of lullabies or place an order for more boogie wipes or let you hear what’s happening in the nursery. But the voice assistant hasn’t always been so great at following social cues. Say you’ve finally gotten your infant to sleep and you very quietly ask…

How do you wear a baby carrier like a real man? Pretty simply:

Last night, I read my daughter a story before bed, like I always do. I picked an old favorite from her bookshelf—Giraffes Can’t Dance. But this time, a musical cast accompanied my narration.

If your kid is feeling anxious about something—perhaps a test or a sick relative or an upcoming shot—guided imagery can help. It’s a technique that uses mental visualizations to give one more control and a greater sense of peace.

As parents, we’re told that we’re our kids’ first teachers. It’s true, but to me, this conjures up the idea that we must stand over their shoulders with a red pen, telling them they exactly what to learn, and how. To better support their natural inquisitiveness, it can help to instead think of yourself as a librarian.

Here’s what Kristina Kuzmic knows: Perfection is boring. Parenthood is messy. We might as well embrace the chaos. In her funny and compassionate videos, the vlogging star—who has over 2 million Facebook fans—slams the notion that moms and dads should be loving every minute of raising kids. She gets real, addressing…

Half of house fires happen between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., a time in which most of us would not be conscious enough to know something’s going on. This is terrifying, but there’s an easy thing you can do to help you survive: Close your bedroom door before you go to bed.

When your brain is warped, the easy thing to do is zone out on social media, checking to see what Chrissy Teigen had for dinner last night or finding out which unpopular Halloween candy you are. You tell yourself, “I need this.” Sure, fine. But know that you’re not really recharging.

Close to 30 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, by one estimate. And yet so many moms and dads still suffer in silence. How do you support a friend or family member who has lost a baby? October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and in a powerful Reddit thread, people shared what you can really do to…

As an adult, seeing snail mail with your name on it is kind of a drag (bill, bill, bill, postcard from a realtor named Gary, bill), but as a kid, it can be a thrill. Now imagine being a space-obsessed child and glancing at the return address to read “National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters”—aka…

You may have tried chore charts. Perhaps you’ve turned the task of tidying up into a game. Maybe you’ve offered allowance or attempted strict routines or belted out the “Clean Up Song” 27 times in a row (hey, it miraculously works when your kid’s teacher sings it, right?).

I’ve hardly purchased any new items for my second baby on the way, but I’ve wanted to—this is evidenced by the smattering of product screenshots I’ve saved. In the middle of the night, when I can’t seem to get my nine-month-pregnant body comfortable in my monster sausage of a maternity pillow, I’ll move to the sofa…

As I prepare for life with a new baby, I’ve been hearing a lot of advice on how to help my five-year-old daughter Maggie transition into her role of a big sister, a title she’s not entirely thrilled about. “Read her some big sibling books,” people say. (Done.) “Let her help out.” (Definitely.) “Get her a gift ‘from…

How do you help kids learn social skills, gain persistence and wow their friends at the school lunch tables? Magic. Specifically, teach them some magic tricks. But you can’t just hand them a Magic 101 guidebook and expect them to become young Houdinis—how you introduce the art makes a difference. Here are some good…