IFTTT, the tool that lets you automate your digital life, can help any parent whose mental load has reached max capacity—and you kind of feel like a tech magician every time you use it. Here are some great IFTTT applets that can make parenting easier. (If you’re new to the service, check out our beginner’s guide to…
Japan, how are you so smart? When I traveled to Tokyo last week with a few other members of the Lifehacker team, I went to use the restroom at a shopping center. Inside the stall was a contraption that, as a mother of an infant, almost made me cry (jet lag and hormones, man). It was a seat to hold your baby. Um, …
It’s an alluring option, especially in the early years of raising children, when everything feels one Jenga piece away from a catastrophic collapse: “I’ll go part-time,” you tell yourself. You decide to talk to your manager and negotiate a plan to scale down the scope of your full-time position—and also your pay. The…
Today is the birthday of Fred Rogers, the man who taught us how to look for the helpers, who understood the power of play before it became a national prescription, who could rock a zip-up sweater made by his mother like nobody’s business. I miss him, and I miss his show.
Being a kid is tough. There’s a lot of uncertainty—about tomorrow’s doctor’s appointment, that birthday party they’re supposed to attend, or how long Mom will be on an airplane. Anxiety sometimes surfaces in the form of questions. So many questions. Often the same questions over and over and over. They want to, need…
Ah, pre-boarding—the one logistical benefit of having small children.
Daniel Pink is the bestselling author of several game-changing books about behavior, motivation and organizations, including his latest, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. So he must have this parenting thing in the bag, right? “I am more than willing to offer up research, tips and hacks to my family—and…
Baby Shark doo doo doo doo doo doo. Turns out that the pervasive toddler tune about a generation of sea life can more than drive parents crazy after hearing it for the 28th time today: It can help save a life.
As a parent, you might walk past your child’s room and see her happily typing away on a Google Docs page. “Lovely!” you think. “She’s probably working on her science report or finishing up her essay on the rise of RBG.”
When my daughter was a toddler, she loathed brushing her teeth, but once we found a toothpaste flavor she enjoyed (pink bubble gum, of course), her perspective immediately shifted to “OOOH CANDY!” Every time I squeezed some onto her toothbrush, she complained, “That’s so little!” She wanted a whole mouthful of the…
Weary moms and dads, ever wish you could do more parenting while lying down? Behold, this T-shirt designed by Japanese software engineer Ken Kawamoto.
As a parent, the idea that my kid—or any kid I know—could be thinking about suicide is one I’d like to push far, far away. No. God, no. Not possible.
I’ve traded old, expired car seats for sweet coupons at Target in the past, but if these types of promos didn’t exist, I wouldn’t know what to do with these clunky things. In researching how to recycle a car seat, I’ve learned that it is quite the process. You can look for a local recycler that will accept it, but…
When a teenager is really upset, parents often feel the need to do something—gather information (“Who hurt you and what’s their phone number?”), launch into a profound lecture, or maybe try a problem-solving technique they heard about in a TED talk.
After spending a few wonderful, exhausting months at home with my newborn son Max, I’m back, blinking into the sun (or rather, my LED desk lamp) as I try to navigate this transition back to work. It’s jarring. When do I pump? How do I catch up on all that I missed? And after spending so many days with a tiny being who…
For kids with anxiety, the hardest part about homework is often just starting it. Before even picking up a pencil, they construct in their heads a story about how the assignment is too difficult, too time-consuming, too much to handle. And so they shut down. Pep talks and pleas from Mom and Dad seem to only make…
The moment I first became a believer in the power of Daniel Tiger happened when my daughter was 3. She was on a playdate at the park when I announced it was time to get ready to go home. Instead of melting into my lap and whimpering as she’d done in the past (goodbyes are so sad!), she paused, took a deep breath and…
When you have a baby, packing for a vacation feels a bit like moving out of a small apartment. Infants need a lot of stuff—diapers (so many diapers), diaper cream, wipes, formula and food. Some parents choose to do a Target or Costco run when they arrive in the new city, but the last thing I want to do after a long…
You’ve probably seen it. That image—a creepy, what-the-hell-is-that lady-bird figure with bulging eyes and a chilling grin. Its name: “Momo.”
