You think you know your spouse well. After all, you’ve spent years together discussing everything.  You know each other’s opinions on political and social matters. You understand each other’s preferences, and you have a pulse on what inspires and motivates 

Guilt has been my constant companion in my parenting journey. It holds my hand, and caresses it gently to remind me of its gnawing presence every single day. It moved in soon after I first found out I was pregnant. 

I am talking to my eight-year-old son, basking in the rich, ancient history around us during a recent holiday. I turn to get his reaction to my rhetorical question — but he isn’t there. I spin around, looking for him. He 

My son has coughed three times this evening. He’s checked his temperature five times and called his grandparents twice to tell them how horrible he is feeling. He has started to sniffle, his eyes are getting slightly red, and it 

A few weeks ago, my 8-year-old son and I sat down for a game of chess. I’ll grant that I am not a very good chess player, but I do have considerably more experience than my son, who began learning 

A few weeks ago, I was traveling by myself. It was one of those rare occasions when I did not have my children with me while in an airplane. Boarding was still underway when a woman and her young child 

Ever since I can remember, I have been my father’s princess. He has always treated me like one, making me feel special every single day and spoiling me with love and attention. My earliest memories are of my father helping 

There was a particularly busy time in my husband’s career a few years ago, when, in addition to long hours at the office, he also frequently had to bring work home. Family meals on weekends were often interrupted by urgent 

Dinner times with the family are precious moments. The children are bursting to tell us stories from their day, and we’re excited to hear them. Very often, these meals become a chance for my husband and me to share with 

The night before a drama performance in which my son was participating, he had a question for me. “Will I see you at the performance tomorrow?” I reassured him that I would reach the auditorium well in time to get 

I was minding my own business, watching my 15-month-old son play on the swing set, when an acquaintance and fellow mom sat next to me on the park bench. “Have you registered him in pre-schools?” she inquired. “Not yet. He just 

“Mom, I think I want to be a hair stylist when I grow up,” says my daughter one day, while playing with my hair. “Really? And why is that?” I ask. “Because I think it’s wonderful how they use their 

He is sitting on the couch playing a game on the iPad and tapping his foot to the beat of the music playing through his earphones. He looks relaxed. Very relaxed. It is nearly six in the evening, and he has 

It isn’t the extra X chromosome that predisposes women to love shopping. Rather, it is a kids wear conditioning that begins early in infancy. If you’ve ever been inside a children’s clothing store, you know exactly what I am talking 

When celebration overshadows the essence of a holiday, it can be hard to find a balance. Holi is a day of colour and play, and, often, that’s the only thing a child takes away from it. If you’re looking for a way 

Once upon a time, the holiday season meant a break from the daily routine with a relaxing vacation on a beautiful beach. Holidays were time for peaceful reflection, rejuvenation, and romantic dinners. Then the kids came along. And anything peaceful 

“It’s not fair!  He got to sit next to you at the restaurant last time too!” “Why do I have to study while she gets to play with her toys?  It’s not fair!” “Mom! He deliberately poked my elbow.”   

I need to get better at Rock, Paper, Scissors, the quick hand game often used in our home to break stalemates. We had just returned from a lazy Saturday lunch, and I was teetering on the brink of a food-induced