Shortly after the publication of Family Whispering, I approached Huffington Post with the idea of a regular Dear-Abby-type column in which I’d answer questions from a family perspective, as opposed to the narrower lens of parenting. They said “yes” and told me it was the first time they authorized a “weekly something. I wrote the column reguarly between 2014 until 2017, as well as a variety of personal pieces.
Answering Dear Family Whisperer questions on Huffington Post was a labor of love. I will continue answering questions here.
As always, I welcome questions and comments from all family members — parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, in-laws and children — and from all sorts of families. No topic is off limits.
- Send me your question via the Contact page on this website.
- Read all my “Dear Family Whisperer” columns and other articles I’ve written for The Huffington Post, by clicking on this link: Huffington Post.
Dear Family Whisperer: Take a Holiday and Let Your Kids Work
From Huffington Post
Family life would be different if parents saw how capable their kids are.
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Our Baby Screams When My Husband Touches Her
From Huffington Post
We are now at 3 months and it is to the point that she cries at the sight of him. Read more…
Not the Same or Different: A Better Way to Look at LGBT-headed Families
From Huffington Post
How different is their life from any dual-earner couple, gay or straight, caring for a preschooler and a baby? Read more…
Mourning My Mother-In-Law
From Huffington Post
When her son and I divorced, Dotty and I didn’t.
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: What’s a No-Longer-Needed Grandma To Do?
From Huffington Post
I feel like she used us for those years.
Read more…
Decluttering: The Awful Pangs Of Human Molting
From Huffington Post
After molting, birds have new feathers; humans find themselves in a new life stage. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Grandma, Compromise Is Out of the Question
From Huffington Post
In this and many family situations when parents and grandparents clash, there is no middle ground.
Read more…
How to Affix a Decal (and Other Daily Lessons)
From Huffington Post
Why can’t Americans figure out how to open a bag of chips without being instructed to “tear here”? Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Facing the Death of a Pet…Together
From Huffington Post
Barney, our chocolate Lab, is 12, arthritic, half-blind and deaf. He’s still eating and enjoys short walks, but… I’m starting to worry. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: What To Do About “Grandparent Detox” (or Summer Camp Re-Entry)
From Huffington Post
…offering unsolicited advice to Rachel Toalson, author of a recent blog entitled, “Detoxing from the Grandparents Is Real. I Swear.”
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Why You Shouldn’t Make Your Kid Clean His Room
From Huffington Post
I go through cycles of yelling at him and threatening to take away something he loves unless he cleans it up.
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Motherhood Stinks!
From Huffington Post
Being a “successful” mother does not have to be about making your child “better.” Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Should This Friendship Be Saved?
From Huffington Post
This guy will ask questions about my life and then always respond to my answers with a totally flat, “aha” or “right,” no matter how short or long my response. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Don’t Get a Dog “For” Your Child
From Huffington Post
He swore he’d take care of it… the job has fallen to me. I can’t help wondering if I made a mistake.
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Fostering ‘Family Grit’ to Survive Adoption
From Huffington Post
Since we are at the beginning of this process, how much of this would you recommend sharing with him?
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Is It Okay to Leave One Child Behind?
From Huffington Post
This weekend, we want to take Serena to dinner and the symphony, which probably won’t hold Fiona’s attention. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: 8 Ways To Make Valentine’s Day Matter
From Huffington Post
This year, use Valentine’s Day to slow down and reconnect… Read more…
The Endless Bounty of Garbage Soup
From Huffington Post
This is my partner’s version of how I invite friends to dinner: “Come on over—I’m cleaning out my refrigerator. Read more …
Dear Family Whisperer: 5 Steps Toward Combatting Homophobia in Your Own Family
From Huffington Post
They welcome us into their home. We stay with them a lot. But our lifestyle is never acknowledged. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: 8 Game-Changing Strategies for Sister Who’s ‘Always Right’
From Huffington Post
If we argue, it’s never her fault. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Help for the Culturally Challenged …
From Huffington Post
The problem is, children here (in Italy) go to bed later.
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Battling the Gimmes
From Huffington Post
I notice a lot of sentences starting with “I want a…” and “Buy me a….” Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: 5 Secrets of Raising Charitable Kids
From Huffington Post
I felt like I should be doing more to make my child “charitable.” Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: My Adult Children Still Fight!
From Huffington Post
Recently, my elder one got married and the younger one created lot of issues. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Letting Him Do the Small Stuff HIS Way
From Huffington Post
The bedtime routine — bath 6:30, stories 7:00, bed 7:30 — often turns into bed at 7:45 or even 8 because he doesn’t stick to the timing and also does things in a different order. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Overcoming 4 Difficult Truths About Your Grandchild’s Parents
From Huffington Post
How do I find my proper role and feel loved and needed but not overbearing? Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: You Can’t Go Home but You Can Grow Up — Here’s How
From Huffington Post
The biggest problem, though, is my hyper-vigilant stepmother. I resent that she’s constantly telling us what to do. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: How to NOT Be ‘The Bad Guy’
From Huffington Post
I miss out on the times where I can give my son a treat or let him stay up late and cuddle with me on the couch. Read more…
3 Simple Steps to Getting ‘Unstuck’ and Becoming Your Better Self
From Huffington Post
Tell Yourself the Truth (TYTT) mantra is the single most important secret to working through any problem that pulls you up short. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: How to Make Him Listen When You Need to Talk
From Huffington Post
He doesn’t want to discuss my career options and how they will impact our family, and I don’t want to make this big decision without him.
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: How Do I Deal With My MIL (Mother-in-Law)?
From Huffington Post
How can I get my in-laws to mind their own business regarding my child-rearing philosophies? Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Tips for a Sometime Single Parent
From Huffington Post
How can I get him to understand the burden his part-time occupation places on me? Read more…
Dear Family Whisper: How To ‘Convince’ a 6-Year-Old to Cooperate
From Huffington Post
We find ourselves in a cycle of shouting, and this is not what I like. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: My Parents Are Ignoring Me!
From Huffington Post
They apologize for forgetting, but I feel like I don’t matter anymore.
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Which Father Do I Celebrate?
From Huffington Post
Between us we have three “fathers” — two biological fathers and my step-dad. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: I Hated Sharing Birthdays with My Sister!
From Huffington Post
I never felt special on that day. We had only one cake with both names on it. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: My Brother’s Kids Run Wild!
From Huffington Post
They allow a lot of technology in their home, they eat differently and their discipline is very different.
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: How to Find Time for Our Relationship?
From Huffington Post
Is it even possible with two kids and a busy mum and dad?
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: We’re All Nail Biters! What to Do?
From Huffington Post
The bottom line is she knows I hate it, even if I allow it to happen and pretend not to be bothered.
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: I Hate Mother’s Day!
From Huffington Post
It’s as if my husband has been replaced by an alien who does the dishes without reminding.
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: My Son Is Selfish!
From Huffington Post
How do you get an egocentric 3 ½ year old to engage with the concept of family?
Read more…
One Genius Way to Stop Having the Same Old Fight
From Huffington Post
Instead of running your family like a top-down corporation, think of it as cooperative enterprise. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: It’s Terminal Cancer; Now What?
From Huffington Post
I have no idea how to begin to tell my children about what is happening and what’s to come. Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: Help Me Cope!
From Huffington Post
My question for you is how can I find activities stimulating for both of them?
Read more…
Dear Family Whisperer: ‘Sibling Prep 101’
From Huffington Post
What are your top tips for encouraging them to get on as they grow up without too much conflict/jealousy etc?
Read more…