Family Life

Because, really, what is the Easter basket without a chocolate bunny?

It has solved so many problems.

Each of these books fills me with hope for humanity.

And now we're sharing them with you!

Because we can always use a good laugh.

Take it from a sewer professional.

This summer my son keeps complaining that he’s bored and it’s driving us crazy. We’re trying to keep him off his video games. Isn’t it good to be bored as a kid? Paul & GraceDear Paul and Grace, Yep, boredom is really good for kids, but it’s because it usually precedes them breaking through into the next phase, which is deep interest and/or presence with something that they’re doing.

NOTE: These short memory stories, dropped in as they are to my Ask Maxwell column, do serve a purpose. While definitely different, my aim is to provide context for what we were thinking when we were children, which will help us to understand our own children. I find that in going back into my own childhood and sharing stories of my own struggles and what I was thinking at the time has been very helpful in connecting with my own daughter as she has grown.

How to get that chic, cozy, yet clutter-controlled comfort in your own home.

My son and I used to talk all the time, but now that he’s a teenager he just clams up. What’s a healthy way to keep channels open with him and stay in touch with what he’s going through? ElaineDear Elaine,This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot and this past week I had a small breakthrough (aided by my therapist, who is love). Staying in touch with your children as they go through the teenage years is INCREDIBLY HARD, but IMPORTANT.

NOTE: These short memory stories, dropped in as they are to my Ask Maxwell column, do serve a purpose. While definitely different, my aim is to provide context for what we were thinking when we were children, which will help us to understand our own children. I find that in going back into my own childhood and sharing stories of my own struggles and what I was thinking at the time has been very helpful in connecting with my own daughter as she has grown.

Hey, Maxwell, I’d love to hear from some other parents about small victories they’ve had and helpful tips at home they’ve figured out. Would you ever do that? HannaDear Hanna,I THINK THAT’S A GREAT IDEA, and, as someone who gets to go on and on and on sometimes, I’d love to throw open the door and see what some of you might have to share that could help us all out.

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. When I was growing up, my mother had a saying: The Devil works overtime on Sunday mornings. She meant that every minute I spent arguing with her about clothes, every harsh word spoken as she herded our family out of the house to get to church on time, was a kind of warfare: Satan trying to keep us from worship.

NOTE: These short memory stories, dropped in as they are to my Ask Maxwell column, do serve a purpose. While definitely different, my aim is to provide context for what we were thinking when we were children, which will help us to understand our own children. I find that in going back into my own childhood and sharing stories of my own struggles and what I was thinking at the time has been very helpful in connecting with my own daughter as she has grown.

NOTE: These short memory stories, dropped in as they are to my Ask Maxwell column, do serve a purpose. While definitely different, my aim is to provide context for what we were thinking when we were children, which will help us to understand our own children. I find that in going back into my own childhood and sharing stories of my own struggles and what I was thinking at the time has been very helpful in connecting with my own daughter as she has grown.

What are your thoughts on the best things to bring new parents? I struggle with helpful gifts they’ll actually want!AmandaDear Amanda,I have a very strong opinion on this one, so forgive me if it’s not within the majority’s view. Outside of close family, who often help out a new parents with purchasing the basic things you need to transform your home into a nursery, etc., I feel that the last thing they need is more toys, doo-dads, cute clothes, and clutter for their home.

I live with my husband and three young children in the northwest corner of the state of Arkansas. The kids fill our days with parenting responsibilities: school, extracurricular activities, meals, and bedtime. On the weekends, I look for parks, libraries, and other places of interest. But I’ve run out of ideas and am just bored with where I live. Add in the pandemic and my mid-40s slump and I’m mind-numbingly bored. Plus our weather changes day to day!

My father always hounded me to pick up after myself and I developed a real resistance to it. Now, with my own children, I don’t want to spoil them, but I don’t want to hound them all the time either! Anthony, father of threeDear Anthony,First of all, I wanted to add in what you sent to me — that you are a father of three — because I think it lends color to how much picking up you might be dealing with.

From sneaking in a workout to a time-saving sock system, here’s how parents start their days right.

NOTE: These short memory stories, dropped in as they are to my Ask Maxwell column, do serve a purpose. While definitely different, my aim is to provide context for what we were thinking when we were children, which will help us to understand our own children. I find that in going back into my own childhood and sharing stories of my own struggles and what I was thinking at the time has been very helpful in connecting with my own daughter as she has grown.

See how this UK family brings magic to daily life through their stunning home.

We sourced our pool of experienced parents for the buys that saved them over the years.

My daughter just started school in person for the first time in over a year and I’m feeling like time is flying. I miss her already. What are three things you’re glad you did with yours to make the time count? DelanoDear Delano, My daughter just started school again (didn’t they all?!?!), but she just started high school and now isn’t coming home til after seven at night. On weekends she wants to get out and hang with her friends. She doesn’t need me anymore!

I saw another kid telling my child that she didn’t want to play with her anymore, and it was really hard to hear. My daughter was devastated. How would you approach this topic with a child?Jo AnnaDear Jo Anna,This is a tough one and I’m just going to fall back on what I learned as a teacher and not try to be a smart parent on this one. I’m rarely a smart parent, but I was a pretty good teacher.

Co-Founder of Wolf + Friends Carissa Tozzi shares this home with husband Dino, their six-year-old son Wolf, and their rescue pup, Pepito.

My philosophy: get your system together, and let it work for you. Here's how we did it.

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. Join us over on Instagram for more! I was caught off guard the first time I was struck with re-emergence anxiety. My oldest and I were about to step into Target for a quick milk-and-eggs pick up when I realized I had forgotten to grab his mask from home. My usually-stocked emergency mask stash was nowhere to be found either.

How busy households set up their entryways!

Name: Ashley Wilson; Preston; 6-year-old son, Don; and two dogs, Derek and LucyLocation: Hollywood, FloridaSize: 890-square-feetWe’re in the midst of a beautiful, blazing summer, and no home screams summer more joyfully than Ashley Wilson’s two-bedroom Pink Palm Hideaway on the Florida coast.

This piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. Join us over on Instagram for more! Living outside the United States changed me and my family life in both mundane and profound ways. Like many Americans abroad, we adopted local and regional foods, festivals, and language in our new home of Singapore.

Going on vacation is supposed to be relaxing and fun. But there is always so much to worry about before you leave — and even while you’re away! You need to check your luggage to make sure you packed everything you meant to. Then when you’re actually on vacation, you are worrying about your house and your pets, hoping that they are being good for the sitter. And how many times have you stressed about turning the stove off before you left the house? Did you turn it off?

Family: The Halls, with two kids, aged 2 and 4Location: Flatiron District, New York CityPlayroom size: 106 square feetThis piece was created for Cubby, our weekly newsletter for families at home. Want more? Sign up here for a weekly splash of fun and good ideas for families with kids. As a mom of two young girls who are also wildly creative, designer Dana Waldron of Murphy Waldron Interiors especially enjoys working on kids’ spaces.

Keeping noopener target="_blank">working from homeThe pair dished on how to keep home classrooms and offices well-organized, even if those two spaces are now one and the same. Sharing work space with family at the kitchen table or in the living room means you don’t know where your stuff begins and your children’s stuff ends.

You often have to get creative with the way you lay out and allocate your square footage in a smaller home. Every nook and cranny counts, and for Ella Hall, founder of Stitchroom, the cluttered problem corner in her bedroom actually became the solution to her home’s lack of space for a dedicated nursery. “When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I needed a spot for the baby, and we have limited space in our Brooklyn apartment,” says Hall.