Having children over at your house is no simple task . If you're used to existing in the adult world, having kids suddenly enter your space can be jarring. You realize quickly how much breakable stuff you own, how many sharp edges there are, how many possibly dangerous items you have lying around, and how kids have no regard for that kind of thing. It then becomes the job of the parents, or whoever is in charge, to make sure that the kids stay in their lane, as it were. That's just called good…

Every family who celebrates Christmas has their little version of tradition. They've honed their ritual-- what they eat, where they go, and when they open presents. Some folks go to church the night before, some on the day, and some don't go at all. Some eat a traditional roast and some mix it up. Santa might wrap your presents or leave them unwrapped. You might have a stocking or just do a gift exchange. Everyone does it a little differently . But what happens when two families, and thus two t…

Karma is served

Nicknames can be a tricky thing. They usually start as a form of endearment when you're little, turning your adult name into something more befitting of a little one. Gregory becomes “Little Greggie” because a baby named Greg would be unsettling.

It's not acceptable

He should have been more careful with his money

It's her or the iPad

It doesn't seem fair

They are different situations

Hosting a party at your house is no small potatoes . It requires a lot of cleaning and preparation, being a little nervous about people spilling, and having to be the last one there. Hosting can take it out of you. This is why we usually reserve it for special occasions. We host parties because we want to-- there's a holiday we want to celebrate or someone special we want to honor. But if the house is ours, the agency is ours to say yes or no. That's why it's such an imposition to ask to host s…

She doesn't get a say

"My sister and I aren’t close, and I feel like she’s asking out of entitlement, not need."

Some people have weird things about leftovers

She wasn't being nice

Babysitting is no simple task, that's why we pay babysitters and nannies the big bucks. Children, especially toddlers, can be notoriously difficult to wrangle. You need the right amount of patience, level-headedness, and willingness to tire yourself out. Not to mention it's a huge amount of responsibility. If something goes wrong, you need to be ready to snap into action. This is why it's no fun to ask someone to babysit at the last minute. Unless you're a seasoned pro or a parent yourself (eve…

To paraphrase Virginia Woolf, everyone needs a room of one's own. If at all possible, we all need spaces that are fully ours, where we can decompress, be creative, and not have to worry about someone barging in and demanding something of us . This is especially true as a new parent. It might not always be possible to have a sanctuary as a new mom, but you can get creative with it. Maybe you take extra long “showers," and when you're family thinks you're shampooing, you're actually knee-deep in…