When the sun goes down at 4 pm… that's when you truly lock in as a parent.

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…

Parenting is all about compromise . Before you become a parent, you have all sorts of highfalutin ideas about what kind of parent you'll be. You'll only feed them home-cooked organic meals, you'll never be cross with them and only use positive reinforcement, and you won't allow them to go on the internet before they're in high school. But then life comes around and has other plans for you. It leaves you tired, exhausted, and frustrated to the point where you'll do anything just to have a quiet…

Sometimes a grudge comes up for seemingly no reason . Someone just starts to treat you differently and you have no idea what happened. You rack your brain for reasons you might have spited them and you come up empty. Did you fail to wave back at them on the street one day? Did you accidentally say something off-color at a party? Did you just happen to look at them the wrong way and now everything is different? You may never know. It's especially hard when this happens in your own family because…

As any parent can tell you, parenting is a full-time job . It may not pay the bills, but it sure takes a lot out of you. It doesn't stop when you go to sleep, or when you're watching TV, or even when you're on vacation. You're a parent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You don't get to choose whether or not you're ‘on duty’ if you're a parent, you just always are. And for couples parenting together, it's important that you both understand that. Otherwise, conflicts are bound to arise. That's what…

There's no perfect age to move out of the house . Lots of people do it when they're 18, as soon as they get the chance. But a good amount of people take a little longer while they save money, go to school, or work on their mental health. There's no right answer, as long as everyone is cool with it. Problems arise, however, when someone is preventing someone else from moving out. Everyone should have the freedom and autonomy to do what they please after they're 18 years old. Even if that means h…

For moms and dads that need a laugh

Babysitting is a profession for a reason . It's not easy work. Sure, millions of mothers do it without being paid, but that's because it's their kid. If you're tasked with watching a child you are not responsible for, that's skilled work. You need to know what to do in an emergency, how to get them to go to bed, how to clean them, and how to keep them entertained. And if you've ever been a kid, you know it's not easy. That's why parents pay good money for babysitters and nannies. They deserve t…

Gender reveals are always a dubious idea . At worst, they literally start wildfires. At best, they're random celebrations. I sort of understand wanting to event-ize finding out the chromosomal makeup of your baby, but if that's the case, then you have to prepare yourself for either option. You can't be disappointed in the news if you're going to find out in a public setting. You're setting yourself up for failure. Crying at your own gender reveal is like crying at your own vow renewal. Nobody t…

Happy halloween parents… It's the one day of the year when you're legally allowed to steal at least 15% of your child's candy and call it the “chaperone tax." Technically you can do that any day of the year but it's especially encouraged today.

It's nice to do favors for your family now and again . It's what they're for. We all need each other in order to survive, and we have to come through for each other. For example, if your beloved sister just gave birth, you might offer to come over to her house and help clean, or take care of the baby while she goes and gets a massage. We do this because we love each other, and because we hope they would do it for us in return. But, as with anything, there is a line . It shouldn't interfere with…

Birthday parties should be all about the birthday haver. It's their day to do whatever they feel like doing. They get to choose what food they eat, what activities they do, and who is around them for it. It's the one day of the year when you get to be utterly selfish . But, you'd expect, that your wife is one person that you'd like to include in that selfishness. Not that you can't enjoy time with friends as well (you should), but it's probably not a sign of a healthy relationship if you want t…

Getting your child to school every morning is one of the top tasks of being a parent. It's part of the gig. You either have to do it yourself or rely on someone else in your community (a neighbor, a friend, a bus driver) to do it for you. That's why when they get to the age of being independent enough to do it on their own, it's a huge blessing. But what age is the right age, especially if the school is within walking distance? There's a Japanese show called "Old Enough!” that follows the journ…

Please stop changing your costume idea

Favoritism is not something you want to get accused of as a parent. If you have more than one kid, you should do your best to love them and support them equally, since they're all your kids. And it's just a good example to set for them. But it's also incredibly common that parenting styles change from kid to kid. When you're on your first kid, everything is new and untested, and you have basically no idea what you're doing. By the time the second kid rolls around you're more of an expert, you'v…

What's the magic word?