When the kids were growing up, we had a giant weeping willow tree in the backyard. It was a magnificent specimen with long, graceful branches that swayed in the breeze.

It was also a magnificent mess. Not only did it dance in the wind, it seemed the tree shed constantly-every day, every week, every month of the year. To add insult to injury, ...Read more

Q. My mom and I are very close, but I also have a close relationship with my bonus mom. She has been married to my father for 8 years. I was 12 when I met her. I’m 20 now. My mother accepts her, and if asked, she would deny any jealousy. But this one day, Mother’s Day, I notice a difference. If I mention anything about wanting to spend any ...Read more

Dear Kid Whisperer,

I lead an out-of-school program for elementary school students when schools are closed. We have a particular child who has been through family trauma and they bring anger and hostility into the group. We've tried various techniques with some success, but this child still becomes physically aggressive toward other kids, ...Read more

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Avery Lovern hovered over a table covered in royal blue construction paper, carefully writing the name of his favorite video game.

The 18-year-old is still exploring what might come next after graduation, but his focus was on the party — a vibrant celebration that his classmates at the Evergreen Transition Program planned ...Read more

The bruises on state Rep. Nolan West’s 3-month-old daughter raised enough red flags that his wife photographed the marks on her tiny body. But, the couple figured, bruises happen.

“Her motherly instincts were kicking into overdrive but everybody around her was like, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ because we didn’t know any better,” West...Read more

I shredded a sliver of the pot roast the rehab facility worker had delivered to my father’s room. I mixed it with a dab of mashed potatoes and added a tiny piece from a boiled carrot slice.

Small bites, my mother had warned me when I offered to stay with my dad while she went home for a break. I hesitantly lifted the fork to my father’s ...Read more

Everyone knows that heat rises. Everyone also knows that I am full of hot air. Therefore, you could say with scientific certainty that I am an airhead.

But you would be wrong. That’s because, according to a respected sleep specialist, my head doesn’t get sufficient air.

That was the alarming finding in a sleep study I can’t fully ...Read more

Saving money can feel like an uphill battle, especially when you’re starting from zero. But here’s the good news: No matter how small your bank balance, it’s never too late to start building your savings. With the right mindset, tools, and strategies, you can transform your financial future one dollar at a time.

About 4 in 10 U.S. adults ...Read more

SAN DIEGO — The man with a magnetic smile beamed as he stared down at the graduation certificate in his hands. It’s coming up on two years since the arrest that landed him in jail.

The arrest, it would turn out, gave him access to what he needed and helped him to earn this framed proof of fortitude.

“Before I got arrested, I was feeling ...Read more

I first met Jason Patera in 2017 when I was at the high school he leads, Chicago Academy for the Arts, to interview Zachary Jeppsen.

Jeppsen, at the time, was a 17-year-old ballet dancer who commuted six hours a day to attend a school where he wasn’t bullied for the thing that made him brilliant. Every weekday he would leave his Wisconsin ...Read more

Winning a Perfect Score says a lot about a plant that goes through rigorous trials. But that is just what happened to one of my favorite lantanas by the name of Luscious Orange Marmalade. The location was at Oklahoma State University. Then it took the Director’s Select at Penn State and Leaders of the Pack at North Carolina State University’...Read more

LOS ANGELES — This is a story about 60 kids who lost their homes, their theater, their whole neighborhoods to the Eaton fire as it raged through Altadena on a ferociously windy night one week into the new year.

For the students of Altadena Arts Magnet and Eliot Arts Magnet schools, however, the story does not end there. Because in a ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Holly Messinger, the textiles conservator at The Arabia Steamboat Museum, carefully laid out the pieces of a frock coat, an 1850’s relic recovered from the bottom of the Missouri River.

“I am working on a frock coat that I took out of the freezer about a month ago,” Messinger said. “It’s been frozen for 35 years,�...Read more

Watching a beloved pet fall seriously ill can be heart-wrenching, especially if Fluffy or Fido becomes unresponsive. But did you know you might be able to save your dog's or cat's life by administering CPR?

"When pet owners or bystanders initiate life support, we have seen successful outcomes and the pet may go back home with a good quality of ...Read more

This article is for anyone trying to get a date with a woman. As a woman myself, and working with 65% female clients of all ages, I have the insider information on what women want when it comes to dating … and what they don’t.

I’m going to break it down in simple terms. Do any of these things, and your chances of getting a date dwindle. ...Read more

Dear Anna,

A few weeks ago, my wife’s friend’s husband (I know, classic game of telephone) told me that my wife had a brief fling with someone at work. He was scant on details so I don’t know if it was emotional or physical or how far it went. Apparently, she ended it quickly, felt awful and swore it off. She hasn’t said a word to me.

...Read more

LOS ANGELES — In the early, chaotic days of the COVID-19 pandemic, transitional-kindergarten teacher Elizabeth Lam despaired.

She saw distracted faces when she gazed across the virtual divide to her students learning at home.

So she offered comfort.

Lam donned a set of Minnie Mouse ears. Four-year-old students who might struggle with 2+2 or...Read more

Q. My ex reminds me daily that I can’t do anything right, from paying child support on time (I’ve never been late) to how poorly I parent the kids when they are with me. She tells me about all the guys who want to be with her and how stupid I was for leaving. Every day she finds something else to complain at me about and it makes it very ...Read more

One of our granddaughters announced she is going to an ice cream parlor on her honeymoon. I thought it would be good to get that on record in case she changes her mind and starts talking about a Caribbean cruise or backpacking through Europe.

She is not engaged.

She doesn’t date.

She is 6.

To the best of everyone’s knowledge, she has ...Read more