Comfort in Numbers

|

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

By Andrea Delbanco Editor in Chief, TIME for Kids I had the good fortune to spend a recent school break on vacation with three other families. We were a big group: eight parents and 10 kids, all of whom get along wonderfully well. It was our second trip together, and it managed to be as much fun as the first, which set a high bar. I could write a novel about how lucky and grateful I feel to have found these friends, but I’m here to write about the joys and challenges of parenting. Unsurprisingly, this topic came up repeatedly in conversation among the adults. We commiserated when the teenagers offered us only eye rolls, and appreciated it when the tweens included the younger kids in their activities and escapades. Parenting doesn’t generally feel lonely to me. But sharing the mental load with others lightened the weight of making dozens of decisions a day and then questioning my choices. The group therapy sessions energized me even more than getting away. How have you been? Check in (andrea@time.com). To our U.S. readers, I wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Best, Andrea

More Stories Researcher Daniel Silver issues a warning to parents who support politically based opting out of school content they find disagreeable. “Oscar has many wonderful qualities, too, and it is not impossible to connect with him. But too many people, I’ve observed, don’t even try.” Essayist Melissa Petro writes about the heartbreak of the world’s intolerance of neurodivergent kids. Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments on the legality of the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, which sets federal standards for the out-of-home placement of Native American children. A new study in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that universal masking in schools is effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Author Karie Fugett shares the anguish of a Veterans Affairs policy that revokes benefits when a widow remarries before age 55. Groundbreaking research has enabled fetuses diagnosed with rare diseases to receive lifesaving treatment at 24 weeks in utero. Author Ellen O'Connell Whittet laments the impact Elon Musk has made on her online parent community.

Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters. Subscribe to TIME

TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice.   Connect with TIME via Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters       UNSUBSCRIBE    PRIVACY POLICY   YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS   TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508   Questions? Contact parents@time.com   Copyright © 2022 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved.