Erin Mantz

I want to talk to my kids about the Etan Patz case. But I don't know how.

My boys are now 7 and 11, and since they were toddlers, I have talked to them about not only "stranger danger" but potential dangers of being taken by an adult they know....

Connecting and sharing on Facebook keeps us posted on what all our "friends" are doing. Perhaps the younger generation gets hurt when they see parties they weren't invited to, boyfriends out with another girl, or other friends having fun without them. But one group may rival the communications and emotions...

I'd let HIM drive my new mint green Honda Spree moped, a Sweet Sixteen gift and my most prized possession to date. I'd spent countless hours with HER walking around the mall, shopping for shoes, eating hot pretzels and plotting cute outfits for upcoming weekend parties. "D" was the first...

It's mid-August and parents are preparing for back-to-school time--shopping for backpacks, organizing school supplies, getting their kids on a better sleep schedule and more. But, for divorced parents, there may be an additional concern: time to tell the teachers about some sensitive family stuff, like "he's coming to school from...

When I look back over my divorce period, I remember the times, tears and triumphs -- and the people who moved me toward and away from each. Whether your divorce winds you through hell or feels like heaven once it's over, you'll likely find these folks along the way.

Today, I attended my six-year-old's kindergarten "graduation" ceremony in his classroom -- an adorable and emotionally-charged hour of the kids' reader's theater, award distribution and song and dance. My ex-husband attended as well, and all was well, as we each used our respective fancy cameras to capture the moments our...

In a society where half of all marriages end in divorce, you'd never know it by spending a day in some suburban neighborhoods. Sitting in a hair salon with a new fifty-something stylist, I counted her mentions of my "husband" three times. "Your husband will love the way your hair...

When parents finally sign that divorce agreement, they have no idea something critical has been missed amongst all the legal language, detailed holiday schedules and visitation rights. What the agreement doesn't convey is the logistical nightmare you are in for when it comes to having to shuttle or search for...

As if divorced parents don't have enough to worry about, soaking in weekly news stories about study after study can really pile on the guilt. It seems like new study findings are being continually released showing how kids of divorce may be headed downhill. Parents' divorce impacts kids more than...

Over the past year and since my divorce, I've watched video snippets of my ex-second cousin getting married; watched another ex-cousin's daughter grow through toddlerhood and monitored an ex-Aunt's move to Florida. I've caught photos of my little ex-nephews who will never really know me; but I'll know them and...

If you are divorced and have kids under sixteen together, you can count on trying to get along at one annual gathering if nothing else. It's something that won't change like child support calculations or the way you look at his girlfriend or future wife: it's your kid's birthday party.