I am not one for resolutions.

Oh, I used to be, of course. I have vivid recollections of writing out elaborate New Year's resolutions every year, complete with drawings and/or charts. I would use the season as an opportunity to take stock of where I am, where I've been, and...

Dear Santa,

It's that time of year again already, huh? Time sure flies when you're having... well, menopause, spelling bees, and student council meetings. You'll have to take my word on all counts, I'm guessing, but trust me. The times -- and the moms -- they are a'changin'. Heck, I...

"Aside from the fact that we'll get more presents this year, I really can't see any benefit to having a Christmas baby," my pregnant-and-due-any-day friend said. "He's going to be cheated out of attention that's rightfully his. He's competing with God, for Pete's sake! This kid is going to be...

My youngest brother recently announced his engagement, and asked if I had any advice for him, since my husband and I recently celebrated our double-digits anniversary.

I thought for a moment and said, "Yes. Keep dating."

There was a pause over the phone, and then he said, "Really? Are you...

The holidays are upon us once again, the season of family, of gatherings, of traditions. The season, in most people's lives, of hope.

Our tradition at Thanksgiving had been for many years to head to a lodge in the country with my mother's family; aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews...

The holiday season is upon us once again -- Halloween just past, Thanksgiving and the December holidays looming -- and already the queries have begun. It's like clockwork.

"Maggie," they ask, "what are those calorie rules you've suggested through the years that we don't quite believe but hold onto...

Women have always kind of scared me. Not like mice scare me, really, but in a more "I am completely inadequate and therefore unworthy of your friendship" way. I've been like this since I was a child, and whatever the reason, it must be addressed; I recently read that by...

If you've ever taken a dog for training, one thing becomes immediately clear. The classes aren't for training the dog -- they're for training you. You need to understand the way a dog thinks before you can begin to understand how to peacefully coexist with him. The goal isn't to...

I'm here to report that we're lifting the lid on "Toilet Repair Month." I know, I know, I'm sort of down in the dumps about it too; just when you think you could overflow with excitement about summer, there it goes, swirling away. May it rust -- er, rest --...

My son was upset the other night because he realized he'd only practiced piano a couple times throughout the week and his lesson was the next day. He was very hard on himself, and I said, "I'm sorry, honey. You're only nine; mommy needs to remind you more often. That's...

I assume I know my children pretty well. I know their likes, dislikes, fears and dreams. I believe my son to be a relatively shy individual, and I know that my daughter, who enjoys her personal space, will never be an overly affectionate child. No real surprises there.

I used...

I keep my cleaning supplies locked in a cabinet under the kitchen sink. I thought that keeping them hidden would protect my kids; that if I showed them where and what they were, they'd be more inclined to want to experiment with them and get hurt. If they didn't know...

I got my first "smart phone" last month. Let me start by clearing up a common misperception about such a phone: It really is the phone that is smart. It is not just for smart people, as evidenced by the fact that I own one. However, it certainly does help...

I remember watching my daughter and her friends interact on the playground when she was two, three and four years old. Boys or girls, quiet or rambunctious, it didn't matter; everyone was a possible new friend. Everyone had potential.

After she started school, a shift began to evolve that...

My daughter taught me about honest communication when she was two.

"What color dis?" she asked, holding up a crayon.

"That's blue," my husband answered.

"Oh. What color is dis one?"

"That one's yellow," came the answer.

"How 'bout dis one?"

"Blue."

"No, brown, Daddy," said our...

The big yellow bus is once more rumbling down our street, signaling the end of summer and the beginning of another chapter in my life. My youngest is now in kindergarten. Big brother and little sister stand together at the bus stop, he surreptitiously looking out for her, his fear...

A good friend and her family recently adopted a dog, their first. When she came over to introduce us, I was so happy for her I could burst. I love dogs. I've had dogs for many years. As we stood there watching the "baby" frolic in the yard, I said,...

I was sitting at my desk, reasonably patiently, downloading songs from iTunes for my daughter. As she sampled the songs, I couldn't help wondering what the heck she was listening to these days and why it was even allowed on the radio. Things have changed so much since I was...

My 10-year-old daughter and her friends recently attended a kind of "positive body image" party, intended to reaffirm -- or in some cases, introduce -- their positive sense of self, realistic and self-affirming definitions of beauty, their connections through their friendships and their desire to continue these relationships to build...

I raised a query in an earlier post about the concept of anonymity and alcoholism, suggesting that shedding the anonymity factor may be a step toward eliminating the shame that is seemingly endemic to this disease. Some readers appreciated my words in the spirit in which they were...