I was struck by Elizabeth Bernstein's recent article that ran in the Wall Street Journal, "The Little Lies Spouses Tell." Her point is well-taken that it might be best to not hurt the feelings of one's significant other and that a lie instead of the truth in these...

According to Sonja Lyubomirsky's opinion piece that ran in the New York Times recently, the excitement of new love fades almost as quickly as the joy of a "new job, new home [or] new coat." And while it is a familiar theory that passion and romance easily dissolve...

Despite the fact that it's the twenty-first century and women can earn their own money, go to a sperm bank to have a child and lead a satisfying social life without a man, the role of wife remains compelling.

Young women are more self-assured than ever, not necessarily in...

When we watched the first debate this past Wednesday evening, many of us anticipated there would be talk of what matters to women -- and a diverse group of women at that. This would include women of all ages and stages of their lives; mothers, daughters, wives, widows, divorcées, straight...

Of course a modern wife, raised on fairy tales and practicality, has always had a checklist, a set of requirements for her husband. But this checklist, like the wife herself, has evolved over the years. In the mid-twentieth century it was enough to nab a husband who was 'a provider',...

Sixty percent of mothers tell me their husbands are awfully annoying and disappointing on Mother's Day. Over sixty-five percent say their husband's faults are more glaring than ever on this one day of the year that's meant to be sacred for mothers. More than seventy percent say that they can't...

If only all extra-marital affairs had such happy endings as those I've recently read about -- case in point, the young couple in Elizabeth Bernstein's "Back to Happily Ever After" in the Wall Street Journal on May 1st. But the truth is, there are varied ways in which...

As if there isn't enough stress simply getting holiday cards out snail mail, and arriving at the department stores at opening bell, many of us have adult children, as well as younger children, around for Christmas week. Of all the family bonds in this mix, the mother/ daughter relationship...

Ever since I opened the Wall Street Journal on Jan. 8, I've been perplexed by the entire concept of the "Tiger Mother." And these past few weeks as I've observed the response, both negative and positive, to Amy Chua's book, I've wondered what it is exactly that tiger mothering does...

Another season is upon us and holiday shopping is in full swing. For mothers and daughters, veteran shoppers at any time of year, this can create tensions of all sorts. Many of us shop with our daughters year round. It's a bonding ritual, a female outing, with all sorts of...

It's a no brainer -- we want our daughters to excel, from grade school through grad school and then out in the real world. We want them to be independent, confident, and self-sufficient. This means that from an early age, we discuss having goals and what ambition means -- what...

While writing my book on the trials and tribulations of female friendship that came out last fall, several women spoke of the importance of setting an example for their daughters when it came to female bonds. For instance, if you, as the mother, are a jealous friend, a misery-lover, or...

So here we are, closer to Labor Day than to Memorial Day, and the writing is on the wall for the successful summer friend. First off, let's define a "summer friend." Summer friends are all about the season; either she's the one with the summer house that she rents or...

As many of us know too well, parting ways with a friend can be so harsh and painful that we go to great lengths to avoid the experience.

And the older we get, the harder it seems to cut the ties, ironically, as if we haven't learned a lesson or...

So often women are drawn to other women because their stories and circumstances are so similar to theirs. After all, who isn't ready to dish about a tiff with her sister, a troublesome boss, a daughter who won't listen or concerns about money. It's soothing to be with someone who...

What could be more seductive than celebrity status these days? We're still talking about celebrity attire at the academy awards, we love nothing more than to read about famous women who are devoted friends (think Oprah and Gayle, Jennifer and Courtney), and any kind of catfight between the stars is...

It is an almost universal sentiment that the chronically late friend can irritate even those of us who are good natured and patient.

Women, in particular, are guilty as charged, or rattled by this kind of friend if they themselves are always on time. Some try to combat the unpunctual...

In our ongoing quest for healthy friendships, those in which we feel appreciated, understood and where trust is at a premium, the misery lover's modus operandi isn't always immediately apparent. Since much of female bonding is environmental and age related, the misery lover starts out as a good friend to...

Although in theory, if not in practice, we're ready to give up our unhealthy friendships, deciphering the friend worth ditching and the friend worth keeping remains an issue. For instance, some women have confided in me that practically all of their friends are toxic on some level. Surely, they can't...

The contradictory messages and assumptions for women, of every age, clearly affect female friendships, perhaps today more than ever before. In our slick, speedy society, women aren't always certain of where these friendships fit into their lives, while at the same time, the desire for successful bonds and close connections...