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Parents •

Sona Charaipotra, Senior Editor: Evergreen & Growth

Sona previously held editorial roles at The Bump, What to Expect, Barnes & Noble, MSN, and People, and she's written for publications from the New York Times to TeenVogue.

Sona is also the author of the YA books Symptoms of a Heartbreak and How Maya Got Fierce, and co-author of The Rumor Game and Tiny Pretty Things, now a Netflix original series.

Sona is a former We Need Diverse Books board member, and co-founded CAKE Literary, a book packager focused on diverse titles. She lives in New York C
PublishersWeekly.com •

Tia Williams’s Wilde Ride

Tia Williams is having a moment. Sleek and elegant—and looking very much like a former beauty magazine editor—she’s settled into a cozy booth at the Smith, an upscale diner in New York City’s NoMad neighborhood, and ordered her first hot chocolate in forever, albeit without whipped cream.

“I’m learning to celebrate the small moments,” she says, sipping the cocoa. “I’ve learned the hard way that you have to grab them when you can.”

That said, it feels like Williams, 48, is on the precipice of s
Parents •

24 Children's Book Authors Share The Books They're Most Thankful For

As a writer, a reader, and a parent, one of the things I'm most grateful for this year—and every year—is books. And I know I'm not alone. So these Parents gathered some of your favorite children's book authors to ask them about the one book they're most thankful for. Because there's nothing like snuggling up with a cozy read after you've gathered to break bread with friends and family. And with picks from picture books to adult, there's something on this reading list for everyone in your family.
Parents •

What's a Growth Mindset? Here's How to Help Your Kid Focus on the Bright Side

Some kids just know how to look on the bright side. Others have to work on it a bit. The good thing is, optimism can be learned. And there's real science behind the process of positivity—it's called a growth mindset.

A few years ago, when my son Shaiyar was about 6, I noticed that he’d get down on himself about small setbacks, like losing a video game match to his sister or getting the wrong answer to a math problem. He tended to beat himself up about things, and it went far beyond a mild wallo
Parents •

Do You Have ADHD? Here's How to Find Out

We've all heard how much ADHD is overdiagnosed and that doctors hand out Ritalin and Adderall like candy. (Though, in reality, there’s been more than a year-plus shortage of these necessary ADHD medications.)


But there is one group that is very underdiagnosed, and now suffering the long-term consequences. That group is adult women. I know because I’m one of them.

Because most people—doctors included—still think of the 7-year-old boy eating crayons and running around in circles in the back of
Parents •

'Hocus Pocus' Is a Reminder of a Different Childhood—One I Hope to Share With My Kids

If you look at the reviews of the 1993 Halloween hit Hocus Pocus–the one that's finally seeing a sequel, nearly 30 years later—they're decidedly terrible.

Gene Siskel (IYKYK) called it "dreadful." His pal Roger Ebert: "Watching the movie is like attending a party you weren't invited to, and where you don't know anybody, and they're all in on a joke but won't explain it to you."

Entertainment Weekly's Ty Burr noted that "It's acceptable scary-silly kid fodder that adults will find only mildly i
Parents •

Jack Black's Parenting Advice: 'Love Your Kids and Let Them Follow Their Passions'

If there's one thing you've got to admire about Jack Black, it's his ability to retain a sense of childlike wonder. And his ability to ignite it in others.

He's starred in some of your kids' favorite movies, from School of Rock to Kung Fu Panda to Jumanji. This week, he returns to big screens everywhere as everyone's favorite video game villain, Bowser, in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, an animated adventure in Brooklyn and beyond—where he takes on Mario and Luigi, and Princess Peach, too.

We ca
Parents •

Watching Throwback TV Together Helps Me Connect With My Kids

A few years ago, when my daughter Kavya was about 10, I tried to show her a little piece of my soul.

See, I’m what you call Generation Catalano—that small group of Xennials (if you TikTok, you know) who grew up slightly obsessed with the short-lived but stellar mid-90s drama My So-Called Life. The teen drama is a perfectly crafted single-season slice of life that captured my youth.

Like Angela Chase, I once tried to dye my hair red. (But my hair is super-dark, and teen me apparently had no con
Parents •

The Great Phone Debate: Is My Kid Ready for a Smartphone?

About two years ago, when my daughter Kavya was 11, she began petitioning my husband and I for a new toy. Specifically, she wanted a phone. A smartphone. One with all the bells and whistles: texting, video chat, social media. The whole world at her fingertips.

I couldn't really blame her for asking. My phone is definitely my favorite toy. I can spend endless hours on it, making to-do lists, playing mindless games, stalking friends and family on social media, and doomscrolling. (Especially dooms
Parents •

An Age by Age, Stage by Stage Guide to the Sex Education Conversations You Should Be Having With Your Kids

My parents never gave me "the sex talk." This says a lot, because they were both pediatricians. But like many Asian—and non-Asian—parents, they never discussed things like puberty, sexuality, or mental health with me as a kid.

Now, as the parent of a teen and a tween, I find myself working hard not to fall back into the same patterns that would have me avoiding the conversations I know I need to have with my kids.

Turns out I’m hardly the only one. In a Parents sex education survey of 1,500 ca