Who’s My Mother?
Raised by two different toxic maternal figures, the writer has spent her life looking for someone to nurture and guide her. And she found her in the most unexpected place.
Daughters
The Night I Found My Mother on the Closet Floor
When the writer's family moved to the Southwest, she and her mother got more than desert landscapes: They got a violent Christmas Eve that would mark their time there forever.
Dear Julie: “Should I Give My Tween Daughter Friend Advice?”
DAME’s Friendkeeper tells a mom whether she’s meddling, and reveals when it’s OK to question a volatile couple’s engagement.
My Neocon Father Accidentally Raised a Feminist
The writer's Rush Limbaugh-loving dad made her promise never to become a "feminazi." Even as he raised her to be smart, outspoken, independent—and to feel entitled to equal rights.
Even My Dad Thinks I Have Daddy Issues
For this writer, coming to terms with her shame meant disappointing her father. And realizing it was worth it.
I Broke Up With My Father
After years of dealing with her father’s fair-weather parenting, the writer did the hardest thing a daughter can do.
My Daughter’s Friend Couldn’t Go Home
When her teenage daughter’s troubled friend turns up seeking refuge, the writer wonders whether she’s opening a door … or a Pandora’s box.
Why Doesn’t Anyone Talk About “The Terrible 20s”?
A winter-break visit from her college-age daughter reminds our columnist that parenting never ends—and perhaps that’s one of the best things about it.
Help! I’ve Become My Mother’s Sugar Mama!
There was no question that the writer would take care of her mother in her old age. But what do you do when Mom squanders your hard-earned money on knockoff bags and jewelry?
When My Dad Died, I Wanted to Die Too
Our columnist couldn’t imagine existing without her best friend and father. Three years after his death, she’s learning how to live with the grief.