daughter
My daughter was four months into her freshman year of college when I realized she had never asked me for any money.I’d paid for Sarina’s housing, meal plan, and books, and put $100 on her account for laundry and incidentals at the beginning of the year. But that was it.It…
When my oldest daughter left for college, I felt blindsided — like I somehow prepared her to be independent without preparing myself. As the mom of two teenagers, I still had a high schooler at home, but other than rides to school or friends’ houses, she didn’t seem to need…
Recently, I saw a TikTok video by a mom about her trinket daughter. She panned over her 5-year-old’s collections of tiny treasures all across her bedroom. Loading audio narration… It could have been my daughter’s room. Or let’s be honest, my entire house right now. My daughter has been a…
My teenage daughter and I recently moved to Ireland after living in Germany and Spain for 12 years. Loading audio narration… I grew up in Ireland, but I wanted my daughter to experience other cultures. So, when I was offered a job in Berlin, I jumped at the chance.Now that…
When I was in high school, I spent my summers working at the mall, stopping strangers to convince them to take surveys, working a cash register, and waitressing. The work was dull and boring. Loading audio narration… Nevertheless, I picked up extra shifts when I could, saving most of my…
In 2023, Allison Hale realized her mother could no longer live on her own. Though she was relatively young at 67, her recent retirement had exacerbated a longtime struggle with drinking. She declined quickly, culminating in a diagnosis of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a dementia-like condition caused by alcohol-induced brain damage. Suddenly,…
I truly love having my young adult daughter visit home from college. The visits are precious moments and a new chapter in our lives. Yet, as much as I cherish my 20-year-old kid’s presence, I find myself quietly looking forward to when she returns to her student flat. Loading audio…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Michaeleen Doucleff, the author of “Hunt, Gather, Parent” and “Dopamine Kids,” released on March 3. This story has been edited for length and clarity. Loading audio narration… Around the time my daughter, Rosy, was 4, we went to the beach. It…
