College application season is here and it can create two battles. The first battle happens outside the home. Teenagers hear classmates discussing acceptance rates, rankings, scholarships, impressive majors, and universities whose names immediately get attention. Parents hear similar conversations from friends, relatives, coworkers, and other parents. The second battle happens inside the home. A parent believes one university will provide security, status, and a successful future. Their...

When I first became a mother, I was thrilled. I had dreamed about having children for years. In my mind, I pictured myself wearing flowing dresses while little hands tugged at the fabric, everyone smiling, everyone happy. I was sure I would avoid all the mistakes I thought my own parents had made. Then my daughter was born. Within weeks, I was overwhelmed. Was I breastfeeding correctly? Was she sleeping enough? Was I feeding her the right way? Every decision felt enormous. My perfectionism...

It’s already May, and five months have gone by. You might find yourself thinking, “I’m not where I thought I’d be.”Maybe you feel like you’re falling short at work, or maybe you’re looking at your child’s grades and feeling disappointed. Disappointed at them, and also at yourself. After all, you feel like you should have known better. But before going further, it helps to pause and ask a simple question: What is failure, really? We often treat failure as the end of something, a sign that we...