“Hey, can I help you with that?” Even though the question isn’t directed at me, I lift my head to watch the exchange. “Do you need my help? I was pretty good at that.” The popular upperclassman repeats his offer, as he stoops down by the freshman’s desk. The freshman nods, ...

Reader, I have a confession to make. I have cheated — not on my diet, not on my taxes, not on my husband. I could rationalize why I strayed. Maybe it was the result of a mid-life crisis, maybe it was the desire to do something new, or maybe it was the allure of doing it with strangers. ...

It’s a typical evening in the Peer house. Bill is at the table, doing schoolwork on his Chromebook. Phoebe is dividing her attention between the show she is streaming and the social media on her phone, and I am sprawled on the couch awkwardly typing this column. If one of the older children ...

When my teenage daughter earned her license, I turned my car over to her. I gave myself a year-long, car-free challenge, partly to save money and partly to see if I could do it. I wasn’t a martyr. When errands and appointments demanded a car, I drove. My daughter wasn’t selfish; she was ...

“We believe in the power of living a simpler life with fewer distractions. One of the biggest distractions in our lives today is our phone.” — Siggi’s Yogurt Grand prize! Ten winners! Ten thousand dollars for giving up your smartphone for a month! Enter to win in the Siggi’s ...

The summer she turned 19, she read 131 Harlequin Romances. As a clerk in a campground store that catered to elderly snowbirds, she’d frequently delve into the lending library to pass the time. The selection of books varied only slightly from formulaic romances to full-out bodice rippers. ...