The Better Letter

Who wouldn’t be afraid of monsters under the bed? Or the boogey man? Or menacing noises on a dark night?

School burnout is much more common then you think.

"The Happiest Time of the Year." Whoever came up with this slogan was trying to sell a lot of something.

There are days when running a minefield seems less daunting than raising your kids.

Are your kids ready for an overnight camp? If you’re wondering what the magic age is for sleep-away camp readiness, you might be disappointed with the experts’ answer.

Connect with Make It Better—online, in print and in person—to help your child, your school and yourself.

Autism Speaks’ free 100 Day Kit offers critical information and an action plan for families in the first days after a child’s diagnosis.

A mountain of research supports the impressive benefits of unstructured, spontaneous play in children's lives, benefits that accrue to personal success and effectiveness.

Nationally prominent personal finance journalist Jean Chatzky has written nine books, contributes regularly to O magazine, blogs at jeanchatzky.com and is a financial reporter for “The Today Show.”

You might be able to explain to a child how credit card debt accumulates if you only make the minimum monthly payment-but when the percentage starts compounding, I usually collapse muttering over my calculator.

Remember how spontaneous sex used to be before you had children?

When a child has a bad school year, parents often feel helpless—full of love and concern, but unable to act effectively.

If your child tends to be a worrier or anxious, you can help your child cope with stress and anxiety by creating a “tool kit” filled with activities that calm the mind and the body.

The change from sweet agreeable baby to willful toddler happens overnight and often leaves parents wondering what happened.

It was hot and humid in the van careening through the mass of motor scooters, which make up the bulk of Saigon’s traffic.

Summer is coming (really!) and now is the time to think about how you’re going to fill those long days with your preschooler.

When I think of the difference mothers make in the lives of their children, I think first of Alessandra Arimany—a fiery, bright, determined woman who swept into my office with her arms full of charts and paperwork.

Before baby, work was your schtick: You were good at your job, and it was your life, your role, your title, your priority.

I have had patients who are lucky in life; handsome, bright, good at their jobs, wealthy and well-loved. But I think of success as something different, something that is the product of hard work and also self-knowledge.

Usually I write about problems that I’ve helped kids solve, but the outcome of the following case is still in doubt.