LOS ANGELES -- When Mireya Perez Gonzalez began to see that the global coronavirus outbreak was a serious problem, she tried to protect herself as much as she could. She closed her flower shop in Los Angeles, stopped visiting family members and concentrated on shopping for food so she wouldn't have to leave home.

But she still became infected ...Read more

During this time of social distancing and stay-at-home government mandates to slow the spread of the coronavirus, many children of all ages have increased their daily screen time.

Not to worry, says Chris Ferguson, a professor of psychology at Stetson University and an expert in media effects, such as video gaming and virtual reality.

Ferguson...Read more

Picture-perfect celebrations frequently fade into oblivion. The celebrations that are somehow off are the ones we never forget.

There was the Halloween in Chicago with unbelievably brutal winds. Trick-or-treating was cut short. Our son and daughter-in-law scooped the little ones into their arms and we protected ourselves from the cutting cold ...Read more

Most days, I remember to say a prayer of hope and gratitude for my life and the lives of all my family members and friends, including the two sons who live with me, including a frightened sister who lives in COVID-19-ravaged New Orleans.

I feel grateful for the world's health-care workers, including my nurse friend Emily, who leaves her 10-year...Read more

To those who knew them, Stuart and Adrian Baker were the kind of people "who did things unconditionally," said their son-in-law, Antonio De Corral.

"They were wonderful people, who had a lot of friends and family, always willing to help out, and were very loved by their neighbors here and in New York and other areas."

But then they got sick ...Read more

In time, we'll be on the road again, in search of compelling outdoor playgrounds in which to explore and enjoy nature's finest. Here are five destinations to consider:

1. Flagstaff, Ariz.

Just 80 miles from the Grand Canyon and close to seven other parks and monuments, this college town offers a long list of options for family travelers. At 7...Read more

I am convinced that "parenting" causes otherwise rational people – people whose thought processes are not typically driven by emotion – to lose their minds. If that is not the case, then why, ever since 1970 (or thereabouts), when "parenting" replaced the simple, straightforward process of raising children to adulthood, are so many parents ...Read more

Hostage Day No. 21:

At some point, men will need haircuts and the nail salons will be forced to reopen, or this thing could get really ugly. As it is, a lot of husbands are discovering that their wives have been coloring their hair. Once relationship secrets like that start spilling out, where does it end?

Turns out the Chardonnay Moms in our ...Read more

Some of our grandkids are so young they will not remember this time of social distancing and isolation amid a global pandemic. Others are old enough that they will remember schools closing, playgrounds off-limits, no visits with their friends, cousins or grandparents.

My father-in-law, Hub, had a phenomenal memory. He often told of the time his...Read more

At home with the kids? If we can't travel to a favorite hotel, resort, restaurant or ranch, we can always pretend. Here are five ways to create a virtual vacation in your own home.

1. Go Camping

Whether you set up a tent in the backyard or the bedroom, with a little imagination you can enjoy all the fun of a real camping trip without spending ...Read more

Per the old Chinese saying, "May you live in interesting times," it may be that the most interesting of times are those when people do not want to hear the truth – as in the present, or so it would seem.

I did not intend to write a follow-up to my recent column on Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), but the feedback has been ...Read more

I was going to write a column about finding joy in the simple things, about the importance of staying calm during the Age of Coronavirus, about how when you can't do anything else, you can sing.

And then the kitchen looked like Goodwill after a cyclone.

And my son came in with more groceries that needed sanitizing. And we didn't have any more ...Read more

The hardest part of social distancing during a pandemic has been ignoring the little table and chairs in the living room that periodically heave deep sighs of loneliness.

Then there is the basket of children's books I step over each morning when I raise the shades. They've grown surly. Some days "The Hungry Caterpillar" nips at my legs.

On ...Read more

Vital to a child's sense of well-being are parents who act competent to provide adequate provision and protection under any and all circumstances.

I often refer to that obligation as "acting like a superior being." It requires, under the most trying circumstances, keeping one's cool, projecting a sense of having it all together, not letting ...Read more

CHICAGO -- Bright and early on a recent morning, as Chicago resident Beth Bond took a conference call with international colleagues, her husband was nearby washing slime out of their daughters' hair.

The scene represented the Bond family's new normal during the outbreak of COVID-19, a disease caused by the new coronavirus. With schools and day ...Read more