Would you associate certain character traits to being typical of an only child ? How about for the eldest or youngest? April 10 is National Siblings Day and to mark it, we’re looking at the question posed in a YouGov survey in the United States in October 2023: How much, if at all, do you think being [An only child / the oldest sibling / a middle child / the youngest sibling] has shaped your personality? Data shows that only children as well as the eldest siblings were most likely to say their position in their family had shaped their personality a great deal. This was followed by the youngest ..read more

Summer job season is approaching, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has a message with the laws around teen workers. Message from Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell: As the summer jobs season approaches, we at the Attorney General’s Office and your superintendent’s office want to make sure that students and their parents and guardians are aware of the laws that are designed to protect young workers. The Attorney General’s Office enforces laws relating to the employment of workers under 18 and the payment of wages, including, but not limited to, the following: Minimum wage: The ..read more

Co-parenting is an arrangement between Massachusetts parents who are not in a romantic relationship with each other but work together to raise their child and ensure they grow up in a safe and loving environment. To work, co-parenting requires that both parents contribute to their child’s care, upbringing, and activities and interact frequently and respectfully with one another. The best co-parenting relationships involve the parents putting their personal feelings aside to give their child what they need emotionally and physically. To start, try to identify what is going well rather than focu ..read more

Not all psychopaths are killers, but their lack of conscience chills most of us to the core. Society thrives on empathy, but the common link when comparing a sociopath vs. psychopath vs. narcissist is that they have none. Perhaps the most disturbing fact is that the antisocial personality disorder, under which you’ll find sociopaths and psychopaths, is one of the most misunderstood disorders. Narcissists fall under a different scale and are perhaps the least terrifying of the three. Nevertheless, they too can cause harm.  How to differentiate between sociopath vs. psychopath vs. narc ..read more

We are very fortunate to live in New England, with some of the best hospitals, and the best schools in the country. There are pros and cons to every location, but in New Hampshire and Massachusetts specifically, we enjoy the mountains, lakes and the ocean and everything in between. There are so many opportunities for our children to grow up well-rounded and curious individuals, but there is one law which mandates what our kids must do. There are so many opportunities for our children to grow up well-rounded and curious individuals, but there is one law which mandates what our kids must do. Our ..read more

The average age of a new mom in America and in Massachusetts is over 30, according to new data. Over half of babies born in 2023 were to women in their thirties, provisional data from the CDC data shows, edging out those in the teens and twenties. Meanwhile, a record number of women had their first child in their forties – with 12.6 per 1,000 births among women aged 40 to 44 last year. Experts have attributed the shift to a rising cost of living throughout the US and women prioritizing their careers and educations before settling down to start a family, as well as ..read more

No one should have to go through a difficult childhood. However, life isn’t always so simple. Unfortunately, many children experience trauma and difficult situations that can have long-lasting effects. However, a new study has revealed that those who have experienced a troubled childhood are often the strongest women. The Shocking Statistics of Childhood Trauma The statistics of childhood trauma are staggering. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one in six children are exposed to at least one traumatic event before the age of 16. These events could ..read more

When you’re aware of your partner’s joys, triggers, dreams, and worst nightmares, you’re able to interact with them in an empathetic, validating way. When you’re aware of your partner’s joys, triggers, dreams, and worst nightmares, you’re able to interact with them in an empathetic, validating way. Everyone who says “I do” hopes for not just a marriage but a great marriage. One that, according to Christina Eller, LMHC, a psychotherapist specializing in treating couples, is based on “a solid friendship where you’re nurturing each other and where you have high regard, fondness, and admiration fo ..read more

The decision to change one’s last name after a wedding is no longer one made lightly, especially considering everything that has to be updated, including Social Security, passports, bank accounts and insurance. However, in the U.S., the tradition of taking the husband’s last name is still quite common, according to a survey published by the Pew Research Center. The study surveyed 2,437 U.S. adults in opposite-sex marriages and 955 who had never been married to ask what their choice was or would be. The study was part of a larger survey conducted April 10-16 consisting of over 5,000 U.S. adults ..read more

Every community in Massachusetts has a K-12 school district. This same system doesn’t exist for our youngest children. While public schools have struggles, families can navigate a district with elementary, middle, and high schools. But, early child care education doesn’t have the same infrastructure. We’ve been overlooking a national program for child care that could solve this issue — the child care system for military families. This model could serve as a valuable blueprint for establishing a more comprehensive and accessible child care infrastructure for all American families. More than hal ..read more