BIG MIRACLE Rating: PG for language What it’s about: A family of whales stranded under the Alaskan ice becomes an international cause in this tale, “inspired by the true story.” The kid attractor factor: It’s a feel-good movie about whales, and a tween boy who sort of narrates it. Good lessons/bad lessons: People are rarely [...]

When Bob Gubrud heard about a survey saying that arguing with your spouse at least once a week makes for stronger, longer marriages, he chuckled as he quipped sarcastically, “That must mean that our marriage is fantastic, because sometimes we have one a day.” The Edina, Minn., man and his wife, Rosie, have been married [...]

Your son wants to take ballet lessons but he’s afraid his pals will tease him. What should you tell him? Parent advice (from our panel of staff contributors): Do it. He can tell his friends that there’s a long history of athletes taking dance, even ballet, to improve their footwork and coordination. And besides, if [...]

When Patricia Masterson’s boyfriend broke into her email account in search of evidence that she had been cheating, she was deeply offended by the violation of her privacy. The fact that she had, indeed, been cheating hardly seemed like a good excuse. She changed her tune 10 years later, when, married and pregnant, Masterson innocently [...]

Dear Mr. Dad: My 8-year-old daughter’s best friend – a girl she’s known since kindergarten – just moved out of the area. My daughter doesn’t make friends very easily – she’s always had a small number of pretty intense friendships – and she seems particularly devastated that this girl is leaving town. I’m worried about [...]

Q: I have been dating a man for four months now and he has three daughters. I have two sons. Everything was fine at first but now he has a lot of resentment toward my son. When I ask him why, he tells me my son gets on his nerves. He said my son lacks [...]

During 10 years of life with teen-agers, I’ve learned a few things. I’ve learned that teen-aged boys can be every bit as ditzy as teen-aged girls. That a teen-ager’s concept of how long it takes to do homework is always distorted. That I will never get used to riding shotgun with a 15-year-old I once [...]

The media recently reported “new” research findings to the effect that rewards often backfire and self-esteem is not the wonderful, uplifting personal attribute once thought. As a result, schools are rethinking their teaching and classroom management philosophies. Wrong again! Research showing that rewards often backfire and revealing the dark side of self-esteem has been available [...]

The surge in addictions to prescription painkillers that has swept the country in recent years is also showing up in maternity wards. Doctors report an increase in babies born addicted to opioids or benzodiazepines. In a report published Sunday, the American Academy of Pediatrics calls for health professionals to step up their efforts to identify [...]

There will be a time, many times actually, when a friend, co-worker or casual acquaintance will face the death of a loved one. There will be mourning. There may be a visitation or memorial service, perhaps reflecting religious, family, cultural and regional traditions. And you will wonder whether to attend one of these social gatherings [...]