Lunch snubs, bad neighbors and needy in-laws. Advice columnist R. Eric Thomas responds to the bad behavior getting under your skin.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Dear Life Kit: Your most petty social dilemmas, answered

Everyone needs a little help being a human. From sleep to saving money to parenting and more, host Marielle Segarra talks to experts to get the best advice out there. Life Kit is here to help you get it together.

Want another life hack? Try Life Kit+. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks an exclusive sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/lifekit

Education

Training

Language Courses

Higher Education

K-12

Educational Technology

Business

Investing

Careers

Management & Marketing

Business News

Shopping

Kids & Family

Health & Fitness

Self-Improvement

Becoming a blended stepfamily can be fraught for everyone involved. How can your family build trust, function more smoothly and ultimately grow closer? In this episode, NPR health correspondent Maria Godoy shares research on stepsiblings and blended families that can make this process easier.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

How to help your stepfamily grow closer

If a close friend or family member is in need of money, your first impulse might be to help out. But what if they don't pay you back? What if they need more than you can provide? How do you ensure your financial agreement doesn't harm your relationship? There are no hard and fast rules around lending money. Expectations may depend on culture, financial status or even your marital status. Advice on when to give — and how to say no.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

The social etiquette of lending money

Do you feel like you always need to use GPS to get around? Never quite sure if it's a left or a right turn — even though you just looked at a map? It can be anxiety-inducing to get around when you don't have a great sense of direction. This episode, experts explain how to gain more confidence while navigating.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Improve your sense of direction

Pregnancy complications — like miscarriage, preterm birth or postpartum depression — are incredibly common. But expecting parents can often feel alone if they are experiencing these conditions, or like a second pregnancy is out of reach. This episode, Emily Oster, co-author of 'The Unexpected', on how to deal with complications when they arise, and make your next pregnancy a little smoother.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

How to prepare for a second pregnancy after a complicated first one

When was the last time you got lost in a book? These days, the act of 'deep reading,' or reading with intention, can be difficult to practice. Maryanne Wolf, an expert in the science of reading, explains what we lose when we skim — and how to create an environment conducive to deep reading.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Dear Life Kit: Your most petty social dilemmas, answered

Download our free app to listen on your phone