Christina Tynan-Wood

Christina Tynan-Wood writes the Family Tech column in Family Circle magazine, the Deal Seeker column at Yahoo!, and covers parenting, education, and technology for many national publications.

Can you have too much grit?

It’s an undisputed fact that achieving success takes perseverance, practice, and the ability to overcome obstacles. But it also requires knowing when it’s OK to give up.

Sexting in middle school?

Texting sexy pictures can get tweens into hot water. Here’s the lowdown on sexting in middle school.

When boys go silent

What makes teen boys stop talking — and how concerned should you be?

Puberty’s new normal

For a growing number of girls, the first signs of puberty are showing up earlier — sometimes as early as second grade. Here's what the experts say about how to handle it.

The great homework debate

Parents and educators disagree about the right amount of homework for elementary school students — and even whether it should be assigned at all.

The question of community college

Community college conundrum

It's cheap, it's easy, but is it a path to higher education? One mother finds out when her dropout son enrolls.

Is spanking the right form of punishment?

Is spanking discipline or abuse?

It's cultural and legal in all states, but is spanking discipline or abuse?

It's common, it's cultural, it's legal in all states in the nation. But does spanking work?

How to raise an independent child

Curious how you can raise independent kids without putting them at risk? See what the experts have to say.

Is that love or fear?

Parenting choices were once respected as private. Now, judgment from other parents, nosy neighbors, and a bogeyman-fearing society often influences — and overrules — parents' decisions.

The reality of virtual schools

Virtual schools — what you should know

Thanks to online education, virtual schools are taking off in the US. Here's what you should know about this alternative to brick-and-mortar education.