Slate Advice

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by advice columnist Adrienne Lee and James Beard Award nominee and writer Nylah Iqbal Muhammad.  Together, they answer questions about whether a spouse actually owes their partner an apology, a fiance anxious about future family finances, and someone trying to figure out whether or not to follow their supervisor’s suggestions at work. Want more Dear Prudence?...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak answer a listener’s voicemail about planning a field trip to DC — and trying to avoid politics. The parents at this school have very different politics than our listener, and the listener’s already gotten her 10-year-old to agree to skip the White House… but is that the right call? And can you even avoid politics on a history lover’s tour of DC? And after t...

At nearly 40, Valerie is itching to pay off her student loans and finally become debt-free. But… how? On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Yanely Espinal, financial educator, author of Mind Your Money, and host of the Marketplace podcast Financially Inclined. Yanely breaks down the best ways to pay off your education debt without putting the rest of your life on hiatus.  If you li...

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by Lori Gottlieb – a psychotherapist, an Ask the Therapist Columnist for The New York Times, and a bestselling author. Together, they answer questions about being honest with a friend about their mental health, how to politely turn down an offer of friendship, and getting family to understand and respect boundaries during a divorce. Want more Dear Prudence? S...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak get together for our annual After Dark episode. This year, Lucy’s got a question about showing affection in front of the kids… and figuring out how to demonstrate what a healthy relationship looks like without making it weird. If you want to catch up on last year’s After Dark episodes, do it: we talked about sex and did couple’s counseling. And after that d...

Ever since she started taking a new medication a few years ago, Meme is worried that she’s lost her sex drive. She still has a great relationship with her husband, but she isn’t interested in sex the way that she used to be, and she’s worried it’s hurting her marriage. On this episode of How To!, we bring on sex educator Emily Nagoski, author of Come as You Are, to coach Meme through how to revamp...

On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth, Lucy and Jamilah are joined by Lauren Passell, of Tink Media, for the ultimate conversation about planning and executing a Disney trip. We won’t lie — yes, it can be complicated, and expensive. But we’ll share how to manage the hard stuff and still have a great trip.  Then, if you’re hanging out for the Slate Plus Playground, everyone will share their favorite memo...

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by Peloton instructor, author and podcast host Cody Rigsby. Together, they answer questions from someone who wants to end their marriage over housework, a person struggling to pronounce people’s names correctly, and someone navigating the grief of a homophobic bigot. Want more Dear Prudence? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes....

On this episode: Elizabeth, Jamilah and Zak circle up to talk about parenting in the current moment. The Slate Parenting Facebook group has been talking recently about how to explain current events to kids — even when we wish we were unplugged, and even when we’re scared and uncertain, too. So today? We’ll just talk. And after that discussion, we’ll of course circle up for a round of triumphs and...

Jeff and his family lost their home last month in the L.A. wildfires. Since then, he’s been hyperfocused on insurance claims, an epic to-do list, and finding a “temporary” place to live for the next several years. But Jeff hasn’t experienced the emotional punch of the devastation yet. In fact… he just feels numb. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on Laurel Braitman, author of What...

On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Lucy crack open the C&F mailbag for some extended conversation on the internal rage club, parental favoritism, and Lucy’s special tea.  We’ll also check in on where the hosts are this week – and then, if you’re coming to hang out on the Slate Plus Playground, it’s Groundhog Day. If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Kee...

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by Tuck Woodstock – a journalist, educator and host of the award-winning podcast Gender Reveal. Together, they answer questions about how to tell your friends not to bring their baby everywhere, what to do when you’re being pressured to connect with a sibling you want nothing to do with, and how to kindly tell your spouse to return a gift they bought for you....

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak help a listener whose son is putting up a fight about preschool. This four-year-old has never loved school, and now he has a new baby sibling to love… so he really doesn’t want to leave home. And it’s getting to the point of peeing on things out of spite. So what now? And after that discussion, we’ll of course circle up for a round of triumphs and fails. Jo...

Guillermo and his ex-wife divorced nearly a decade ago. They share custody of their son which, Guillermo says, lets her continue meddling in his life. He recently started dating someone and it’s getting serious, but he’s worried that his ex is going to destroy his new relationship. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Bill Eddy, author and co-founder of the High Conflict Institute...

On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah talk about what to do when you’re arguing with your partner… but you have to do it in front of the kids. We’ll talk about how to model healthy disagreement — and when it’s time to hit pause. We’ll also check in on where the hosts are this week – and then, if you’re coming to hang out on the Slate Plus Playground, the hosts are listening back to their 202...

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by Vanessa Zoltan, the CEO and Founder of Not Sorry Productions. Together, they answer questions about abuse accusations, how to introduce your parents to the person you’re dating, and how to resolve an explosion of a fight with a sibling. Want more Dear Prudence? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free...

On this episode: Dan Kois joins Elizabeth and Zak for a conversation about moving abroad. We got a question recently from a listener who’s moving because of the new president… so while we’ll answer her question about picking up a new language, we’ll also talk about what moving abroad can, and can’t, fix for your family. If you want more tips, be sure to check out this recent episode from our frien...

Connie is feeling compelled to get involved in her local community, but she’s never even attended a PTA meeting. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin enlists Eric Liu of Citizen University to explain how busy parents, introverts, and first-timers like Connie can test the waters of civic engagement in the Trump 2.0 era—without getting sucked under.  Eric is the author of You’re More Powerful...

Guest Prudie Kristen Meinzer is joined by culture critic and writer Anne Helen Petersen. Together, they answer letters about secretly contributing to a kid’s college fund, asking a friend to apologize for their internalized fatphobia, and resolving a massive fight with a stepchild. Want more Dear Prudence? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-...

On this episode: Lucy, Zak, and Elizabeth take flight. Our listener’s kid has suddenly decided – or realized – he’s afraid of airplanes and heights. With a big trip coming up, this parent is looking for advice… and musing on whether bribes have to be involved. Or are they simply little treats? After that, of course, we’ll circle up to share some Triumphs and Fails.  Join us on Facebook and email u...

For three decades, Mike has worked in a field with an uncertain future: journalism. He loves the stability of his current job mentoring student reporters, but he can’t stop thinking about starting a new career—in his 50s—in astrophysics, architecture, or law. On this episode of How To!, co-host Courtney Martin enlists career coach and psychologist Dr. Dawn Graham to help Mike think through his mid...

On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah help a listener who emailed us wondering how to break up a friendship. Her son is friends with an obnoxious girl who the parent would just rather not see. But, of course, friendships are complicated… and this might not be as easy as just not inviting this girl over. We’ll also check in on where the hosts are this week – and then, if you’re coming to hang...

Guest Prudie Anna Sale – host of Slate’s Death, Sex & Money – is joined by illustrator and author JP Brammer. Together, they answer letters about a mom who can’t understand her kid’s gender identity, a painting causing unexpected jealousy, setting the record straight after a bad break up, and how to make things work at a job after it took a long time to find one.  Want more Dear Prudence? Subscrib...

A note: this episode was recorded just minutes after the Palisades Fire reportedly ignited in California. Jamilah and her family are safe as of the airing of this episode.  If you want to help victims of any of the fires in the Los Angeles metro area, please consider donating to the California Fire Foundation, Direct Relief, World Central Kitchen, or CORE.  On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Eliza...

Before the 2024 election, Maureen and Jayna had hoped to attend a historic inauguration for Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C. But when Donald Trump won the presidency, the lesbian couple scrapped their trip—and booked a fact-finding mission to Portugal instead. On this episode of How To!, they talk with co-host Carvell Wallace about their plans to leave the U.S.—and start a new life somewhere they...