Elizabeth Laura Nelson

As a person who writes about relationships for a living, I might be one of the people least in need of all this well-meaning advice, which usually amounts to clichés and can even veer into the territory of outright insults. What I need – what most of us need – is for people to hear me, and to trust me.

The thing is, when you fight with your partner, it’s your amygdala that takes over. It's the part of the brain that processes fear, and it’s powerful.

Honesty is supposed to be the cornerstone of a healthy relationship, and lying, an automatic dealbreaker. But should it be?

Go ahead. Give in to the misery.

Yes, a lot of parents are assholes. But you know what? A lot of people are assholes; some of them happen to have kids, some don’t. I can’t speak for all parents, and I wouldn’t want to try. But speaking as one particular person with kids, here’s what I wish my childfree friends would understand…

Reading in bed together, while it might not be a major milestone — like marriage or having children — truly is a significant event in a relationship.

Being a parent isn’t everything.

Is it better to be alone than to be in a miserable relationship?

Can’t calm down, won’t calm down.

Never ask a Libra where they want to go for dinner.