Thao Thai

Thao Thai is a writer and editor based out of Ohio, where she lives with her husband and daughter. Her work has been published in Kitchn, Eater, Cubby, The Everymom, cupcakes and cashmere, and other publications. Her debut novel, Banyan Moon, comes out in 2023 from HarperCollins. Follow her on Instagram and sign up for her newsletter.

Life Lessons

The Most Important Love Advice I Plan To Share With My Daughter

By Thao Thai

Everybody’s experiences are different — but here’s what I want her to understand as she heads out into the world.

Love You Mom

The Time My Daughter Said "I Love You," And It Hit Way Differently

By Thao Thai

Those words never ceased feeling like a gift, packaged carefully just for me.

Trick or Treat

I May Get More Excited About Halloween Than My Kids Do

By Thao Thai

Gigantic skeletons to glowing orange porch lights — my heart beats with delight for spooky season.

Amok, Amok, Amok

Hear Me Out: The Sanderson Sisters Are Surprisingly Feminist Icons

By Thao Thai

I'm getting ready for Hocus Pocus 2, so let me make my argument, ok?

order up!

There's Nothing Quite Like A Greasy Spoon Diner

By Thao Thai

A love letter to a place where the coffee always flows free, and I say yes to whatever my kid wants.

Morning Routines

Moms Say 'I Love You' With A Million Small Gestures, Too

By Thao Thai

Sometimes love looks like an egg sandwich and folded laundry.

Ah summer

The Most Pure Mom Bliss Happens At The Community Pool

By Thao Thai

After all, there's nothing quite like summer.

the case for cake

More Little Moments In Life Deserve Cake

By Thao Thai

Or, why I celebrate the last moments of summer with a small, fudgy cake.

Yup, Another Social Platform

What Is Discord? Why This App Should Be On Parents' Radars

By Thao Thai

It’s one of the fastest growing social platforms out there.

Ooof

It’s So Hard To Watch Your Kid Cry Over A Frenemy

By Thao Thai

Some lessons they have to learn themselves — but you can help, too.

Summer

Forget #BestSummerEver. I'm All About A Mediocre (At Best) Summer.

By Thao Thai

My expectations have sunk very, very low.

Emoji Zodiac

Here's What Your Most-Used Emoji Says About You As A Parent

By Thao Thai

Hey, that’s me! 🤣: The Marginally Cooler Millennial

Perfectly Imperfect

My House is Kind of Falling Apart — And I'm Okay with That

By Thao Thai

Home is where the broken stuff is.

Game On

I Used To Be Over-The-Top Competitive. I Won't Raise My Daughter That Way.

By Thao Thai

My sweet daughter may have a slumbering bear of competitiveness inside of her.

Community

My Buy Nothing Group Is the Parent Support Group I Didn’t Know I Needed

By Thao Thai

It’s a new kind of inheritance, one that moves not through a single family, but through a community.

Bright Futures

Why Do We Ask Kids What They Want To Be When They Grow-Up, Anyway?

By Thao Thai

I still haven't figured it out.

chatterbox

What Happened When I Found The Most Powerful Tool For Parenting

By Thao Thai

What I began to understand is silence was a kind of magic-making.

Empowerment

Why I Won’t Be Teaching My Daughter To Be A “Good Sport”

By Thao Thai

It’s not her job to smile and keep the peace.

Empowerment

I Stopped Smiling During The Pandemic, And It Feels Great

By Thao Thai

Turns out: the constant act of smiling can really wither your soul to dry little ashes.