Family and Relationships

What’s in a name? For many grandparents today, the titles “Grandma” and “Grandpa” aren’t cutting it anymore.

After weeks of work on specific language pertaining to religious groups, the New Hampshire legislature and the governor agreed on a gay marriage bill.

As the number of people unaffiliated with any religious group grows faster than any organized religion, nonbelievers are finding it easier to go public with their views on faith.

Many of the 44 million U.S. citizens caring for a loved one have had to cut back on basic necessities or dip into savings to continue care during the faltering economy.

One Houston, Texas, school has a surprising number of twins—19 sets in all—that have left instructors wondering how to best help the kids thrive in the classroom.

ContactPoint aims to improve communication among professionals working with children at risk but the controversial database has raised numerous security and privacy concerns.

Austrian mourners have complained that new talking tombstones are disruptive; but are they just the next postmortem fad as technology and memorials meet?

For eager college students everywhere, years of hard work are finally culminating in the moment they’ve been thinking about for quite some time: graduation. But what gift can you get your graduate that they’ll really need and use?

The recession has thrown a wet veil over some couples’ wedding plans, but tips from “recessionista” planners help brides navigate the taffeta jungle.

Two women from Oregon turned a potentially devastating situation into a new friendship after learning last month that they had been switched at birth.

A University of Connecticut researcher says intensive behavioral therapy can help a small percentage of kids with autism recover.

Through its new program “The Alzheimer’s Project,” HBO is placing fresh attention on Alzheimer’s disease and the long, often trying, work caregivers perform to support their loved ones suffering from the condition.

A new study suggests that children who are bullied are twice as likely to report psychotic symptoms in preadolescence.

A Saudi court nullified the arranged marriage of an 8-year-old girl to a 58-year-old man. The case, which has been in the news for several months, had angered international rights groups and many Saudis alike.

New studies of the human genome are revealing more about the genetic factors that could influence autism, as research into the mysterious condition continues.

Madlyn Primoff recently attracted national attention for kicking her two squabbling daughters out of the car in a White Plains, N.Y., neighborhood, forcing many to focus on good and bad parenting decisions.

Pet Airways, an airline just for pets that allows them to travel in the cabin of the plane, will begin service in five cities this July.

A host of companies are offering online services to commemorate the passing of loved ones, providing an eternal connection between the deceased and his or her mourners.

As Australia plans to prohibit midwives from attending home births, studies and reports of deaths spur the debate over their safety.

Before receiving radiation treatment for cancer as a teenager, Chris Biblis made a sperm donation that allowed him and his wife to have a baby 22 years later.

New research shows that women who live near the equator have more female children than males, but scientists have yet to explain why.

Maybe your three-year-old is wondering why Mommy or Daddy is home so much now. Or your recently tightened budget has forced you to ask your fourth grader to decide between summer camp and picking up a new musical instrument. Here are some ideas on how to put the recession in terms children can understand and in the process, make the whole family feel empowered.

The Web has streamlined the adoption process and helped adopted children find their birth parents, but improvements must still be made, and repercussions of in-person meetings must be considered.

New research focused on the attention of toddlers with autism spectrum disorders may help doctors diagnose autism sooner and design new methods of treatment.

Planning a wedding can be one of the most exciting, hectic and expensive times of your life. While we can’t do much to help you fix the hectic part, we have found some Web sites that can help you create a stylish wedding without draining your bank account.

Americans are in the mood for love, as evidenced by recent strong sales in romance novels, online dating sites and chocolate.

Seventeen years after ending their marriage, Jim and Bernadette Tobin fell back in love after Bernadette helped save Jim’s life by giving him her kidney.

Research shows that U.S. day care programs are not letting children play outside for surprising reasons, adding to concerns over childhood obesity and inactivity.

New studies say “love with all the trimmings” is possible in long-term relationships, but maintaining romance takes work.

Economic concerns are prompting more Americans to replace expensive prescription drugs with cheaper herbal supplements, but are they safe for kids?