My family is not super into sports. I tried, believe me. I am from Boston and sports fanaticism is a pretty much a general requirement of Bostonian identity – but no. Sports do not to speak to me, and the aggressive and/or rape culture associated with some sports has always made me recoil. The school […]
I am a mom. You’re probably thinking: “Yeah, we get it Karen. We’ve seen your posts. You’re a mom.” But I am like, the mommiest mom you can think of. I know this because small children I don’t know walk up to me and hand me their gum, or their foot so I can tie […]
My dad died when I was 30 and my mom died 6 years later. I was 36 when I became an orphan. So, like, yeah, I was married with two kids in a house on a cul-de-sac and I was pretty sure I was pulling off the “I am a real life grown-up” vibe. It […]
In a world where women need to smile constantly, as a creepy little tax to simply live in the word, I have a daughter who is just not having it. This is my daughter Boo, as Dorothy, when she was 8. You know, kind of like a “Don’t Fuck With Me” Dorothy. She is not […]
I have an 18-year-old who just graduated high school. He is awesome. Smart, talented, and funny with a beautiful heart. And he is not going to college. He will spend the next year or more in what will probably be a series of crappy jobs. He will be an entry level, barely educated, minimum wage […]
Sometimes parenting is just what happens when you are doing other things. We snap “Put that down!” in the grocery store. We spell words for emerging writers while making dinner. We manage to squeeze in meaningful conversations while driving. But if we want to practice mindful parenting, it is good to have some phrases at […]
Target, you know I love you, I really do. You manage to make shopping in a big box store fun and pretty, I can check a whole bunch of things off my list with one visit, and that dog with the eye-circle is super cute – but you really stepped in it this time. Like, […]
My five-year-old daughter and I were discussing weddings and dance parties. I was feeling good about my open-minded parenting skills when I turned to her and said: “Well, if you choose to get married some day, you can have a disco ball at your wedding, too.” I am careful to never mention gender when I […]
Freedom is a beautiful thing I think we can all agree that women are under a lot of scrutiny. A lot. We are almost always too fat – unless we cross over and become “disgustingly thin” or a “skinny bitch”. We are expected to behave, and we hear these commands all the time: “Smile!” “Sit […]
Karen is an outspoken comedian, writer, artist, teacher, speaker, podcaster, Mom of seven children, and an adventurous thinker. She is a strong advocate of mindful thinking, asking for what you want, and living an empowered life. Karen speaks with expertise and humor on gender issues, parenting, homeschooling, autism, co-housing, sex and sexuality, positive self imagery, and being ridiculously happy and super-cool.
Buy Karen's book on Amazon now:
© 2025 · Karen Mangiacotti