When I was a boy, like every other boy, I tried to get out of work. One of my favorite tactics for getting out of work was to try it for a few minutes, make a half-hearted effort, and then declare in frustration, “I can’t!” My mother never varied her answer. “Can’t never did anything,” [...]

When dealing with the child protective services system, you may be expected to make a few changes to keep your children or have them returned. It doesn’t help to dig in your heels and refuse to make these changes. The system is bigger than you are.