In the January 2020 issue of Real Simple magazine, I wrote about how to help boys and girls get along better. After the #MeToo movement, I was concerned about how my daughters would advocate for themselves as they got older. I also wondered how I could help them have healthy friendships with boys.

When I saw a call for pitches on Twitter from an editor at Real Simple wanting ideas for parenting feature stories, I pitched her an idea of asking experts for tips on ways to encourage long-lasting relationships that weren’t just about boys and girls dating. I learned so much while researching, interviewing, and reporting on this topic that I hope that other parents will benefit too. One of my favorite features of the story is a list of children’s literature that highlights platonic friendships.