I wrote this post on Facebook a few weeks ago and I was surprised by the outpouring of emotion that parents of teens felt when they read my words. On the night I wrote these words, my heart was aching in the best and worst possible way: Fruit Loop #1 had finally decided where he […]
I’m Not Joining TikTok So Stop Asking. Also, Get Off My Lawn.
After a round of email correspondence in 2008, a friend wrote back, “You know, you should really join Facebook. It’s so much easier to communicate with friends over there. I think you’d love it.” I was dubious. I had managed to avoid MySpace and barely understood the internet in general, so I sat resolute in […]
This Is My First Pandemic: I Didn’t Know My Kid Would Cheat During Online Learning
I sighed and rolled my eyes as I dialed my friend’s phone number and waited for her to answer. I was about to have an uncomfortable conversation with her about online learning, one that I never dreamed I’d have to have with the friend who has been with me through 10 years of parenting. Her son […]
Parents of High School Juniors, I Feel Your Angst
I had been warned this time was coming, but I resisted. Parents of high school juniors used to look at my toddlers and tell me I would miss the days when I could contain them in a crib at night. Parents of teens would stop me in the grocery store to comment how much they […]
I Miss My Silly Weekday Morning Routine With My Teens
Our morning tradition started, much as they often do, by accident. My son had recently passed his driver’s test. He was preparing to drive to my mother-in-law’s home for the weekend. Because she lives two hours away in another state, I was, naturally, nervous about him being on the open highway so far from home. […]
My Teen Is Teaching Me How To Set Boundaries. Yes, Really.
One hot summer day, my family and I were at my in-laws’ house for a family pool party. There was music and laughter and kids screaming with delight as they jumped in and out of the pool. It was a pretty typical scene, really. My children, ages three and five at the time, had very […]
Driving My Teens Isn’t As Annoying As It Used to Be
Almost from the time you find out you are going to be a parent, your focus turns to driving them across town. You start looking at vehicles with doors that slide open, have more cup holders than you need, and trunk space becomes key. You spend your days lugging car seats and diaper bags and […]
Itching from The Inside Out, Part 2: Climbing the Ladder of Atopic Dermatitis Treatment
This is a sponsored post about atopic dermatitis: I was compensated by Med-IQ through an educational grant from Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to write about the signs, symptoms, and treatments available for atopic dermatitis or eczema. All opinions are my own. If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you’ll remember that, back in […]
The Pandemic Has Made Me Miss My Morning Routine With My Teens
Our morning routine tradition started, much as they often do, by accident. My son had recently passed his driver’s test. He was preparing to drive to my mother-in-law’s home for the weekend. Because she lives two hours away in another state, I was, naturally, nervous about him being on the open highway so far from […]
My Teens Have Social Lives: Will I Ever Stop Driving?
I’m pretty sure my kids’ social lives are going to be the death of me. When my son started high school, I had no idea that I was about to embark on quite possibly the most challenging part of raising teens. And I’m not talking about block scheduling or AP classes. I’m not talking about […]
Our Teen Is Driving And So Are His Friends: What The Hell?
Judging from the way my son’s face was beaming, I knew the news before he even got the words out of his mouth: his best friend had passed his driving test. Not only was his best friend now a fully licensed driver, but he had also texted my son to ask just how soon they […]
My Teen Spent the Summer Working A Manual Labor Job
As I entered the job site, I could hear my 16-year-old son before I could see him. The sounds of a radio blaring in an empty room upstairs, combined with the rhythmic thump of a hammer, led me to where he was demolishing a built-in cabinet. He was sweaty, his face covered in dirt and […]
Itching from The Inside Out: What It’s Like to Live with Atopic Dermatitis
This is a sponsored post about atopic dermatitis: I was compensated by Med-IQ through an educational grant from Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to write about the signs, symptoms, and treatments available for eczema/atopic dermatitis. All opinions are my own. I was six years old when I realized my dad’s legs looked different than those […]
News Flash: Gifted Kids Are Not Always Valedictorians
From an early age, our son was inquisitive, precocious and speaking full sentences by the time he was two. When I was out in public with him, older women would always comment on his verbal ability. And they’d all say the same thing, “Oh, he must be gifted. He’s going to go to Harvard, I […]
When Should Teens Get a Part-Time Job? Hubby and I Disagree
I can distinctly remember my first job interview. I was fresh out of high school and was hoping to make extra money during the summer to pay for college. I scheduled an interview at a local temp agency and was hired for a part-time job doing secretarial work in offices in my area. On my […]
The Day My Son Got His Driver’s Permit –and an Unexpected Gift
My son’s interest in toy cars has gradually been replaced by an interest in a car of his own and he eagerly awaited the day he could finally get his driver’s permit. When he was a toddler, he was obsessed with trains and cars. Practically every picture I have of him during those years includes […]
The Sweet Valley High Books Made Middle School Easier For Me
BONUS CONTENT: Would you like to read a chapter of the Sweet Valley that never made it to print? Spoiler alert: I make a cameo! Yes, really! When I was in fifth grade, my family moved from the Northeast to Texas. I was a fish out of water in my new town, and I struggled […]
5 Things I’d Forgotten About Being A Teenage Girl
When I was a teenager, I distinctly remember spending an entire afternoon organizing my makeup into a Caboodles case. I spent hours arranging my Cover Girl foundation, blue and green eye shadow palettes, and hot pink blush kits in my carryall. I’m not sure why I thought I was going to need to haul every […]
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