It’s an age old trope: teens, by nature, don’t communicate and it’s impossible to get them to open up once they turn 13. You hear rumors from other moms that raising a teen means accepting that he or she will clam up for the entirety their teenage years. When my kids approached their teen years, I […]
I’m Just Going To Say It: High School Was Better (and Easier) in the 90s.
On my way to my bedroom late one night, I saw the familiar sliver of light coming from my son’s room. Burning the midnight oil again, I thought. When I cracked the door open, I found him hunched over his computer, eyes bloodshot and tired, furiously typing on the keyboard. I ruffled his curls and told […]
Twenty Years and Two Teens Later, These Are My New Marriage Vows
This year, my husband and I will celebrate twenty years of marriage and we’ve had many discussions about how to mark the occasion. Should we take a trip? Should we throw a big party? What is the best way to commemorate the fact that our marriage has outlasted three washing machines and two water heaters? […]
Hubby And I Disagree About Alcohol And Our Teens And It’s Stressful
When I was fourteen, I attended a cast party after a high school theater production. When I walked into the house in my white Keds (with friendship pins) and my jeans rolled just so, the parents of the hostess directed me to the back patio where the party was being held under the starry spring […]
My Teen Is Dating And I’m Pretty Sure I’m Embarrassing AF
I knew this day would come but I didn’t think it would happen so fast. It seems like just yesterday my little boy was sitting next to me, in overalls and holding a Thomas train, gazing at me with love and affection. The day he promised to marry me made my heart sink because I […]
Your First Child Can Make You Feel Like You Are Screwing It All Up
When the nurse handed me my son after delivery, I panicked. I felt my heart start to race, my hands started to shake and I could feel sweat forming on my forehead. “Am I holding him the right way? What if I don’t know what he needs? What if I screw him up?” I looked […]
The Day I Realized I Was Too Strict With My Teens Hit Me Hard
As I dug around in my purse, looking for my keys, I yelled, “Let’s go! We are going to be late!” at the kitchen ceiling. Trying to herd two teenagers out the door to a doctor’s appointment on a day off from school is no easy task. I waited for the familiar sound of stomping […]
Here’s How To Send Your Son To A High School Dance In 50 Easy Steps
Now that your kid is in high school, I hate to break it to you: gone are the simple days when you drop your child off at an elementary event run by friends of yours on the PTA. Back then, you told your kid to grab his shoes and $2 and dropped him off at […]
My Teen Daughter Has Found Her Passion And It Takes My Breath Away
I came to the sport of running late in life. Though I ran on my high school track team, I hung my running shoes up for many years until the strain of sleepless nights and baby weight became too much for me. In my early thirties, I dusted off on my running shoes and I […]
Sending a Kid to High School Is Harder Than The First Day of Preschool
When the nurse handed my son to me, I expected to feel an instantaneous bond. As I peeled back his blanket and took in his old man scowl, though, I surprised myself as the words, “I’m not qualified to raise a human” came to mind. And I promptly looked around for a grown up because […]
The Day I Realized My Teen Daughter Had a Voice (and A Mind) of Her Own
She was the baby who almost wasn’t. When I was seventeen weeks pregnant with her, I was in a devastating head on car accident. The relief my husband and I felt when we saw her heartbeat, wild and strong, at the hospital where I was treated was palpable. Our girl was a fighter. She came […]
No One Told Me The Age of Fifteen Is So Smelly (and Also Wonderful)
Fifteen. A milestone, they say. In fact, companies give employees gold watches after 15 years of service. Even the word “fifteen” sounds official. And yet, fifteen is still young. Fifteen is “Hey, Mah, can you take me to the store, I need a poster board for school?” because you can’t drive yet. Fifteen is dipping […]
News Flash: Our Teens Are Over Scheduled And Parents Are To Blame
When my son announced last week that he wanted to apply for his first summer job, I was dubious. Though he’s fifteen years old and quite responsible, I wasn’t sure I was ready for him to take on the commitment of a part time job over the summer. Frankly, the thought of having to drive […]
My Husband And I Went To Marriage Counseling and I’m Not Embarrassed
Two years ago, Hubby and I went through a transformation in our marriage. Some would call it a “rough patch.” Others would call it “marital growing pains.” I call it the scariest time I’ve ever lived through and, until about a year ago, I wasn’t able to write about our marital stress because it made […]
Letting My Kids Go On A Ski Mountain Will Make It Easier Later (I Hope)
As I stand at the top of the mountain, I can barely see my teens in the distance. In fact, as I watch their brightly colored coats zig zag along the crisp white snow, I take a deep breath and pull down my snow goggles. Tentatively, I inch myself forward and feel gravity start to […]
I Wasn’t Prepared For My Son’s Grown Up Smile
We paused outside of the orthodontist’s office for one last picture of my son with his braces. Today was two and a half years in the making: his braces were finally coming off. Though he’s used to me documenting his childhood milestones with silly selfies and pictures of him with his friends, my son still […]
When I Turned 40, I Wanted A Boob Job. I Got Braces Instead.
I am an angry, miserable woman in pain. Let me rephrase that. I am a 40 something woman who took a long look in the mirror and didn’t recognize most parts of her body. And I decided to do something, anything, about the fact that I don’t look like I’m 21 anymore. I know, I […]
Since Moms Have To Do Everything Anyway, I’m Writing My Eulogy, Too
When you die, what will people say about you? What will the people around you choose to fit into a teeny tiny column in the paper in the midst of their angst over your untimely demise? Will your eulogy be the standard issue “He was born, he was an engineer, he was a Knight of […]
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