I wrote this post about my 90s dorm room three years ago for a book project that never came to fruition (I know, I’m still totally bummed, too). I tucked this story deep into the recesses of my hard drive and pretty much forgot about it until a month ago when we dropped Fruit Loop […]
Ten Movies That Your Teens Will Love For Family Movie Night
For as long as I can remember, as soon as school ended for an extended holiday break, my son and I would find ourselves snuggled on the couch for a movie night. An avid film buff, my now 17-year-old son is obsessed with filmmaking, particularly action movies made before the advent of CGI and visual […]
My Teen’s Car Accident Changed My Evening Routine
It’s the text that every parent of a teenage driver dreads: “Mah, I’m okay, but I’ve had a bit of a car accident. The police are with me.” As I stared at the words on my phone, I blinked and tried to wipe the sleep out of my eyes so that I could process what […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
I Graduated from Marvel University…with Honors
I was nine years old when Return of the Jedi hit the theaters. I remember sitting in a darkened movie theater on a hot summer day with a bucket of popcorn on my lap. As I watched the X-wing starfighters fly across the screen, I distinctly remember thinking that science fiction movies weren’t my thing. The Ewoks […]
This Viral Hearing Experiment Proves Teens Can Actually Hear You
Once again, a heated Internet debate is flaring, only this time, it’s pitting kids and teens against parents. And it’s glorious, trust me. Spoiler alert: a hearing experiment that has taken the internet by storm proves teens have been ignoring you since forever. Yes, really. The people of the Internet love a good debate, particularly […]
Don’t Hate Me: My Teens Are Best Friends (Yes, Really)
I hear the slider door of our beach house squeak and the sound of footsteps as they amble down the wooden deck stairs. I can hear them before I see them: my teens are headed out on their summer evening ritual. Every night, shortly after dinner, they grab an ice cream from our beach house […]
Musings on a Pandemic and Where The Hell I’ve Been for 6 Months
Welp, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve graced this site with new content. Six whole months, in fact. <throws side eye to the global pandemic> Back in December 2019, I had big plans to hit the ground running in 2020. I was going to write all the blogs! I was going to say all […]
The “Golden Girls” Taught Me What I Need To Know About Raising Teens
In my house, Saturday night prime time television shows were sacred in our house. My brothers and I would put on our pajamas, make popcorn in the air popper and crowd around on the floor while my parents settled in on the couch. I can still feel my teenaged brothers elbowing me to make room […]
If You Don’t Have A Best Friend While Parenting Teens, You Won’t Survive
I looked at the text from my best friend and immediately started laughing. “I’m on a college visit and I just want you to know that we are in over our heads. Did you know dorm rooms have granite countertops now?” She proceeded to tell me that she felt like she was living that nightmare […]
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 […]
Advanced Placement Classes Are Hell And It’s Okay If Your Kid Says NOPE.
When our kids were small, we moved to a new school district in time for my son to start kindergarten. As I was filling out his new student paperwork, I realized, unexpectedly, that our new district had a different age cut off than our previous district. This meant that my daughter, already enrolled in preschool, […]
The 90s Were The Very Best College Years Ever And I Loved Every Minute
Recently, my college roommates and I realized we moved into college 25 years ago. As we prepare to send our own kids off to college and find ourselves on college tours and navigating intricate financial aid forms, we’ve all agreed that college has become a lot more complicated than when we mailed our college applications. […]
I’m Trying Not To Push My Teens Into The Activities I Loved in High School
When I dropped my daughter off at cross-country practice, I paused to watch the high school marching band rehearse. As I watched the kids play their instruments and the color guard practice their routines, I was instantly transported to a time when I, too, twirled a flag in front of a frenzied Friday night crowd. […]
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