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 […]
The Day I Realized My Teen Needed Me to Help Him With His Mental Health
This is a sponsored post. I was compensated by Med-IQ through an educational grant from Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Lundbeck to write about depression in college-aged students. All opinions are my own “I’m exhausted, Mom. I can’t do it all. And all I keep hearing from my teachers is that I’m not committed enough. […]
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 […]
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 […]
My Teens Have Curfews And Science Says It’s A Good Idea
My son and his friends looked ridiculous as they posed for Homecoming pictures. Though they were all freshly shaven and wearing ties, they were also donning silly white “clout goggles.” Because my son isn’t old enough to drive yet, the boys had gathered at our home so that I could drive them to the dance. […]
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 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 […]
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. […]
When Cancer Comes To Your Family, It’s Hard To Remember All The Things
This is a sponsored post. I was compensated by Med-IQ through educational grants from AbbVie, Astellas, and Genentech to write about communicating symptoms and treatment side effects with the healthcare team. All opinions are my own. My father and I had a long history of arguing. Both stubborn to a fault, we would spar over […]
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. […]
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 […]
I Parent My Teens Through The Lens of Grieving. And It Sucks.
My teenaged son walked in the door from school and I caught a glimpse of my father. It was fleeting, lasting only milliseconds, but for a tiny moment in time, I could see the way my father’s features had melded with my son’s. And, as it happens during those moments, my heart broke a little […]
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 […]
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