When you tell people you are about to become a parent for the first time, the jokes about never sleeping again are almost immediate. And, once your friends have sufficiently warned you that you’ll be exhausted for eighteen years, the jokes switch to your sex life. Or lack thereof, that is. “Playdates with other people’s […]
When Cancer Came To My Family, The Hidden Stresses Were Surprising
I was compensated by Med-IQ through educational grants from AbbVie, Astellas, and Genentech to write about managing distress for cancer patients and their caregivers. All opinions are my own. When my phone buzzed in my pocket, I was filing papers on a brisk January morning. I smiled when I saw my Dad’s number pop up on my […]
7 Mom Habits I Will Never Be Able To Break (And I’m Not Sorry)
“Do you have enough money?” “Do you know where to meet me afterward?” “You know not to talk to strangers, right? If you have a problem, look for a mom. Moms always help.” “Did you pee? Maybe you should pee before you go?” He looked at me and rolled his eyes, his patience for my […]
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 […]
Parents, We Need To Talk About The Word “Commitment”
Parents, we need to have a chat. *pauses to allow parents to grab coffee and gather ’round* Can we please talk about the word, “commitment”? Or, shall I say, the overuse of the word “commitment” when we are talking to our teens about their extracurricular activities? (My apologies to the parents who thought I was […]
I Can’t Remember A Time When My Teen Didn’t Wear A Hoodie
To live with a teenager means you are familiar with the esteem in which they hold their hooded sweatshirts. Just take a walk down any crowded high school hallway and you’ll find that pretty much every teen is wearing some version of a hoodie. In fact, they wear them all day, every day. The fires […]
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 […]
Hubby Took Me On A Birthday Trip From Hell (There Was Puking)
My father turned forty when I was thirteen. I can remember my mother secretly planning a surprise party for him and wondering what all of the fuss was about. She stashed party decorations and cases of beer and soda at a friend’s house. She wrote out invitations when he was at work and intercepted phone […]
That Time Hubby Bought Me My 80s Dream Car
We all have that one object that tethers us to another place and time. Whether it’s a favorite college sweatshirt or a cherished book, the object helps us remember a time when afternoons were long and carefree and adult responsibilities were minimal. For some, the object or item may even represent at time when they […]
Motherhood Is A Circus: 10 Truths That Only Mom Runners Understand
Being a mother is stressful. Some days, you feel like a lion tamer in charge of monkeys while juggling fire batons. Blindfolded. And those are the good days. On the rough days, the ones where I can’t take it one more minute, I run away from home. No, really, I actually lace up my running […]
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 […]
Pneumococcal Pneumonia Will Take Your Breath Away, Literally
I was compensated by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases through an unrestricted educational grant from Merck & Co., Inc. to write about pneumococcal disease but all opinions are my own. It was during a game of dodge ball when I was 12 that my life changed forever. Along with my classmates, I was running […]
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 […]
Did You Move The Elf On The Shelf? 11 Last Minute Ideas To Save Your Ass
Let’s just get something clear: I hate The Elf on The Shelf. There, I said it. And yes, we all know that I love channeling Martha Stewart at the holidays and I’ve been known to bake thousands of Christmas cookies from November to December but that doesn’t mean I have willingly participated in this Elf […]
This Is What I’d Tell My High School Self (Spoiler: Chin Hair Is Coming)
A friend tagged me in a post on Facebook and my face stared in disbelief as I read her comments. “Hi everyone! It’s that time! That’s right: it’s been 25 years since we graduated from high school and we are planning a reunion this summer!” That can’t possibly be correct. Twenty-five years? Has it really […]
Listen Up, Parents: Success Looks Different On Every Kid, Okay?
As I sipped hot coffee in a café, I listened to my friend detail the latest in her son’s journey towards college admission. Because her son is interested in attending the same university my son wants to attend in a few years, I was curious to learn the ins and outs of the application process. […]
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 […]
Teens Can’t Limit Screen Time And It’s Your Fault, Parents (Yes, Really)
It starts before the sun has even broken on the horizon. The sleep barely gone from my eyes, I reach for my phone to see what time it is, I tell myself, even though I have a clock on my nightstand. Emails. Texts. Facebook. Instagram. It’s been a mere 8 hours since I last visited my […]
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