It’s summertime and my kids are a tween and a teen. Which means that my life looks like this now: Yup, gone are the summer days where we blew bubbles, drew with sidewalk chalk, and enjoyed days at the pool or lake. Don’t get me wrong. My kids still want to enjoy a fine summer [Read More]
Why My Teen Won’t Be Getting a Summer Job
When I say my teen won’t get a job this summer, I know what you’re thinking. He’s lazy. Or I spoil him. Or teens today are so entitled. But the truth of why my teen won’t get a job this summer is much more complicated. I can tell you my son, who is turning 15 [Read More]
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To My Teenage Son: What I Really Want for Mother’s Day
Dear Son, I know better than to expect a handmade card from you this year. Or a necklace made out of macaroni noodles or a stone painted with the words, “Mom, you rock!” After all, you are in high school. I will always treasure those cards and gifts from when you were younger, but what [Read More]
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What Would Erma Bombeck Do?
I found myself wondering what the great humorist Erma Bombeck would do if she were in my shoes recently. I had just published a humorous essay on the website Your Teen for Parents. It was a “small moment” essay, one that I wasn’t expecting to light the internet on fire, but one that I hoped [Read More]
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What to Give Teens for the Holidays
“What does he want for Christmas?” my mother asked. “All he wants is money,” I replied about my son, 15. Grandma would not be deterred, however. Surely I could give her gift ideas besides cold, hard cash? Our conversation motivated me to think up the suggestions below. Many of you may look at it hoping [Read More]
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Why Thanksgiving with Teens Rocks
As we gather to give thanks this year, I’m thankful that I’m celebrating Thanksgiving with teens. Truly, I thought about it recently and Thanksgiving is a holiday that, in my opinion, only gets better as the kids get older. Why? Well, take sleep, for instance. No one pokes me in the eyeball at 5:30 am [Read More]
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To the Freshman Girls Dreaming about Homecoming
My husband showed me the text on his phone. I gasped in surprise. It was from the mother of a female player on my son’s freshman team. She hinted that her daughter needed a date to the Homecoming dance. Wouldn’t our son like to ask her? Her request took me aback. But so did the [Read More]
