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]
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]
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Why Disney World is Tops for Teens
“I’m so glad he still enjoys it!” enthused a friend on Facebook, commenting on a picture of my teen at Disney World. I had just posted our family’s pictures from our annual trip. Her comment made me curious. “Why wouldn’t he enjoy Disney World?” I thought. Perhaps folks who don’t go to Disney World as [Read More]
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Math Word Problems for Moms
Kids have been finishing up the school year all across America these last few weeks. But for moms, there is never a break from math, particularly math word problems. That’s right, Moms don’t need to fear the dreaded Summer Brain Drain. Because if they are like me, they’ll be flexing their quantitative skills all summer. [Read More]
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Random Valentine’s Day Thoughts From A Teenager’s Mom
Valentine’s Day as the mother of a teenager is weird. This is because the following random Valentine’s Day thoughts swirl through my head: I wonder if my son likes anyone? Or if anyone likes my son? Oh, who cares. Why is that important? He’s a wonderful person and shouldn’t worry about Valentine’s Day at his [Read More]
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5 Celebrity Moms of Tweens and Teens Who Should Blog
This week I’m talking about celebrity moms of tweens and teens who should blog. Why? Because as the mom of a tween and a teen I need some advice. Or just plain entertainment. Maybe commiseration. Or all of the above. Yup, as a mom whose kids are not little, but not yet in college or [Read More]
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The one about raising a teenage boy
Did you know that I am the middle of three girls? That’s right, no brothers. Which is important because I’m continually surprised about things while raising a teenage boy. Things like: That bodily function jokes are so funny. How any one person could have so much energy. That boys seemingly cannot think of more than [Read More]
