Experienced Bad Mom

Not Just a Bad Mom, But an Experienced Bad Mom

What to Give Teens for the Holidays

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“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]

Why Thanksgiving with Teens Rocks

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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]

How To Feed A Water Polo Team Breakfast

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My son, 15, joined his high school water polo team this fall. I laughed and laughed. This was the kid that hated getting his face wet when he was little! And now he was in the pool 5 nights a week and 3 mornings a week for 2 fun-filled months. Yup. Nights AND mornings. Now, [Read More]

The Honest Truth about Naming Kittens

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The word is out: there are two new kittens in our house. Woo hoo! They are so fun–and mischievous. The kittens are sisters, a calico and a torbie, and we got them in early October. We named them Buffy and Trixie. Cute, no? Or perhaps you think they sound a bit like a pair of [Read More]

Helping Your Family With Pet Loss Grief

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Those of you who follow me on social media know that we lost our beloved cat, Scooter, this summer. Although only 2 years old, Scooter was diagnosed with severe kidney disease in the spring that was terminal. We walked with her and loved her through her final months, even administering IV fluids every other day. [Read More]

7 Reasons I Am a Terrible Travel Sports Parent

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For the first time in six years, neither of my kids is on a travel, or select, sports team. My son is in high school and participating with the high school sports teams. While travel team-esque, it is different. Meanwhile, my daughter found out that there were not enough players for there to be a [Read More]

To the Freshman Girls Dreaming about Homecoming

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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]

Why Disney World is Tops for Teens

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“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]

Of Pedicures, the 80s, and Midlife

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My daughter, 11, and I went to get pedicures the other day. It’s a little luxury that I splurge on in the summer when people actually see my feet. The nail salon we go to is very nice–nothing scary or dirty, and the nail “stylists” are professional. (Is that what they are? What is their [Read More]

Six Things All Kids Say on Vacation

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Here are six things all kids say on vacation, no matter how old they are. Yup, I don’t care if your kiddos are three or thirteen, they will say these things. My kids, now 15 and 11, have been saying these things on vacation since they were old enough to talk. And they haven’t stopped [Read More]

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