Experienced Bad Mom

Not Just a Bad Mom, But an Experienced Bad Mom

Why This Mom of Teens Can’t Shop Alone

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Flush with cash from my recent birthday, I strode through the mall.  I had no strollers to push or play spaces to visit like a decade ago when my kids were little. Nor was I dragged into stores selling overpriced joggers or anything with emojis and sequins like last week while shopping with my teen [Read More]

Ok Gen X: Thinking about the 70s and 80s

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Last fall my teenage son started using the phrase “Ok Boomer” just about every day. “Hey, don’t forget to take out the trash,” I’d say. “Ok Boomer,” he replied. “Time to go to church! Let’s get in the car,” I’d mention. “Ok Boomer,” he replied. Like most Gen Xers, I was offended by his reply. [Read More]

The Christmas Breaking Point

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“Do you think he’ll like it? I’m really worried he won’t’ like it,” my twelve-year-old daughter asked me from the doorway. I jumped from where I was sitting in front of our family computer. I closed down a window where I had been tracking a gift for her. It was shipped late, and wouldn’t make [Read More]

Just Buy the Team Swag, Moms and Dads

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Whew. That’s me wiping my brow now that the fall sports season is over in our house. My son, 16, played water polo for his high school while my daughter, 12, played volleyball for her middle school. Both of them also played ice hockey a bit, too, as that is a sport that seems to [Read More]

Take a Walk in Detroit

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My family of four took a walking tour of Detroit last month. It was fun and educational. If you come to Detroit, here’s why you should take a walk, too. More than bad headlines Before the Detroit Youth Choir rocked it’s way to 2nd place on America’s Got Talent this year, you didn’t hear many [Read More]

10 Fast Facts about Lice You Need to Know

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“Mommy, a bug crawled out of my hair,” my then ten-year-old daughter said. I took a peek at her hair and saw nothing. Probably a fruit fly, I thought. After all, no one in our family had ever had lice. Then I saw an itty-bitty bug crawl out of her hairline onto her forehead. Yikes! [Read More]

I’m the Mom Who Doesn’t Want Summer to End

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It’s that time of year. Social media is flooded with pictures of kids going back to school. And usually there is at least one viral picture or video of a mom dancing gleefully or lounging with a cocktail beside the pool while the kids are off to school. I get it, I do. I’m not [Read More]

Adventures in Parental Controls

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I know, I know. Good parents meticulously scroll their children’s devices and set appropriate time limits, parental passwords, and controls on them. But I’m not the Experienced BAD Mom because I’m good at this gig! Now, my husband and I aren’t letting our teen and tween have free reign with their devices. I know their [Read More]

What Would Erma Bombeck Do?

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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]

Enjoy The Sweet Spot of Sophomore Year

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Dear Son: You might feel like this year is no big deal. It’s not your first year of high school, and it’s not your last. You won’t be getting lost in the halls like the freshmen or taking standardized tests for your college applications. Nor will you be waiting to hear about college acceptances. Sophomore [Read More]

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JENerally Informed