Experienced Bad Mom

Not Just a Bad Mom, But an Experienced Bad Mom

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]

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]

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]

SNL Sayings to Annoy Your Kids

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My daughter helped me chop broccoli recently. I was trying out a new recipe, she was bored, and I put her to work. You know what comes next. “She’s chopping broccoli!” I sang with glee. “She’s chopping bro-cco-li”. My daughter looked at my like I was crazy (I am) and asked me to stop. But [Read More]

Math Word Problems for Moms

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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]

In Defense of Being 11 Years Old

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“I just want to pop into the Hallmark store,” I told my 11-year-old daughter. “They have those socks I like and I have a coupon.” My daughter asked to stay home. I was a bit surprised. After all, days earlier she and I had hit the mall and scored quite the haul during the after [Read More]

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JENerally Informed