Son, so many words rushed into my head when I hugged you at the top of the stairs the other day. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But, I would argue, so is a hug. “How did your shoulders get so broad?” I said aloud as I looked up, not down, at [Read More]
How to Celebrate January All Month Long
After the excitement of ringing in the New Year, many of us are faced with the January blues. The festive feel of the holiday season is gone and the winter days can be gloomy. However, there are tons of days in January that offer something to celebrate. Whether it’s enjoying food, honoring animals, or just [Read More]
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Parenting Teens: What’s Old Is New Again
It’s funny how things that were cool when we were younger come back around to be cool now that we’re older. Let me explain how what’s old is new again. My daughter, 14, is a freshman in high school this year. She recently completed her JV golf season and attended the end-of-season golf banquet. The [Read More]
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7 Funny But True Reasons Why I’m Jealous of My Teen
“How many have you had?” I asked my teenage son as he popped another buttered roll into his mouth. We were dining at Texas Roadhouse, a restaurant that serves rolls before the meal. “Nnnnh,” he replied, his mouth full of doughy goodness. I believe he meant nine. Nine rolls. By the time our entrees came, [Read More]
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The Summer After 16
While my oldest turned 18 this month and just graduated from high school, I wrote the piece below two years ago when I watched him turn 16 and get his driver’s license. That summer I came to refer to as “The Summer After 16” and it was a hint of things to come now that [Read More]
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The One about Teens and Thank You Notes
As I shared in my last post, my teenage son graduated from high school this month. It was a milestone event and he was showered with appreciation (okay, money) from family and friends to honor his achievement. I’m so thankful for everyone’s well-wishes! One of the things he didn’t learn in high school, though, was [Read More]
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The One about High School Graduation
My son graduated from high school last weekend. What a whirlwind leading up to the big day! Although COVID modified some end-of-the-year events, there were still plenty of activities to close out my son’s senior year. Activities like: Prom (yay!) AP exams (boo!) Cap and gown pick up Senior skip day (yup, he skipped) Senior [Read More]
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Teenagers’ Part-time Jobs Teach Parents As Much As They Teach Teens
Recently, my fourteen-year-old daughter filled out her first job application for a job at the local ice cream shop. Fingers crossed she gets a call! It made me remember a couple summers ago when my oldest teen, now 17, got his first part-time job. I wrote the essay below about the experience, realizing that his [Read More]
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Middle-aged Woman, 50, Reported Missing in Forever 21
The following press release was based on the true story of shopping at the mall with my teenage daughter, 14. Enjoy! *** Jennifer Smith, 50, was reported missing from Midtown Mall on Friday afternoon at approximately 3:43 pm. Smith was last seen shopping inside Forever 21 with her teenage daughter, 14. “This was her dream, [Read More]
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Four Tips about Womanhood I Had To Teach My Daughter
Recently I shared the story of teaching my teenage daughter the one tip about womanhood she just needed to know. “What is it?” you ask, frothing with curiosity. Trust me when I say it’s not what you think! You’ll just have to head over to my first essay on AARP’s The Girlfriend to find out. [Read More]
