There is a video making the rounds now of a mom “pushing her child out of the nest.” Upon arrival at the doctor’s office, she informs her child that she will not be going in with them, that being 18 means you handle this alone. While I agree that a parent shouldn’t be accompanying an 18-year-old to a doctor’s visit, […]
While I don’t think I’ve done anything special, I sometimes have people turn to me and ask “How did you do it?” They want to know why my kids talk to me and theirs don’t. Why I get spontaneous texts and calls while they barely get responses even when they are the ones to initiate contact. This is often followed […]
My love affair with the ocean began in my teens when my parents became friends with a man who soon became family. He had a boat that he used for pleasure and chartering small fishing trips. Breaking his long-standing rule of “No women on the boat,” he invited the family out for an afternoon (of four family members, three of […]
Teenagers occupy a strange in-between world. They are no longer children, but they are not yet adults. They are quick to abandon “babylike” things, then almost as quick to regret that they have done so. It is during the teen years that many of us start to wonder why we ever wished so hard to grow up faster. Trick-or-treating is […]
Tonight is our high school graduation. Though I will not be attending, I am thinking of those students and their families. My kids have already reached this milestone. I know some who are walking tonight and others who will join them as alumni in the years to come. Four times I have sat in the high school bleachers, waiting for […]
In her new book, The Sleep-Deprived Teen, Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired and How Parents and Schools Can Help Them Thrive, Lisa Lewis presents valuable information on teenagers and sleep including the dangers of not getting enough. She’s done the homework for the rest of us and presents here a thorough, yet accessible summary of many studies, laying out […]
We all make note of our children’s “firsts:” their first smile, first tooth, first step, first day of kindergarten. Especially with my youngest, as my kids moved on to big milestones (moving from elementary to middle school, for example) I started noting the lasts, with more than a little melancholy. With the youngest, these lasts were also lasts for me. […]
When I first became a mom, I looked forward to doing things with my children that I had enjoyed growing up. It didn’t occur to me then that embracing my kids interests instead would be so rewarding. I first realized that this was not to be when my oldest asked to take ballet lessons. My mother tried for years to […]
By Kimberly Yavorski I think you get to a certain point in your life when you realize how important it is to have true friends and to keep yourself open to making new ones. Years ago, a parent of one of my daughter’s classmates suggested we go to breakfast. I really didn’t know her at all, but agreed, thinking it […]
An exciting day is fast approaching. I’ll soon be adding a new name! I have a fancy new dress, ballet slippers for the inevitable point when the heels get to be too much, and several lists of details to take care of before the big day. Along with my family and friends, I’m looking forward to what will be (at […]
