Is it Possible to Be Too Old to Trick-or-Treat?

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 […]

New Book Outlines How Parents Can Help Teens Get More Sleep

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 […]

When You Have One “Last” Summer to Prepare Your Teen

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. […]

Embracing My Kids’ Interests Was an Opportunity for My Own Growth

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 […]

A New Name for Me!

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 […]

I Don’t Want to Intrude, Just Send Me Proof of Life

Proof of life. Any message, no matter how goofy is acceptable. Since parts of my heart first went off without me (aka my kids going to college), I have had an internal struggle. I want them to stretch and learn and grow as human beings, but also have an almost primal need to know they are okay. I know the […]

A Parenting Milestone, Your Kids Encourage YOU to Persevere

My kids push me – in a good way. Over the years, ‘I’ve tried many new things because of them. Sometimes it’s been something I’ve long wanted to do, other times it’s something they’ve chosen. A couple years ago, my daughter and I tried stand up paddle boarding. While I did take an unexpected swim in the process of learning, […]

My Daughter Graduated, I’m Not Sure Who Grew More

As I watched my baby graduate college, I thought about how four years before, I hid behind sunglasses, watching her walk across the high school stadium. I knew then that this milestone would change both our lives, yet was unsure of what exactly that meant. In those four years we both grew. We grew apart. We grew together. We both […]