Who are you and why should we read you?
Mary Dell and Lisa, co-founders of Grown and Flown, are writers (NY Times bestseller), moms, wives and friends. In past incarnations we have worked in television and media, on Wall Street and in politics. Although we live in New York, Mary Dell is from Texas and Lisa is from California. We have children who have left the nest and we have high schoolers with whom we are savoring every last minute. TB Kilman, pictured with us below, takes our stunning photos. You can find our writing on The Atlantic, Forbes, Scary Mommy, Huffington Post, Brain, Child, Next Avenue, and 12 Most. You can find Lisa’s Amazon Page here.
For two years we worked on alternate Tuesday mornings at our children’s school. After Mary Dell made the coffee and Lisa poured it we largely ignored our responsibilities and talked incessantly about the changes happening in our lives as our eldest sons were on the threshold of walking out of our thresholds. It is a big life changing moment for every parent and we hope this blog can become a spot where parents can meet and discuss and even advise. Sorry coffee not included.
What do you write about?
We try to cover the range of issue relating to kids 15-25. We write about High School, Social Media, Midlife, College, Coming Home, Good Parenting, Bad Parenting, Cooking for Two, and Lessons Learned from Other Parents and Grandparents
Are you crazy? Why didn’t you move back to someplace warm?
Is this just another “mommy blog” for old mommies?
Hmmm, maybe. But if we steer the conversation away from diapers and sleep deprivation and instead ponder the teen years, college admissions and when to cut your kids off the family payroll, will you join in the discussion?
I am not sure that I am your audience as my kids are still home and in high school.
If you are thinking, worrying, or just pondering what it will be like when some or all of your kids call another place home (even if it is just their grimy dorm room) then this conversation is for you.
Are you doing this because you couldn’t find real jobs?
We happen to like sitting at our desks in the kitchen typing away. Plus, for Mary Dell, commuting daily into Manhattan falls into the growing category of “been there, done that” experiences.
If parents are still so important in kids lives after they leave home, why do they never call?
They just don’t always know how important we are to them, still. So, calling – not much; texting – more; video-chatting – if they want to see the family dog – frequently!
Do you really care what readers have to say or are you just going to talk about your lives and kids?
In two words, yes and no. We care deeply about what our readers have to say and what they think. If we didn’t care we could just send all of this back in forth between the two of us in an endless series of emails. No, we are not just going to talk about our kids; those stories we will send back and forth between the two of us in emails.
If I write something for your blog will you publish it?
If we like it, yes! We would love to hear your thoughts on kids leaving, kids coming back, kids leaving again and what this means to us as parents, spouses and friends. Tell us what makes you laugh or cry. If we think other readers will be interested in your piece we will post you front and center. If you just have a few thoughts on something you read, comments are always welcome. if you want your name attached, great, if not, that’s fine too.
Do your kids know that you are writing about them? Do you worry they will retaliate with their own blog?
Shhhhh. We are waiting until they call us to break the news.
Checking your blog every day could become a pain, or I might just forget, would you just email/facebook me things I might be interested in?
Give us your email, we will do the rest.
How do you feel about dogs?
We love them and do not love them. Mary Dell will tell you some of the ways they have changed her life and she has, in turn, used this passion to enrich others’ lives. Lisa just sees a lot of dog hair on her family room carpet. We can agree that there will never, ever be any cats in either house. Photo Credit Above: Cathrine White (cathrinewhitephotography.com) 