This post is in partnership with Bed Bath & Beyond. Look at your kid, your actual real kid. What is important to her? Does feeling “at home” impact her happiness? Is he a terrible sleeper who needs a comfortable bed? Is she indifferent to lots of clothing so the dresser provided is adequate? Is he bringing expensive musical equipment that will need to be protected? Shopping for college can feel like a generic experience with long lists of “must haves” but you are only sending off one kid, ... View the Post
College Shopping Hacks: 21 Ways To Save Time And Money
I Wanted a Separation But Dreaded Telling My Kids
My husband and I decided to separate in October and it took us until February to tell our children. It was a long, hard, tense road. One I don't think I could live through again. The fear of telling our kids kept us living together a little too long if I am being honest. And when we finally sat down to tell them, it was enough to make me say, "Oh, never mind, we are not separating. It will be okay." I came so close. Having a teenager and two tweens, I knew they would take it harder ... View the Post
Teens and Suicide: Urgent Conversation We Need to Have Now
Teenagers are impulsive. We know that. There is ample evidence and brain science that confirms it. And while educators and psychologists and physicians are encouraging parents to learn about behavior management and help their teens learn how to take healthy risks, one conversation we don’t often have with our teens concerns impulsivity and suicide. It may well be the most important conversation we aren’t having with our teens. Suicide is complicated and multifaceted. It is incredibly ... View the Post
College Professor Warns: How Not to Be a Lawn Mower Parent
It happened again this week. Several times, in fact. I’m a university professor and my office is located directly across from the elevators. Because I maintain a literal “open-door” policy for my students, visitors often mistake me for the department secretary, since I am the first person they see when the elevator doors open. At this time of year, the same scenario happens repeatedly: I’m concentrating on something, but out of the corner of my eye I see the elevator doors slide open. ... View the Post
What Moms Say and What They Really Think
For those of you in the throes of this transition, this incredible real-time transition of your child entering adulthood--perhaps you’re like me. As my smart, capable, independent, thoughtful son begins to fly the nest, I’ve tuned into my inner dialogue these days and it is loud. I’ve been biting back my reflex responses. Often. At a recent graduation celebration for my son, surrounded by family and friends, I burst into tears. That really isn’t my style. I surprised myself. My close ... View the Post
“Mom Jeans are Fine” and 7 Other Lessons From My Daughter
Yesterday, I watched our youngest daughter—wearing a bright smile and her royal blue cap and gown— graduate from high school. In the blink of an eye, my baby went from diapers to diploma! Maybe it’s the emotional milestone of her commencement ceremony, or maybe it’s my middle-aged hormones kicking into overdrive, but either way I’m feeling particularly reflective today. I find myself thinking about this young woman and the life lesson’s I’ve learned just by being her mom. I know it’s the ... View the Post
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