Your kid is proudly holding their college acceptance letter, and plans are beginning to take form for sending him off to college, finally! You’re more than ready to have him take flight and start his next chapter of education, and your new mantra for the next several months is basically “College or bust!” Now when can we start shopping for mattress pads and laundry baskets?!! Now what if that same kid tells you he feels he’s just not ready to go to college right now, and wants to take a year ... View the Post
Colleges Offer Free Condoms, Should the Overdose Reversal Drug Narcan® Be Next?
Walk around any college campus these days and you’d be hard pressed to not be able to find free condoms. They’re pretty much plentiful everywhere- strewn across tables in student health clinic waiting rooms, spilling out of giant fish bowls in dorm room common areas, and always stocked in campus restrooms and fitness center locker rooms. Let’s just say if a student is struggling to find a free condom (or ten) on campus, than dare I say they should not be having sex in the first place. But ... View the Post
Teens Telling You They’re Too Old for Halloween? 5 GOOD Things to Do Instead
One of the saddest days on my parenting journey so far was when my kids told me they were too old to trick or treat. It happened around age 14 or so, and that one, innocent little proclamation spoken to me by someone taller than me (HOW?), wounded me so deeply in my now broken Telltale Heart, I immediately responded with, “Umm, that’s not gonna work for me, so can you please put your Harry Potter cape back on and go get me some Reese’s Cups?” I mean, why does nobody tell you when you’re ... View the Post
Teens Need to Know That Failing is More Than OK, It’s Actually a Necessity
In 2009, Tiger Woods was on top of the sports world. His major tournament wins continued to stack up, record-setting lucrative sports endorsements added up, and his seemingly happy marriage with two children completed the perfect picture of success. There was no failing whatsoever in his world; it simply was not an option. And then Thanksgiving of that same year, Tiger Woods’ world came crashing down in a spectacular (and very public) fashion. His marriage failed after serious adultery ... View the Post
High School is Really Only Three Years Long, and Here’s Why
Right now in my state, applications for admission are open and being accepted at several of the state’s public and private universities. As a matter of fact, they’ve been open since late August. This means that before high school seniors even complete one day of their senior year (or one week, or one month for that matter), they can fill out and complete the college application process for a handful (if not more, because many colleges are opening admission early) before they’ve even gotten their ... View the Post
Middle School is Becoming the New High School and It’s Ridiculous
My fourth child started middle school recently, and since I’ve clearly been through this before, I had few worries and anxieties about it. I know that in the span of just three years he'll greatly mature both socially and physically, and he’ll be challenged in ways and with interpersonal scenarios that elementary school simply can’t offer. I know that middle school isn’t something to fear and lose sleep over, and watching our once dependent children morph into independent 'tweens' is something ... View the Post