Four hours. Just four hours on a Saturday morning has the power to alter a high school student's future from one they’ve always dreamt of to one they’ve always feared. I’m talking about the dreaded rite of passage known as college entrance exams - or more specifically, that unbudging requirement saying every high school junior seeking admission to a four year college or university needs to take the SAT, ACT, or ideally both. Four hours. For some students, that Saturday morning spent ... View the Post
Have a Teen Looking at a Vocational or Trade School? Here’s What You Need to Know
First of all, kudos to you and your young adult for both recognizing the dire need this country is currently having for a skilled labor force, and how a four-year college degree simply isn’t the only path to financial stability and success. A new Bureau of Labor Statistics report states that one third of all new jobs through 2022 will be in one of three skilled labor forces: healthcare, construction, and personal care. Additionally, it’s estimated there are approximately 33 million jobs in ... View the Post
Parents, Please Stop Buying Fast New Sports Cars For Your Teen Drivers
102 miles per hour. That’s how fast an 18-year-old driver was going when he hit and killed a 24-year-old mother and her 21-month old daughter last week in Tampa, Florida. Mom and toddler were out for a morning walk along scenic Bayshore Boulevard, a pedestrian friendly stretch of sidewalk that runs along old Tampa Bay, and is frequented by hundreds of walkers and runners on a daily basis. 102 miles per hour. According to its “black box,” on a clear, warm summer morning last week, a ... View the Post
Ten Practical (and Fun!) Car Accessories for Your New Teen Driver
Your teen just passed their driving examination with flying colors, and while you may be sweating in the corner full of panic and worry about the potential speeding tickets, inevitable fender benders, and your new obscenely high car insurance bill, your teen on the other hand is ready to hit the road. But before they peel out of the driveway and make a beeline to all of their favorite fast food drive-thru’s, you may want to stock their car with some practical car accessories and safety ... View the Post
Parenting Teens Means Life Becomes A Series Of Goodbye Moments
While standing in an airport security line recently, I got to witness firsthand what being the parent of a young adult really means. A young woman of college age was in the line behind me, her backpack loaded heavily and ear buds hanging around her neck, she was talking to her father who was standing a few feet away. “Dad, I promise I’ll call as soon as I get to Rome,” she said. He nodded nervously, and like any dad about to send their little girl across the ocean, desperately wanted ... View the Post
Teen Driving Contract: What Is It and Why Do Parents Need One?
It’s the most bittersweet of milestones. We can’t wait for it to finally get here, and then when it does, we find ourselves buckling under the impending stress and worry it brings. It’s the day when we finally have a child old enough to drive. For many parents, this moment brings with it welcome relief from the seemingly never-ending taxi-ing duties we’ve had for years. I couldn’t wait to have a child drive himself to school and sports, allowing my schedule to open up and freeing me from ... View the Post