If you have a brand new freshman, and are just beginning the crazy journey of modern high school, I bet you’re full of a combination of nerves, anxiety, excitement, and worry. And right along with that, you’re also fearful and kind of leery of what parenting changes to expect, and exactly what kind of teenager your teenager will be (and how your parenting may have to change or shift.) Well, I hope your reading glasses are clean and shiny, because there is a tremendous information out there on ... View the Post
Smartphone Apps Your College Kid Needs, Social Media Accounts College Parents Should Follow
It’s no secret the amount of functions our smartphones are capable of doing right now is kind of mind blowing. It’s a literal high end computer in the palm of your hand, and that means it has the ability to help college students with more than just texting directions to the next keg party. There are plenty of student centered academic, budgeting, time management, and social apps they should be using, and as for parents, well, your smartphone now is not only a means of communication and ... View the Post
If You Don’t Love Being a Mom of a Teen, You’re Not Alone
Every age and phase of childhood comes with its own set of difficulties. You sleepwalk through the newborn stage, you stumble through infancy, you skip through toddlerhood, you run around in circles through early childhood and the tween years, and then thankfully, just when you’re overdue and ready to catch a break from all the mind-numbing neediness, your kids turn into teenagers. If You're Not Enjoying the Teen Years, That's Okay Finally! But while it seems that everyone around you is ... View the Post
Kid in College? Congratulations, You Now Run a Furniture Moving and Storage Company
When my first baby went away to college, I bought All. The. Things. Armed with my credit card, an emotional bank account overflowing with pride and anxiety, and a dorm supply list a mile long, I loaded up both virtual and real shopping carts, then filled my car to the brim with All. The.Things. and off we went. #collegeorbust I had successfully bought everything he needed to succeed (and then some), and I had also bought everything he needed so I could succeed (which meant I wouldn’t be up ... View the Post
The 10 Things You Need to Say to Your Freshman At College Move-In Day
It’s here! The day you dreamed about, dreaded a little, and dutifully did everything you could for the last 18 years to guarantee would happen, is now actually happening. You bought the twin XL sheets, the shower caddies, the throw rugs (and about a hundred other accessories that you’re certain will probably go unused) but guilt, joy, and excitement added them to your cart anyway. Now there’s just one thing left to say. Well, there are A LOT of things left to say, but between loading and ... View the Post
If High Schools Offered “AP Home Economics Class,” Maybe Teens Would Take it Again
If you grew up thinking the word adult was only a noun, I bet you have teenagers or college aged kids living under your roof. I can also bet that you’ve since discovered (and have probably used on many occasions to get your kids to do some form of a mature action), that the noun adult is also now a verb, and one that the American Dialect Society deemed the 2015 “verb of the year.” To further get you head-scratching, the word adult is now back again as a noun, but this time it’s every ... View the Post