Parenting
I Am a Teenager
The TheraMom team put out a simple invite: “If you are a teenager and want to share a few of your thoughts on mental health, how it affects teenagers or what adults should know, please reach out to me.” The messages received from teenagers across the country were...
We Will Miss the Boys of Fall
Please help me. I’m desperate. What do people do on the weekends during the fall if they aren’t watching football? What does a typical Friday night or Saturday look like during September, October and November? What should I look forward to if it’s not the start of...
How One Piece of Paper Changes Parenting
I’m not going to lie… I cried. Today was my youngest child’s drivers test. The last of my little birdies to be launched into the world of driving themselves. She was scheduled to get it in June on her birthday but because of all the shut downs, her big day was...
Dear Parent of a 2020 Graduate
Dear Parent of a 2020 Graduate, I am sorry. I am so sorry for what is happening in our world that has affected your child’s senior year. It is heartbreaking. There is no nice way to convey how sad I am for you other than to say, “It sucks”. COVID-19 has disrupted...
I Worry about our Teenagers- the Extroverts, the Introverts and the Ones in Between
My daughter is tired of me. She’s had enough. An almost 16-year-old extrovert is not meant for isolation. She is wired for connection, friendship and community and her family of 5 isn’t cutting it anymore. Her eyes look different…I can see the lonely. The past 6...
All Too Soon…
Last weekend I was in Las Vegas, the City of Lights. Before you conjure ideas of a weekend filled with flashy shows, incredible restaurants and glitz and glamour, let me clarify. I was Las Vegas supporting my 15-year-old daughter at a 3-day long volleyball...
Parenting Teenagers Means Finding Hope in Little Moments
As parents, we never know. We don’t know if we are doing our job correctly as a parent--raising responsible and kind young people to gift to the world when we launch them into adulthood. We don’t know if our kids feel connected to us, that we have done enough to be...
What We Learned Working A High School Dance
One night can teach a lot. Because our daughters are in leadership, my dear friend Lisa and I volunteered this past weekend to work the high school homecoming dance selling waters. We were the hydration station and we had a prime spot to soak in the night. We saw...
Growing Up, One Last at a Time
“At some point in your childhood, you and your friends went outside to play together for the last time, and nobody knew it”. My oldest son grew up with friends like the boys from the movie "The Sandlot". They started kindergarten together and they were a force to...
One Word… Bittersweet
Yesterday we dropped my sweet middle child off at college. He has a new home now and it’s a milestone in his life for sure. And in mine. It's the day I have dreamed of and the day I have dreaded all wrapped up in one big good-bye hug. My heart is washed over...
