A site for parents of teens striving for sanity
When COVID hit, I prayed and hoped it wouldn’t affect my son’s high school graduation. But as weeks went by, I could tell we were heading in the direction of a virtual graduation. I soon discovered that sometimes, because things don’t go as planned, doesn’t mean all is lost. The Class of 2020 will go down in history thanks to COVID19. What other class can…
Last night I tried to talk to my teen son about his new relationship. I wanted to know how he met the girl he was texting all the time. I wanted to gauge if the relationship was real or just virtual and if it could go down a bad path. But when I began to ask questions, he shut me down. So when our guest…
It’s Friday night and my 18-year-old son, Garret, is next to me on the couch. We are watching The Office and laughing. We are both relaxed and enjoying our evening and not for one second do either of us have FOMO, also known as Fear Of Missing Out. If there is any silver lining to this pandemic and the stay-at-home orders, it’s that we are…
Almost daily, I talk with a parent who is worried about their teenager. They are worried their teen is going to hang around all summer with nothing to do. Or they are worried their teen won’t be able to take the summer class they had planned to take. So, with that in mind, our guest blogger — an investment banker turned entrepreneur — caught our…
There really isn’t any easy way to tell your teens you and your spouse are separating. It’s one of the hardest decisions any married couple has to make. Many times it is one spouse who wants the separation more, so it’s harder on the one that doesn’t. Sometimes it is mutual. In either case, it’s sad, painful and life-altering for everyone — and something I…
Are we as parents of teenagers doing all we can to prepare them for high school, college or for the workplace? Are we collectively doing all we can to best support the next generation to function the best way possible in the real world? Are we supporting the next generation by way of offering them pivotal life skills? What I’m talking about is helping our…
Amid the effects of COVID-19, a lot of high school juniors are wondering how school closures will affect their college future. Without the structure and support their school normally provides, how can they stay on track to attend their dream college after graduation? Fortunately, just because your child is stuck at home doesn’t mean they can’t make meaningful progress towards college. By making a plan and using their…
My son is halfway out the door when I scream his name and ask where he is going. He is going to his friend’s house down the street. He tells me like it’s no big deal. Usually, it is no big deal. But times are different now, I tell him. We are supposed to be social distancing. I explain to my 18-year-old that I don’t…
These are not the best of times, but it certainly feels like the worst of times. The Coronavirus (COVID19), has taken over the world, literally, and the virus has changed the way we live, think, act—-basically, everything. The things we took for granted are no longer there such as going out to dinner, getting a haircut, getting your nails done, going to the gym, going…
Recently I noticed my son Matthew and his friends hanging out at our home more than usual. I didn’t think anything of it until I noticed when I would come home from work or working out, they would be in the family room just talking. It was more than light, teenage conversation. They were talking about serious topics like world peace, pro-life versus pro-choice, the…