Teen party planner “Can I have a few people over?” Excuse me? “Saturday night. Can I have a few people over? We’ll sit outside, in the back.” This was unusual. Four sentences. I realize he can talk, and with animation, but generally only when there’s a girl around, or the girl, the OMG hot blonde […]
The Scene of the Crime, the Pleasure of a Hat, a Mother’s News
Intestinal fortitude. A great hat. A mother’s happiness. Friday was a good day. Need a little back story? Oh, the dilemma of working from home! How we weary of wrestling with isolation; writers in particular need an occasional dose of living beings – especially since that’s generally what we write about. And if you’re single […]
Techno-Rescue (Kids Kick Butt!)
Let’s hear it for teens with techie talents, remote connection software, and loads of patience for their weary and whiny parents, far far away. A few nights ago, the audio on my laptop stopped working. Bit the dust. Dead. Nada. D-A-M-N-A-T-I-O-N. I wanted to play my favorite DVD! Yes, a chick flick. I tried control […]
Is College Still the Brass Ring? (Teen Stress, College Prep, College Applications)
Is college still the brass ring? With many parents financially strapped and savings wiped out, it’s only natural that we reconsider college for our sons and daughters. Once, it was a given that those four years meant the education needed to succeed, and essential experiences to test independence. My 18-year old is now a freshman […]
Six tips to beat holiday blues
BAM! ZAP! THWAK! Holy holidays, Batman! I flipped on the boob tube Halloween afternoon and what flashed across the screen? Christmas commercials – already!?! I’m all for boosting GNP, but do I have to fight the holiday blues this soon? For many of us, this premature, picture-perfect presentation of hyped-up-happy times is either irritating as […]
Parenting Tips: When Kids Are Ready for Home Alone
I recently described a transatlantic booty call from an old friend – with the possibility of a free trip to Paris (compliments of his generosity). French sex versus responsible parenting? For me, it’s a no-brainer; I received commiseration from the single moms (how romantic, how nice to dream, etc.), and from the single dads – […]
French Sex vs Proper Parenting
Yesterday, late afternoon, my cell flashed a number I didn’t recognize, but with a country code that I did. 33. France. That fine, flourishing, familiar place where I have friends – and lovers. The country that is home to my heart, where the streets energize me, the wine transports me, the art – even more […]
Family photos reveal changing dynamics
He was walking out the door with a red silk tie bound around his forehead, as his curls poked out from under a baseball cap and a brightly colored beanie – complete with propeller. As for the rest of him – let’s just say – I burst out laughing and reached for my nearby camera. […]
Parenting from a peripheral planet
The thing is – we remember when they were completely dependent on us, and we were the center of their universe. That makes the shift to the periphery a struggle. For us, not them. A teenager’s world may be built on a foundation lovingly laid, brick by brick, by one parent, two parents, grandparents, aunts, […]
Bread Crumbs, Stale Crusts, Potions: I Don’t Talk About My Ex
They aren’t lies, exactly – the things I say to my children about their father. I don’t talk about my ex much – not with them, and certainly not here except obliquely. Yet you may sense him in the background. An occasional presence, a haze, a storm brewing. You