Dealing with the next big thing, and the next, when it comes to parenting.
Permission to Fail? I Don’t Think So.
My son got home late last evening. I wasn’t happy. He wasn’t happy. After his 13-hour day, with plenty of homework ahead, he looked tired and discouraged. His reason for being so late? An informational session on a scholarship program, and its first set of qualifying exercises. He perked up when he talked about it, […]
Put Your Kids to Work!
Kids? Organizing? Can the two ever mix?
Growth
“It’s just a tree,” I tell myself. But each day as I stare at it, poke at the dirt, stubbornly water the skeletal form, I know it’s more than a tree. It’s a connective thread – history holding the past to the present, and the present to the possibility of a future. It is hope. […]
The Kids Are Alright (Mine, That Is)
He’s taken the car. Already. He’s been traveling in France, Belgium and Holland for two months, home for eight hours, and he’s leaving already. Yup. That’s about right. But he asked politely, as usual. And first he hauled out bags of trash, asked what else he could do to help, and gave me a hug. […]
If It Ain’t Broke. . . Break It?
Sure, sure. We all know the saying. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And most of the time, it makes sense. Why mess with a good thing, right? In fact, I’m a proponent of the “if it aint’ broke” crowd in many circumstances, especially in relationships. For example, I won’t be pushed to a […]
Trickle Down Effect
Teaching children trickle down responsibility. And other life skills.
Teach Me to Fish. Please.
The rod, the reel, or the ready-made meal There are times you’re too rushed to get to everything scribbled on the daily checklist. Not even close. So you ask for help, and it arrives. You breathe a sigh of relief. There are times you’re too worn out to get anything done. You ask for help. […]
What WOULDN’T you do for your kid?
Is there anything you wouldn’t do for your children? I’ve been giving this question a great deal of thought lately. What wouldn’t I do for one of my kids? Hypothetically speaking, of course. Would I give up a kidney? Naturally. Bone marrow? Sure. Preferably if I could look at Hugh Laurie during the procedure. Would […]
What Do You Do When There’s Nothing You Can Do?
Sometimes, all you can do as a parent of teens is sit back and hold your breath.