The teen years are different. Even after living with your children for more than a decade, you find your relationship changes. Sure, you have dealt with growing pains and increasing demands for independence, but things change in a more subtle way as they hit the teen years, in ways that […]
The end of the year is a good time to both reflect and plan. There is much talk about resolutions and just as many jokes about how long these promises will last. We hear so much about New Year’s Resolutions that it sounds like making them something we must do, […]
Nowadays, a few weeks a year have become my “collecting weeks.” With two currently in college, in geographically opposite directions, one an hour and the other five hours away, this means three days of travel and loading/unloading the car. It’s a hassle and an expense, but, to quote a popular […]
There are definitely benefits to having only older children, but sometimes I miss having little ones around. Once they all got past a certain age, Christmas changed. It lost some of its magic. Sure we continued with traditions, but it wasn’t quite the same. I don’t think there are many […]
In my experience, teens tend to be altruistic. This may sound strange to some, as these same individuals are also self-absorbed and seem to be oblivious to much of what goes on around them, but I stand by my statement. The teens I know care about people. They care about […]
Babies and small children are precious, and I tend to get a bit nostalgic for days gone by. My children are all adults now; the two youngest are in college. Having spent almost of all of my adult life as a parent, I am just now discovering what it is […]
When my kids were in school, they sometimes were assigned group projects. Many times, the teacher selected the groups, rather than allowing students to always work with their friends. (This may make the work less fun, but when you friend is a slacker, you appreciate this.) Sometimes, these projects caused […]
Last month was Family History Month. As we move into November and December, many of us are likely to get together with family, both old and young. In today’s busy families, the holidays may be the only time generations get to spend time together. This can be a cause for […]