Many parents have pet names for their children, often from the time they are young. Things like Princess, Slugger, Buddy, Bubba, and yes, Pumpkin. Sometimes these nicknames are then picked up by other family members and friends, even when they don’t know the origin. Some nicknames stick through life, others […]
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Are You Excited for Parents’ Weekend?
This month is when colleges around the country invite parents to visit for Parents’ Weekend. The new students have had enough time to settle in and get comfortable with their surroundings and are ready to see Mom and Dad without being tempted to hide in their luggage on the return […]
7 Things Parents Need to Know About Applying to College
You may remember applying for college back in the dark ages (before every home had internet). Back then you had to research schools, which often involved a library trip or the purchase of the thick and pricey college “Bible,” Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges (which I just learned now has […]
How Involved Should Parents Be in the College Search?
If you are the parent of a junior or senior in high school, your child has likely gotten or will soon get more mail delivered to your home in the past few months than in their entire lifetime. Many of this will be in the form of glossy brochures and […]
My Reality-Too Young To Have Kids
There is no doubt in my mind that I had my children too young. It didn’t seem that way at the time, but I know better now. Just 21 years old when I had my first, I was naive and hopeful that everything would work itself out on its own […]
Two More Innocent Black Men Shot (The Next Hashtags)
Have you seen #terencecrutcher and #keithscott start to flood your newsfeed? Is it getting hard to keep them all straight in your mind? Philando Castile. Alton Sterling. Eric Garner. Tamir Rice. Michael Brown. Trayvon Martin. That’s what we do now, right? We watch the videos of innocent black people die because of their perceived […]
7 Reasons to Be Involved in Scouting as a Teen
Everyone knows about Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. After all, they are the two largest youth-serving organizations in the United States, with more than 4 million youth members between the two. Even so, membership starts to drop off as they enter middle and high school, for a number of […]
Dear Pre-Baby Me: How A Baby Will Change Your Marriage
Dear Pre-Baby Me: When you and your spouse bring your newborn home from the hospital, you’ll be prepared for your world to change. What you won’t be expecting, though, is how your marriage will change after you have a baby. After several years with your spouse, you’ll feel as though you have […]