And then one day, if you’re really lucky, they’ll have teenagers too and the circle will close. Ahh, the sweet smell of justice!
teens
Friends Call BS When School Demands Girl Cover Her Scars
Imagine if you suffered a brutal attack as a young teen. You survived, but you bore scars of your attacker up and down your arms. Perhaps you’d be ashamed or embarrassed. Or perhaps you’d see them as reminders of what you endured. As part of the healing process, you’d likely be counseled to work through […]
The Surprising Way Parents’ Memories Protect Teens
Looking at small babies, it is easy to think only of the positives. I remember the quiet times: the cozy cuddles, the soft pats, the sweet coos, that unmistakable baby smell. I don’t let my mind go to the shrill screams, the smell of the diaper pail, the sleepless nights. The positive memories very much […]
Enthusiasm for Childhood Favorites Is Not Limited to Old Folks
As our kids enter middle school a seriousness descends on them. Anything associated with small children is “childish” and must be forsaken. As a stay at home parent who was present when friends were over, I noted that this opinion was flexible; it really only came out when peers were present. If alone in the […]
15 Teen-Approved Ways to Say I Love You
Each February, after we get over the excitement of a weather-predicting rodent, the world becomes full of pink and red hearts and silly bow-and-arrow-carrying cherubs. It is natural around this time to think about ways to let our loved ones know how we feel. Though teenagers sometimes act as though they don’t want to give […]
When You Know You’re Parenting Teenagers
The years tend to sneak up. One day you bring a newborn home, and then you blink and have a sassy school age child. Another blink and you have a small adult in front of you. Of course children grow and become more independent all this time, but it happens gradually, in small ways […]
How to Find Stories That Will Make Them Put Down the Smartphone
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 joy and angst. Just because […]
Are Teens Too Old to Trick-or-Treat?
Teenagers occupy a strange in-between world. They are no longer children, but they are not yet adults. They are quick to abandon “babylike” things, then almost as quick to regret that they have done so. It is during the teen years that many of us start to wonder why we ever wished so hard to […]