I can’t help but think (OK, worry) about how we’re going to afford college. Because after all the pomp and circumstance of senior proms, college acceptance letters, and graduation parties comes tuition bills.
I’m Not Sad That My Kids Are Growing Up
October 17, 2018 1 Comment
It’s that time of the year again … when parents take over social media with sentimental posts of their kids heading back to school. Now a whole grade level higher and a few inches taller, we see proud kids smiling for the camera while their parents lament the passage of time. Among the many cry-face […]
12 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before My Kid Went to Middle School
October 17, 2018 Leave a Comment
Whether your child is entering middle school or junior high this year, chances are they’re a little nervous. After all, middle school is the big(ger) leagues, with a larger student body, unfamiliar campus, new teachers and staff, and yes … locker rooms. As a parent, you’re stressed, too. Your kid is growing up and it’s […]
American Girl’s Latest Puberty Book Is Just for Boys — and I Need It as Much as My Son
August 10, 2017 Leave a Comment
My soon-to-be 10-year-old son came to me yesterday and said, “Mom, I have a spider bite on my nose. It hurts.” That was no spider bite. It was a pimple. A BIG one. His first. “That, my friend, is a pimple,” I said with a lighthearted giggle. “Welcome to puberty!” He wasn’t amused. In fact, […]
Do You Check Your Kid’s Grades Online…Like, A Lot?
February 25, 2017 1 Comment
Step away from the grade portal…
46 Things No One Tells You About Parenting a Teenage Boy
December 9, 2016 1 Comment
If you think life with an almost-teenage boy is full of surprises, I’m here to tell you the biggest, baddest, and bestest is yet to come. More than big appetites and even bigger messes, parenting a teenage boy is magic and madness — and that’s what makes it so damn good. Bridging those years between boyhood […]
In Defense of the Simple School Dance Ask
December 5, 2016 Leave a Comment
His name was Brian and he was a junior. He had red hair, an ambitious goatee, and he liked me. I suppose I should have been flattered. As a shy freshman, I didn’t get the attention of boys — or upperclassmen — very often. One day after class, Brian approached me and said hello. I muttered […]
The Great Retainer Debate
October 24, 2016 Leave a Comment
I paid a lot of money for my kid to have a gorgeous and straight smile. Am I within my right to insist he wear his retainer? I think so.
Dear Son: These Are the 5 Best Decisions You’ll Ever Make
September 11, 2016 Leave a Comment
My Dear Son, Lately you’ve been hearing a lot about how the decisions you make today affect all your tomorrows. I see you taking it all in. Worrying. Wondering. You mentioned there didn’t seem to be room for mistakes anymore. I tried to assure you mistakes were yours for the making — a rite of […]
13 Things I Learned from My First Week of High School
September 1, 2016 Leave a Comment
Hi everyone, it’s Boy Wonder. This week I started high school as a freshman. The bad news is that the week was terribly long. The good news is that I learned some things that might come in handy for kids starting high school soon. Take a look:
MOMMYFRIEND 