Drowsy driving: The dangerous behavior we’re not doing enough to warn our kids about
You’ve probably talked with your kids about not drinking and driving, right? And it’s likely that a fair number of your have addressed not doing drugs and driving, especially if you’re like me and live in a state in which cannabis has been legalized. But have you talked to your teens about not driving when […]
Christmas Scavenger Hunt Clues
A beloved tradition in my family and for many Between Us Parents readers is the Christmas scavenger hunt. It’s a tradition started by my dad when my brother and I were little and it grew as we did. It’s a particularly fun activity for tweens and teens. I have done it with my daughter and […]
14 Things to Love about Teens
Teenagers need a PR makeover. They have a bit of a bad rap. While adolescence is undoubtedly full of craziness, there are many things to love about teens. Here are 14 of my favorite things. HumorTeens can be hilarious. And their laughter is the best. We recently hosted 14 high school seniors for dinner in […]
New socially-isolated fun activities with teens
Is the physical distancing and hunkering down at home starting to make days feel like Groundhog Day? Yup, here, too. We are trying to add some interest and diversity to our days by finding some news ways to have fun. Here are some new socially-isolated fun activities we’ve enjoyed the past few weeks, even the […]
Best reads with helpful advice on raising teens in quarantine from this past week
Times are strange, and that may be the understatement of the century. (I feel I can safely say that given that 1918 was the last time there was a pandemic similar to this one.) While everything feels odd right now, I find raising a teen in quarantine to generate some of my strongest feelings. This […]
15 Uplifting quotes for getting through quarantine
A message board in our house has become a place of inspiration where we share the words and wisdom of those who have gone before us and faced their own hardships. Times are tough, no doubt, but these uplifting quotes for getting through quarantine provide some inspiration, motivation and perspective. “Although the world is full […]
Thank you, Gov. Pritzker, for saying exactly what students need to hear right now
Governor J.B. Pritzker of Illinois has stepped up as a leader during the Covid crisis and while I can’t say I was a huge fan of his prior to this time, he’s won me over and I’ve been impressed. At his daily briefing yesterday, he delivered a message directly to students and I loved his […]
The best way to spend 15 minutes with your teen today
The Office is a huge hit with teens, and most are big fans. Star John Kransinski yesterday released a YouTube video show called Some Good News. It’s 15 minutes long, and I feel pretty confident saying that watching it together is the best 15 minutes you can spend with your teen. You can see it […]
What I’ve learned about parenting a teen during quarantine
The past week of parenting a teen during quarantine has been interesting, to say the least. Here’s what I’ve learned in this time of incredible uncertainty and stress. Every kid is different. Every parent is different. Heck, every hour is different. That means that we as parents are called up on to be flexible and […]
How a night of improv changed my parenting perspective during these crazy days
Parents of tweens and teens improvise regularly, and with Covid-19 impacting life in a myriad of ways and the situation continually evolving, it’s clear that we are all going to be doing some (or a lot of) improv at some point in the near future. These unprecedented times have me thinking back on the lessons […]