Why World Kindness Day is important for tweens and teens
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” ~ Aesop Happy World Kindness Day, a global celebration dedicated to paying i forward and focusing on the good. Kindness Day first began when a collection of humanitarian groups from several nations, now known as the World Kindness Movement, united on November 13, 1997 and […]
12 Fun Advent calendars for teens and tweens
Advent calendars are hugely popular right now, and they make great gifts for teens and tweens. They’re a wonderful way to countdown to Christmas and the holidays. Teens and tweens love getting a fun treat each day. Advent calendars are simple and fun to give, and easy to wrap, too. It’s a fun way to […]
A few of my favorite things: Parent of a HS senior edition
Between filling out the FAFSA, figuring out senior portraits, reassuring the teen that she really is not the only one not going to Mexico for spring break, and considering colleges on top of the usual roller coaster of teen parenting, raising a high school senior can be a lot. I’ve found that there are a […]
How parents can use Banned Books Week to help kids become lifelong readers
Want to get a teen or tween to do something? Tell them that they’re not allowed. Banned Books Week, which takes place the last week in September, is a great way to encourage kids to read. Point out that in certain places, they would not be allowed to read particular books. This year’s theme for […]
Favorite pieces about raising adolescents that I’ve read recently and found helpful
Raising older kids is complex and often confounding. The landscape in which that happens today is ever-changing. Those are two reasons why the internet is full of information about parenting teens. Here are a few favorite pieces about raising adolescents that I’ve read recently. Three ways to teach kids to find compassion and empathy behind […]
Come From Away is the perfect teaching tool to help my teen understand about 9/11 and to help all ages appreciate kindness
My 17-year-old was born 11 months after the horrific events of September 11, 2001. I’ve struggled with how to explain the day to her and how to convey the intense emotions of that day and the days after. We’ve been to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, where we listened to a recording about […]
Q&A with Michael Horn, author of Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life
Teens are complicated. So are colleges. So the process of helping a teen select the right college(s) for them is not an easy process. (That’s an understatement and a half.) A new book, Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life by Michael Horn and Bob Moesta, helps both parents and kids […]
The first of the lasts
This book, Grover Goes to School by Dan Elliott and illustrated by Norman Chartier, was published in 1982. My parents read it to me when I was headed off to first grade. My mom kept the book and I found it in a box of books she passed along to me when I became a […]
3 tips for making the most of Maui with teens
My neighbors are on vacation in Maui with their teens. They’ve posted some fabulous photos on social media and it’s a treat to live vicariously through them. We recently took a family trip to Maui, too, so it’s also been fun to literally see how two families with teens can have really different but equally […]
Reminder: Parenting teens is hard, and you’re doing the best you can
I don’t know who needs to read this today, but here’s a reminder that raising teenagers is not for the faint of heart. What you are doing is hard. Some days, it’s really, really freaking hard. That does not, however, mean that you are doing it wrong. It means that guiding another human being through […]