Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 293

How I’ve Made Peace With The Mess: The Counter Kondo Stance

I’m sitting on my front porch listening to the sound of a tennis racquet collide with my china cabinet. There’s a spirited battle going on inside my home, but it’s not what you may be picturing.                     

My sons, 16, and 13, have dragged two chairs into the middle of our family room, which connects to the kitchen, for yet another impromptu game of indoor tennis.

Their net is the throw blanket that, moments earlier, sat neatly folded on the couch. Waiting in the wings is their 11-...

5 Tips To Help Your Teen Transition to College

When my daughter began the college search process as a high school junior, it was an exciting time busy with SAT/ACT preparations, school visits and dreams about the new experiences she would have upon graduating from high school. Fast forward to the month before she was to move into her new dorm at a nearby university and the feelings were a little bit different. Still excited, but lots of nervous energy and fear of the unknown.

Packing up her clothes and favorite personal items to take to s...

Why You Need To Teach Your Kids To Value Your Time

My daughter sent me a text from school alerting me that her charger didn’t work and she needed a new one as soon as humanly possible. When I responded to her letting her know that we would add that to our weekend errands, she wondered why I wasn’t able to scoot out and get one so it would be waiting for her when she got home from school.

Her lovely response: “Why do I have to wait so long? Why can’t you go get one today?”

Sometimes moms need to make themselves priority one (Alena Ozerova/ Shu...

Parents, Please Don’t Attend Your Young Adult’s Job Interview (Seriously)

Dear Parents —I know you want the best for little Dylan or Caitlyn but please, please, don’t attend their job interviews with them.  And, when I say “little Dylan,” I’m not thinking of a teenager looking for extra hours doing odd jobs. I’m talking about 21- and 22-year-old college graduates looking for their first job in their chosen field.

It may seem crazy that a parent would even contemplate doing this, but apparently the parents used to “managing” their children’s careers through high sch...

Senior Year of High School Is Filled With Bittersweet Moments

I had a senior moment this morning. Not the kind where you forget something—although I do have plenty of those these days. I’m talking about the kind you have when your last kid is a senior in high school.

It happened when I received an email from the school district with next year’s calendar. I almost read it when I realized, “Hey, what the heck do I care how long Christmas break is—I’m done here.” And last week when we got a call about a delayed opening I thought, “Wow, I won’t be getting t...

Do Cell Phones Bother Everyone In The Classroom? Science Says Yes

It’s logical to assume that having a phone out during class would be distracting to the person using the phone. But what about other students in the class? Can a seemingly minor distraction like the occasional vibration or flashing screen from a nearby device affect others’ learning?

A recent study performed at Rutgers University is making a strong case that yes, devices in the classroom impact learning. Researchers discovered a disconcerting correlation between the presence of cell phones an...

Do Co-Ed Dorms Lead To More Drinking and At-Risk Behaviors?

On the whole, today’s teenagers are really, really great kids. Studies continue to show that, in general, they’re engaging in fewer risky behaviors than previous generations. Campuses are rife with high achieving, morally grounded young people, whose academic pursuits clearly leave little time for nefarious behaviors like keg parties and late night hook ups.

However, when researchers at the University of Minnesota looked at drinking and other at-risk behaviors that college students were engag...

What It’s Really Like Shopping With A Teenage Boy

I like to shop, and I’m not just talking about buying clothes, shoes, and handbags (but yes please).

I also enjoy going to the grocery store and picking out ingredients for a Mexican feast, my mom’s homemade macaroni and cheese, or an over the top chocolate cake decorated with peanut butter cups.

And taking a stroll through a home improvement store to get supplies to paint or fix a leaky faucet is kind of exciting and a relaxing way to spend a Saturday.

My daughter is with me all the way on t...

This Mom’s Genius Rice Krispies Treat Care Package Will Make You Smile

Sending our kids off to college isn’t easy. They are homesick and we secretly miss their messy bedrooms and noisy friends underfoot. It can be a tough adjustment for everyone and, sometimes, the only thing that helps is a care package from home.

Some moms have taken care packages to next level amazing. Crafty boxes, witty sayings, and gorgeous, Pinterest worthy care package execution can make us non crafty moms feel like we suck at sending gifts from home.

But, not all heroes carry glue guns...

A Brief Encounter With A 10-Year-Old Stranger Changed My Future

As many parents of teenagers understand, our time to connect with them is rare and valuable. Add in the competition of the illustrious cell phone, and eye contact with these teens is almost nonexistent. So, as my daughter and I walked into her orthodontist appointment, I made a conscious effort to focus only on her and to ask about her day. In just two minutes, I was able to learn about her finals and even get her to laugh with me about her chewed-up retainer (thanks to our sweet dog, Cosmo!)...