Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 295

How To Help Your Teen Be More Productive And Motivated

“It is eleven o’clock. You should go to sleep now.”

“But I haven’t finished my homework yet.”

This common exchange between my 13-year-old daughter and me occurs more often than I care to admit. Even though she gets home at 2 pm, she often procrastinates completing her homework until right before bedtime. She is also a repeat offender of waiting until the last minute to start research projects.

Being productive when completing homework or in a job is an issue for many teenagers who are easily...

Kelly Corrigan’s Advice to the Class of 2019: You Are Your Own Good News

An open letter to every high school senior waiting to hear back from college admissions:

There’s a story about a farmer that’s been circulating for thousands of years that’s worth considering as you react to whatever news you get this week.

So there’s a farmer, let’s call him Joe. Joe had a horse, let’s call the horse Big Red. One morning, Big Red ran away. Word spread and all his neighbors said something like: OMG that sux! to which Joe said: We’ll see, and went back to tending his crops, be...

This Is Why 90s Prom Was Epic And Awesome

Recently, I saw a friend’s post about how her son asked his girlfriend to prom and, I’m not going to lie: my husband didn’t go through nearly as much trouble when he asked me to marry him 25 years ago. Gone are the days when you stood by your locker and hoped that the cute guy from Biology asked you to the prom between third and fourth periods.

Nowadays, going to prom is a big deal. Like, a really big deal.

And seeing elaborate promposals and pictures of gowns that cost more than my wedding m...

A College Freshman Explains Why Getting Sick At College Really Stinks

“Ok, I think that’s everything you’ll need for the foreseeable future,” my mom said as she dropped the remaining boxes into my dorm room.

Everything from boxes of cereal to toilet paper to notebooks filled the floor, desk, and bathroom of my apartment-style living arrangement. After an hour of unpacking, organizing, and cleaning (mostly spearheaded by my mom), I said my teary goodbyes to my family and began living on my own for the first time in my life.

The nerves and excitement surrounding...

12 Things Parents of Middle Schoolers Need to Know About High School

Entering high school is a big deal, but many of us are so busy managing the totally new world of having middle schoolers and the emotional roller coasters that kick into gear during those years (our kids’ and our own) that we don’t even thinkof what we should be doing to prepare our kids for the next stage until it’s too late. By the time eighth grade rolls in, we’re already running behind, discovering things we should have been doing or paying attention to as early as sixth grade.

Yes, I lea...

Why I Stopped Questioning My Teen’s Commitment To Sports And Activities

My teenaged son was hunched over at his desk in his bedroom and his hazel eyes looked at me in pain. He was an emotional mess because he felt like he couldn’t commit to everything going on in his life.

“I’m exhausted, Mom. I can’t do it all. And all I keep hearing from my teachers is that I’m not committed enough. If I could just work harder, I know I could commit more,” he cried.

After burning the candle at both ends during his sophomore year of high school, my son broke down and gave into t...

Why A Giant Pair Of Nike Sneakers Made Me Cry In A Shoe Store

I’ve never been one to turn on the tears at will, but since becoming a mother they just sneak up on me sometimes. It could be my son reading a poem in front of the class or my oldest helping a friend, or yes, even a sappy TV commercial that cues the waterworks.

But I really didn’t think it would happen in a shoe store. Nike, to be specific.

I started buying Nikes for my wild boys several years ago. I’m not into name brands, but I realized how much longer these particular shoes seemed to last...

Do Teens Lack Impulse Control and Behavioral Brakes?

It’s a fear we have as parents long before our kids enter their teen years: What if our kid makes a terrible, compulsive decision that permanently alters the course of their lives? We have our own memories of engaging in risky behavior. We may have watched helplessly as friends slid down rabbit holes of drug use and dropped out of school or were convicted of criminal activity or even harmed themselves somehow because of one poorly considered act.

I was a wild child myself, and I often marvel...

To The Man Who Scolded My Husband For Allowing My Son To Major In Acting

Dear Sir,

I suspect you may not remember the brief encounter. It was late. After 9pm. You were behind my husband at the checkout line at our local grocery store. The cashier was the daughter of one of our friends. When the cashier asked my husband what my son was up to these days, you heard him tell her that our son was at college in New York majoring in acting.  That’s when you took it upon yourself to tell my husband how irresponsible it was to waste money on such a frivolous and useless de...

5 Things You Should Expect Your Busy Teen To Do This Year

We know our teens are busy, so we don’t want to make them wake up early on a Saturday morning to go off to work. Instead, we allow them to sleep in and lovingly continue to pay for their gas and cell phone bill.

We know our sons and daughters are busy, so we don’t want to bother them when they are scrolling social media, playing video games or binge-watching Netflix shows in their downtime.

We know our kids are busy, so we don’t want to burden them with anything else and continue to do everyt...