Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 296

Twelve Things NOT To Do When Your Teen Gets Accepted To College

My daughter is officially going to college. I’ll be honest, I don’t think there are seven words that I’ve ever had such a difficult time wrapping my head around. Obviously, I’m elated, proud, and excited, but I also feel like the wind has been knocked out of me and a little bit like I may or may not have eaten bad sushi. Add “younger” to the syntax and you may want to take a few steps back.

To have college acceptances midway through senior year—even if they’re not places where she’ll ultimate...

Who Else Is Completely Done With The Focus On GPAs?

Over the past several years, more colleges have become standardized “test optional.” This trend has brought relief to countless high school students and their parents, as more people realize that focusing on that single snapshot of those three, anxiety-producing hours is not always an accurate reflection of how a student will succeed in college.

Some kids are excellent test-takers but some suffer from debilitating  stress that causes them to freeze up and forget even simple math formulas. Som...

Should Parents Be Concerned That Teens Are Using Cannabidiol (CBD)?

Recently, on a trip to New York City, my daughter and I had brunch at a well-known eatery in the Meat Packing District. As we waited for our huge plates of pancakes and eggs to arrive, I noticed a sign on the table. “Put CBD in your coffee” was in bold red letters, right next to the sugar packets and extra napkins. Though I had already ordered a Bloody Mary (hey, it was Sunday and that’s what you do at brunch, right?), I was curious.

Before that morning at brunch, I knew very little about can...

Learning to Say Goodbye is an Overrated Skill

I scoffed at the parents, briefcases in hand, dressed smartly, waving furiously and tearing up at the “Goodbye Window.” I donned an ensemble of sweats, maybe even the t-shirt I’d slept in, and a hat and down jacket long enough to cover the entire mess. My eldest son was three and a half and I’d drop him each morning in the ‘green room,’ his younger siblings in tow. Sometimes literally drop him.

I had no time for drawn out goodbyes, for melodrama, for prolonging this chore. My baby was fussing...

I Realize Now That My Mom Probably Had Dreams, Too

My forties have been a time of introspection and reckoning. In truth, I am happier than I ever have been. Being younger definitely does not equal being happier, at least not in my experience. Knowing who I am and not caring what other people think has been an absolute pleasure in this decade of life.

But, I’ve still got dreams. One is to have writing be my next career. I’d also love to see more of the world by traveling. The problem is that I am bound by family, financial, and career obligati...

All The Advice Parents Need On Prom In Sevenish Words

Prom, for better or worse, we all remember ours. And as it is always a huge topic on the Grown and Flown Parents group so we asked our veteran parents to help our first-timers by giving them their best promo advice in seven words.

Almost 600 responses poured in.

Prom Advice in Seven Words WHO TO GO WITH

It’s OK to go dateless friends ROCK! Mande Williams Kalbfleisch
Your date should be a friend= FUN! Tricia Todora Grove
He found his date on Tinder. Seriously! Anne Marie Humphries
No date requ...

A Visit From Child Protective Services Changed How I Parented My Teens

“Child Protective Services was just here looking for you,” my husband said. Marty, a curly-haired, real estate lawyer with a great sense of humor, had been waiting for me in our lobby as I returned from the park pushing our sons in their double stroller.

“Ha-Ha – very funny,” I answered.

“No, seriously,” he said. “I thought it was Joe’s idea of a joke,” he continued, referring to a prankster friend. “But they left a note with the doorman.”

My smile faded. Our rambunctious toddlers, Justin and...

Fake ID: How Teens Get Them And How They Can Get Caught

It’s news to absolutely no one that underage teens drink alcohol and finding access to it is relatively easy for those who choose to seek it out. The tried and true methods that some of us may have utilized decades ago when we were minors are still effective today. Kids get alcohol from friends, older siblings and even parents – who either willingly hand it over themselves, or who don’t realize it’s being swiped from a home liquor cabinet.

“Shoulder tapping” is still a thing as well. Underage...

I Got Drunk At My Sister’s Wedding, That Was The Last Time I Drank

I had two very good reasons for crouching beside the main table at my sister’s wedding; my parents could not see what I was doing and I needed more alcohol.

The dance floor stretched out behind me, but people weren’t dancing anymore. I reached up to grab the wine glasses left by other guests and quickly downed whatever remained in them. The bar had closed at 11pm and I could not allow the feeling I had to wear off. I had been having a grand old-time flirting with the valet, riding around in t...

With True Friendship, You Don’t Even Need to See Each Other

My best friend and I have not seen each other for six months. We’ve been texting lately, having fun planning a girls’ weekend.

We want to go to a spa, that’s for certain. But we aren’t sure when and we aren’t sure where. The thing is, we aren’t in too much of a hurry– we know we will get around scheduling, planning, and seeing each other– because we always do.

We also know that it will be therapeutic and healing and push our reset button and allow us to reenter  our everyday lives as better w...