Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 316
October 15, 2018
With Teens, the Nights are Long and the Days are Short
My “baby” boy turned twenty years old this week. TWENTY. That’s a “Whoa” birthday for a parent.
And as with every milestone birthday my kids have celebrated over the years, I go and rustle through my untidy and overstuffed office closet, carefully moving like an explorer in the jungle, to reach the piles of our family photo albums. I grab a towering stack and take to the floor for a little journey back in time.
I flip through countless, shiny pages that document The Days of My Kids’ Lives, pr...
This is 18 And I Didn’t Expect the Emotions
Eighteen years ago, I pulled you onto my belly, your newborn silky smoothness nestling into my stretched skin. My first baby, my first taste of motherly love, my first day of a forever-altered life. Eighteen years have gone by in a flash, and at the same time felt like an eternity. Eighteen years of snuggles and struggles, of worry and wonder, of incessant needs and incomparable joys. Eighteen birthdays, and here we are.
I’ve been through so many mothering milestones, I didn’t think any of th...
October 13, 2018
An Argument With My Teen Made Me Realize I Am Too Strict
As I dug around in my purse, looking for my keys, I yelled, “Let’s go! We are going to be late!” at the kitchen ceiling. Trying to herd two teenagers out the door to a doctor’s appointment on a day off from school is no easy task. I waited for the familiar sound of stomping feet on our staircase but it was silent.
“Guys, let’s GOOOOO!” I bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.
And then I heard the shower being turned on in the bathroom my two kids share.
My son had decided that our agreed upo...
My Teen has Dyslexia: Five Things I Want You to Know About Him
My child, like 15-20 percent of the population, has a language-based learning disability. In honor of Dyslexia Awareness Month, here’s what I’d like for other parents to know about my son with dyslexia.
1. He’s smart.In a world where AR levels are the talk of the mommy circuit, and where spelling/grammar errors are used to mock people all over the Internet, I want you to know my kid’s really smart. So smart he picks up on clues and context most people miss, even if he reads below grade level...
Five Free Campus Resources Your Teen Should Take Advantage of Now
As one of my daughter’s first college assignments at school, she had to write a blog post about the different resources college campuses are now offering. Boy, did it open her eyes (and mine) about some of the impressive programs available. Colleges have come a long way since the “sink or swim” approach they took more than 20 years ago in welcoming new students. More than ever before, colleges offer services that can help your son and daughter learn good life skills — from writing and studyin...
Only “Old People” Have Grown Children and Other Things I Used to Believe
I was never one to pay attention to my age. I’ve never really cared about that kind of thing. I’m not into fashion, so whether an outfit made me look older or younger or was “appropriate for someone my age” was never an issue. I’ve never worn make-up or tried to hide my wrinkles or frown lines, either. I’m not vain, and frankly, if I didn’t even have a mirror in my house, I probably wouldn’t notice.
Unlike lots of my friends, I never had a problem with milestone birthdays, and I’ve always bee...
October 12, 2018
We Asked 750 of You What Makes Marriage Work. Here’s What You Told Us
Many of the young people who grew up with my sons are getting married. Sometimes while sitting at their weddings, the tune and lyrics of “Sunrise, Sunset” starts playing in my head. Just as Tevye did, I wonder, “What words of wisdom can I give them. How can I help to ease the way?”
To help answer that question I asked the Grown and Flown Parents group, ”For those married 25 years or more, what is the one piece of advice you would give newlyweds on how to make a marriage work long term?” Over...
The Top Recommendation Sunday Items You Don’t Want to Miss
Recommendation Sunday is the must-see thread that starts off many Sunday mornings in out Grown and Flown Parents FB Group. In case you want to see what things made the top of the list last week, here they are.
Note: We receive compensation from purchases made through some of the links in this post.
Register to vote and help a newly-minted 18 year old to register, too.
Movies – A Star is Born, the new movie with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga and The Greatest Showman Singalong...
Four Reasons Why Teens Should Learn a Trade
In recent decades there has been a strong push in American education to prepare all high school students for college. Whether the intention has been to marginalize career and technical training or whether CTE classes have merely been collateral damage in the fight to raise academic standards and promote STEM courses, is unclear. What is clear is that fewer and fewer young people are pursuing careers as skilled tradespeople.
Considering 44 percent of employers report a talent shortage, it is f...
Girls Weekend: Time Away With My Forever Friends Brought it All Back
Our girls weekend is over. I’ve got a few towels and sheets to wash, but when you look around the house, there aren’t many signs that something fabulous happened here over the past five days. If you look closely, you might see some licorice, leftover key lime pie, a few goodies on the counter and a half-full bottle of wine.
WHS yearbooks are scattered on the sofa. And now there’s a framed freshman yearbook pic of one of the girls on my nightstand. The frame was a gift – the pic was a joke and...
