Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 345

15 Brutally Honest Dos and Don’ts For College Dorm Roommates

It was the day I’d both dreamed about and dreaded for months: dorm room move-in day. As a local starting at Arizona State University in the fall of 1987 (I lived just 20 minutes up the road) I had opted for the random roommate option in hopes of meeting someone new, showing her the ins and outs of the University and its cute town that I’d grown up around, and being her instant new BFF, obviously.

I arrived – freshly lettered from sorority rush — loaded down with my ruffly new pink and green f...

In The Face of Unthinkable Tragedy, Let’s Choose Compassion

Last night, our twin sons, graduating seniors, were leaving the house to go to a neighbor’s. As I often do, I warned them about driving, speeding, texting while driving, etc., and how if anything happened to one them of……well, one of the boys casually replied: “I’m not going to get into an accident.”

And I looked at him and said, “Do you know how stupid that sounds? No one plans to get into an accident. That’s why it’s called an accident.” We woke up the next morning to horrific news. Two boy...

10 Healthy Dorm Snacks That Won’t Make Parents (And Their Kids) Cringe

When our kiddos go away and start living in the dorms, it’s easy for their diet to go downhill really fast. Remember the late nights or ordering pizza, Ramen Noodles, and that stash of candy bars you used to delve into while studying or coming home after a fun, wild night out? Yeah, me too.

My mom sent me a few care packages that saved me from grabbing the phone and ordering bread sticks or hitting the campus store for some unhealthy alternative. In fact, it was refreshing to have something w...

Moms Of Graduates, Here’s Why You Deserve A Graduation Party, Too

It’s been four long years.

Four. Long. Years.

Although let’s be honest, the high school years fly by faster than the first six weeks of motherhood do. And ironically enough, there are moments during the high school years that sting with just as much exhaustion and frustration that those early weeks of taking care of a newborn do. (Albeit while your newborn never slept, your teenager never stop sleeping.)

But when you finally reach that blissful finish line of K-12 education that comes with a...

How Much Should We Tell Our Teens About Our Bad Choices In High School?

I was a typical teenager circa 1980. I stole packs of cigarettes from the Marlboro Light carton on top of the fridge. I experimented with weed and drank enough that I feel lucky to have never run afoul of fate or the law. When I wasn’t running the streets, I was busy hiding my shenanigans from my parents with varying degrees of success.

Now, when I reflect on the highlight reel of my youth through the parental lens, I freak the freak out.

There should be a Serenity Prayer for parents in this...

My Teen Has Acne And I’m the One Who is Struggling

I am the proud mother of a very handsome 14-year-old son. He’s tall, takes very good care of his hair, but occasionally skips a shower and sprays AXE body spray all over himself in the kitchen while I’m eating my breakfast. Other than that his hygiene is pretty good. I hear him wash his hands after he uses the loo, and he doesn’t (usually) wear the same shirt two days in a row.

He always had gorgeous skin that is smooth and supple, but like most teens after going through the joys of puberty,...

10 Celebrity Graduation Speeches That Will Make You Stand Up And Cheer

What’s the best part of a graduation ceremony? While a lot of people might say, “The end!” because so many seem to go on forever, the speeches are usually the crowd favorites.

Whether it’s a high school or a college commencement, speakers are chosen carefully. Student speakers are distinguished graduates who are often overflowing with emotion and gratitude for their fellow students. You can feel their pride and anxious anticipation for the future.

Guest speakers, especially the well-known pub...

I Won’t Argue With My Teens About Their Style Choices

My teenage daughter recently got a “cut” in her eyebrow. At first, I didn’t know what she meant when she said she wanted to do it, so she showed me a few pictures. That night, her father took her to the salon and she got a slit shaved in her brow. I love it, she loves it, and now she wants two cuts in her brow– I told her to go for it.

After going to school the next day with her new eyebrow do, she told me a few of her friends told her they didn’t like it and asked her if it was done on purpo...

Scary Mommy Founder Jill Smokler Talks Raising Teens, Second Acts And Guilty Pleasures

If you follow parenting blogs, chances are you know Jill Smokler, the powerhouse behind the popular parenting website Scary Mommy. Smokler started the media empire ten years ago, as she tells it, from her bed as she was navigating the waters of raising three small children. “I found myself looking for a village of moms who were like me,” she tells Grown and Flown. “When you become a parent, you find yourself surrounded by women who all basically had sex around the same time and were thrown in...

This is Why Teens Find Their Moms Annoying

A few days ago, I was stuck in traffic on a long drive with my oldest son who is twenty-six and we started talking about mothers. His mother, my mother, and mothers in general. I know that my sons find me annoying at times and I accept that it goes with the mom territory.

But my son wanted me to know that it’s really not just me. So, since he is a person who likes visual aids, he explained it this way:

Now that we have established that all people get annoyed by their mothers, the big questio...