Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 365
January 31, 2018
Here’s How to Show Teens We Love Them, Every Day
My son came home from school the other day, had a really hard work out, and was worn out. While he was taking a nap, I made him a special snack– he loves hearty protein shakes and I wanted it to be ready for him when he woke up. He didn’t ask me, I did it out of love.
I hate to admit this, but it’s rare I do things like this for my kids these days. Yes, I make dinner every night, and take care of them when they are sick, but they take charge when they are home and make their own breakfast, lu...
How To Handle Devastating News When Your Kid is Going to College
Last Spring, our family was on a high. My daughter had been accepted to her dream college with a generous scholarship. The fact that it was in New York while we live in California didn’t bother me. I had gone far away from home when I went to college. I had survived. So had my parents. Besides, the technology available today makes it so much easier to keep in touch now than back in the days that I was in college. And I knew that in the event of dire emergency, I could be at my daughter’s side...
January 30, 2018
Accepted to a Reach School? 5 Things to Consider First
The conventional wisdom in today’s competitive climate of applying to college suggests that every high school senior should send applications to target, safety and reach schools.
Each student’s reach school will be unique to them, but by definition, a reach school for most students is one that is highly selective and has a very low acceptance rate. Or, it is a certain program within a school that is highly touted and very competitive.
As acceptance rates continue to decline yearly at many col...
How to Help Your Young Athlete Manage the Pressure to Win
My daughter broke the high school record for pole vault in the first meet of her freshman year. She had gone into that meet full of fear. I had found her crying in her bedroom the night before, feeling the pressure to win at her sport.
“What if I suck?” she whispered, a pained look on her face. “Everyone’s going to be watching me. I don’t want to let the coach down.”
She had taken up the sport in junior high and gotten the attention of the high school coach. Everyone was looking forward to se...
January 29, 2018
Here are the Seven Unexpected Perks of Having Teenagers
With each of my pregnancies, I was terribly sick. It wasn’t uncommon for me to pull over and throw up on the side of the road or to leave a classroom full of seventh graders unattended while I vomited in the teacher’s lounge. One day at school when I was looking particularly green and pasty, another teacher, who was also a seasoned mother, offered me this little nugget of wisdom: “You think you’re sick now? Just wait until she’s a teenager.”
Shockingly, not only did her words of encouragement...
Why I Need A Break From My Kids Now They Are Teenagers
My kids push my buttons every day, sometimes more than they did when they were younger. It makes sense, after all, they’ve had more time to perfect the art of pissing mom off.
While I like a good teasing session (which they do a lot), I’m not talking about that. I am talking about the energy moms spend on teenagers. It’s more of a mental than physical game these days. Sure, I’m running them all over different towns and on their backs about not eating out of a peanut butter jar, or waiting unt...
Born to Be Wild: Why Teens Take Risks and How Parents Can Help
It’s a boy. A boy. And yet another boy.
The ultrasound confirmed that I was officially a Mom of triplet sons which meant I was going to have my work cut out for me. It wasn’t the dirt and grime or nonstop action of raising young boys that scared me. The thought of having three sons who would grow into teenagers with a natural ‘need for speed’ is what intimidated me.
Our trio are now sophomores in high school and the new book Born to Be Wild: Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep The...
January 28, 2018
This is What Happened When I Started Stepping Back From My Teens
A few months ago, my daughter was upstairs in her room and I asked her to come down; we were watching a movie and I wanted her to be with us. She didn’t want to, she needed time alone and I told her I missed her. “We’ve been together so much mom, it’s fine,” she answered.
I did the same thing with my son the following afternoon– my youngest was playing in his room alone and I said, “Jack why don’t you bring your toys downstairs come hang out?” He told me he was too busy.
When I pick up my ki...
How to Discuss #MeToo With Your Teenage Son
My daughters are big personalities. Not only are they tall, they are intellectually assertive and always have strong opinions. No wonder it came as a surprise to their younger brother, who could barely get a word in for most of his childhood, to discover that women are more likely to be dominated, abused and underpaid in society at large.
In our family equality is implicit, and my husband and I have always spoken to our daughters about owning their own power. Without wanting them to mistr...
January 27, 2018
When it’s Time to Have a Baby No One Says, “Let’s Have a Teenager!”
No couple wanting to start a family, looks at each other with shining eyes and hopeful expectations and says, “Let’s have a teenager.”
Pre-Mommy and Pre-Daddy have a vision of their life with Baby, the tiny human whom they will love with all of their heart and soul. Of course, they will. That tiny person is born bright, shiny, and beautiful. Usually a mini-me of one or both. Sure, Baby will cry, poop, spit up, and wake up at excruciatingly inconvenient hours of the night, but Baby is suppose...
