Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 384

College Conversations: Grown and Flown on The TODAY Show

To say we were excited to join Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb on TODAY would be a major understatement! It was a thrill… from the morning we opened the email from one of TODAY’s producers to that moment when we walked onto the set to chat with these two gracious hosts.

We especially loved being invited to speak about one of our favorite topics – what conversations you need to have with your college-bound kid, which we have written about here, Going to College: 7 Big Talks to Have Before Th...

Why This Mom Feels Happy That Her Kids Left For College

My “baby” graduated from high school last spring – he’s 18 – I should clarify. Waiting for the ceremony to begin, I snapped a shot of the stage and posted it to Facebook with the caption, “I’m teary.” Or so I thought—autocorrect had changed my words to “I’m ready.” For a moment I was mortified: Really, autocorrect? But the next moment I was cheering the tall, handsome, fully grown man who is the younger of my two sons, as he strode confidently across the stage to accept his diploma. My heart...

First Day of School: Forever Missing the Child Who’s Not in the Picture

Back to school translates for most parents into lists, check-ups, forms, fees and fatigue! By the time summer begins to close, everyone seems to start talking about how ready they are for their children to return to a schedule… that beloved school schedule that’s far more predictable than the summertime one. But the ultimate back to school moment is the first day of school photo, right?

In my home, the first day of school was recast four years ago. My little boy passed away at 11 years old fo...

What This Dad Loved About His Own Weird and Smelly Freshman Dorm

A dad offers his daughter advice about being a college student and living in a freshman dorm.

Dear Francie,

Now that you have moved into college, I can’t help but reminisce about my own freshman dorm  days–back in Ikenberry Hall, at James Madison University, in the fall of 1989. It’s tempting to tell you that life at “Ike” was all sunshine and light. But careful consideration leads to a somewhat different conclusion.

First off, “Ike” had all the amenities and design sensibilities of a minimu...

Not a Dry Eye as Freshmen Welcomed With This Blessing

Xavier University President Father Graham welcomed the Class of 2021 with a blessing that moved parents and students to tears.  He offered two messages to the gathering of freshmen and their families during move-in. Your heart will swell with the looks of pride on these parents’ faces.

Father Graham shared a message and a blessing from parents to their freshmen… “Know in your own heart, the depth of my love for you.”  He also shared a message from the new college students to their parent...

Advice to College Freshmen in Six Little Words

“I’m ready to be there, just not ready to leave here,” my daughter announced, exactly two weeks before she’d leave for college.

Amazed that she could be so insightful at describing her conflicting feelings, I realized that one sentence nailed my own ambivalence.

She’s my youngest, so her departure marked an end to the 24/7 joys and demands of hands-on mothering.

[Read Next: No “Right” Way to Feel When You Think About Your Kid Leaving Home]

My kids were athletes and while I enjoyed sitting on...

Your Kid’s Off to College and You’re a Mess. This is When You’ll Be OK Again

When my firstborn left for college, I was so ready for it (or so I thought.) I had read all the advice columns on how to properly and maturely wade my way through these unfamiliar waters. I read about all the right things to say and do at drop off, what to buy and what not to buy for the dorm, how my relationship with my child was going to change, and how this new season of parenting can and would be full of joy and gratitude. I had raised a college bound child! I was to be commended and prou...

High School Senior Year: Here are 5 Things for Parents to Know

When I arrived at my oldest son’s high school Senior Parent Meeting, I was startled to see the room filled with parents, pencils poised, ready to take notes on every single detail for every single event of their kid’s senior year. Not the details about college and college applications, our college counselors had already prepared us for that. This meeting was about the other stuff – every other thing we needed to know about our kids’ senior year of high school.

By the time I left my first Sen...

When I Realized My College Girl was Now a Young Woman

When my daughter took her first steps, I felt the loss of that baby that had once crawled, but, at the same time, I appreciated that a toddler, with chubby little legs, would bring pleasures of its own—watching her jump rope, climbing a playground ladder.

Yet, years later, when those lovely, sturdy legs, stepped out of our front door and into a college dorm room I knew all that I was losing, just not what I might find.

Then Anna arrived home for her first semester break. She dropped her back...

Ten Things You Need To Tell Your Adult Children

My sons are adults. They are wonderful, smart, successful adults and I adore them. They have their own lives and thankfully still include us in their lives. I do wonder sometimes, however, how much we should still be trying to influence their lives. Do they want our advice? Do my “suggestions” sound like a nagging mom? Should we share our experiences or let them make their own mistakes? Hopefully we are doing a little of each – it’s tough to avoid either.

So I decided I would write a few thin...