Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 403

I Fell In Love With My English Teacher

I stand in line at the bookstore. In one hand is Gould’s Book of Fish; in the other is The Sound of One Hand Clapping.

“Which would you recommend for someone who’s new to Flanagan?” I ask.   “I love Gould,” says the assistant. “It’s a really beautiful book, but not easy. Clapping is good too, it’s more accessible.”

I keep weighing the two books up in my palms; I’ve read neither of them, so have nothing to go on but the blurbs. Which one best encapsulates Tasmania? Perhaps I should buy Narrow...

Suicide: Helping Your Student Cope With Tragedy

On the day before my son was to begin classes for the Fall Semester of his freshman year, one of his best friends committed suicide on campus in a very public way.

At a time when most students were dealing with concerns about settling into their dorms, making new friends, starting new classes, and getting accustomed to college life, my son and his friends were suddenly faced with the most tragic event of their young lives. This may seem like an unlikely and unusual circumstance, but here are...

How to Make a Graduation Party Memorable? Decorations, Food, Fun

We were compensated for this post which also contains affiliate links. 

High School graduation is a once-in-a-lifetme moment that celebrates a major milestone in a young person’s life. Planning a graduation party that your kid will always remember calls for a little extra creativity in choosing decorations and the food to serve.  For graduation party planning and invitations, read this post. 

GRADUATION PARTY DECORATIONS: WHAT COLORS TO USE?

Should the party colors be from high school or coll...

Graduation Party Ideas: How to Celebrate Your Senior’s Big Day

We were compensated for this post which also contains affiliate links. 

Are you the parent of a soon-to-be high school graduate? High School graduation is so much more than a ceremonial walk across a stage. This is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime event that deserves a celebration. Grown and Flown’s Parents Facebook Group is full of generous and creative parents who helped us to crowdsource amazing high school graduation party ideas. Here  are their other super-clever ideas for decorating and w...

Why Teens Still Crave Their Parents’ Approval

My oldest, a 13-year-old boy who has decided he doesn’t want to be seen in public with his mom, is riding his bike. It’s new; he got it from a friend and has added some upgrades. It has been a labor of love and he is proud of it.

He is ripping up and down our driveway, trying to master the perfect 180° turn. He succeeds, and quickly looks in my direction to see if I caught it.

I did, of course. I am watching him like a hawk. I love seeing my kids doing something they love. But as soon as our...

Watching My Son Was Painful But Now I Understand “Grit”

To be gritty is to keep putting one foot in front of the other…To be gritty is to fall down seven times, and rise eight.  Angela Duckworth*                                                                                                                

I stood on the freezing snow at the bottom of the race course among the throng of other parents.  My boy was due to come down any moment, navigating a course of red and blue gates set on a hill of shear ice.

All I wanted to do was look away.

To...

To My Graduating Senior: The Words of Wisdom You Need to Ignore

The time is short now. Your cap and gown are hanging in the closet. Your graduation announcements have been ordered. High school is almost over. You are ready. You are more than ready.

But even though 18 years is a lifetime for you, for me it has been a vapor.

Suddenly I’m scrambling to think of last-minutes lessons that I might have forgotten or words of wisdom I’ve failed to impart. There’s still time. Right?

The thing is, I’m blank.

We are proud of you, and we love you. I’m not sure what...

Dear “Fragile” Girl, This Is What You Need to Know

As I was cleaning up from my teen ministry, picking up the paper plates filled with pizza crust and cookie crumbs, I gathered the papers on clipboards that the kids filled out during the writing exercises we worked on together. Piling them in my hands, one by one I glanced at their words, their doodles, their identity.

I’ve worked with teens for 30 years in group homes and psychiatric hospitals, in ministries at church and in my home and my mission is always the same:

To help these kids unde...

The Talk We Need to Have About Social Media With Our Teens

My daughter sat at our island last Saturday night with her best friend. They were snapping pictures of each other, using every Snapchat filter available, and posting them to their “stories.”

When I heard her friend say, “Hey! I don’t like that picture of me!”
I looked over my daughter’s shoulder and asked her if she had posted the picture anyway.

She told me she had, and they were both laughing and her friend assured me it really was OK and she didn’t really care, but I cared. A lot.

This wh...

This Worrier Mom Found a Kindred Spirit on The Today Show

I am a worrier. My worry isn’t constant or paralyzing but rather it ebbs and flows. It’s similar to a mosquito bite. Sometimes I’m immune to the mild irritation and other times I scratch an itch until it consumes my thoughts.

A single scent can cause a mosquito to bite, and a single text from my sons can trigger my anxiety.

My younger son’s mere mention of spring break sends my mind racing faster than the lead car at the Indianapolis 500 toward thoughts of tattoos, tequila and typhoid.

It’s...