Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 405

When Parents are Divorced: How to Make Parents Weekend Work

A week before my significant other and I arrived on campus for Parents Weekend, I called my younger son to find out which night we could take him to dinner. Four weeks later, I looked around my freshman’s cramped dorm room at him, his dad, his dad’s fiancee, and my boyfriend sitting inches from each other like strangers trapped in an elevator.

As a divorced mom, I realized this was not going to be the Parents Weekend I had expected. I also realized claustrophobia is real.

My boyfriend and I...

5 Things Your High School Junior Needs To Do This Spring

It’s true—junior year of high school is kind of a big deal. It’s a barrage of standardized tests to take, grades to worry about, a whole slew of extracurriculars to juggle, and of course, impending college applications looming overhead.

So, as winter turns to spring and your teen starts eyeing the summer months like a fox at a chicken farm, it’s tempting to hit the brakes with them and enjoy the slower pace as the school year winds down.

We all need a break from the frenzy, and indeed, your...

This is The Moment: Spring Break and Everyone Under One Roof Again

My son is home from college for spring break.

Everyone is back under one roof (all of them currently sleeping) but we’re all together, and it instantly feels like all is right with the world again.

When he left I didn’t grasp what a big deal this would start becoming. The week he left for college I recall talking with my neighbor (a retired mother of four and grandmother to a ton. I think she is starting to lose count of grandchildren now.) She said, “Once the first one goes, then ever so qui...

21 Absolutely Fabulous High School Graduation Gifts for Girls

It’s almost time for gradation and, since there is no way to stop the clock from ticking toward the big day, we are here to provide you with a little diversion – our high school graduation gifts for girls. With a mix of both traditional and some new ideas for the soon-to-be grads in your life, we hope you will find just the inspiration you need. And, if you are looking for our graduation gifts for guys, here they are.

High School Graduation Gifts for Girls

Necklace

We have fallen in love with...

STDs: What Parents (Might Not Want to But) Need to Know

Dear Parent, right out of the gate, here’s a content warning. Reading this article may make you feel a little squeamish, awkward and uncomfortable. That’s kind of the point. Too many of us are being cowardly and need to be called out. Pause for a second, take a few slow, deep breaths, but stay with me – this is important. We need to talk about Sexually Transmitted Diseases – STDs  – for short. 

Let’s start at the root of the issue and briefly go back in time to think about our own childhood...

Why I Hate The DMV Instructor Who Failed My Daughter

It’s been over three years since my husband died. I’ve now had enough experience as a widow to know that people truly don’t know what to say when they hear about his death. It’s awkward, unexpected, and simply, very sad. I can handle it, though. I’m an adult.

My daughter on the other hand, is in the throes of teenage-dom. Emotions seem to run high all the time. All I have to do is sneeze in public to make her feel self-conscious and not just embarrassed, but mortified. When Kylie Jenner’s ne...

What Tipped the Scales for This Mom in the Balance of Motherhood

My oldest son brings home a Pomski puppy a few weeks before he graduates from college and moves back in with us. The puppy’s biggest fault is that he wants to be held every minute which doesn’t fare well for sleeping. My son is 22, so I don’t lend my opinion. But the question begs from that adorable button-eyed furry face—How much do I tell my son about raising this puppy and how much do I let him figure out on his own? [9 Ways to Breathe New Life Into Your Empty Nest]

The twist is that the...

Here Are the 33 Life Skills Your Kid Needs to Know to “Adult”

People think of learning as something that happens primarily in the classroom but our children learn how to “adult” by watching us, by being with us while we do our errands and by taking note of how we behave in any given situation. When they go off to live their lives we wonder how they will figure everything out. The following are thirty-three basic life skills that hundreds of parents agree young adults should have mastered by the time they leave us to lead their own lives.

33 Life Skills...

Here Are the 8 People You Need to Quit Talking to During Senior Year

Once college applications are completed, high school seniors enter a lull period, an interminable limbo, worsened by the pressure to keep their grades up. This time can be even more terrible for parents, who need to remain cheery even though they can no longer ‘make things right’ for their kids….as they contemplate aging, separation and financial doom.

If you’re the parent of a senior, you can feel productive during this stage by selling your embarrassing large library of SAT prep books on e...

Dorm Decor: Cute New Ideas Your Freshman Will Really Love

Depending on your budget you might want to help give your teen’s dorm room an upgrade. Here are some extras which can make any dorm feel cozier and a bit more like home.

Pin it

San Francisco’s Minted makes pin boards that are so GORGEOUS that they are a feature in any room. Each of the 11 choices is in a beautiful wood frame. Don’t like any of the options? Browse their fabric selections and they will customize one for you. While you are on their site, take a look at these personalized maps fo...