Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 411
February 8, 2017
Surviving College Tours: 5 Tips You Have Never Heard Before
Spring break is right around the corner and if you are the parent of a college bound high school junior or senior; this can only mean one thing…
College Tours.
We’ve all the seen the lists—most with very practical advice—to help prepare for college tours with your kids. But there is an underbelly to this process, people, and I am here to expose it. You’re welcome.
1. Stay at a hotel with happy hour
If you don’t need a stiff drink or free h...
February 7, 2017
How to NOT Miss Your Freshman Son: 25 Reminders
My freshman son, the eldest of two, recently returned to college for his second semester —700 miles away. It’s no easier to let him go the second time. This is a terrible system: We put all that time, sweat, love, and anxiety into raising them, and as it’s fully paying off, when they are easy and interesting and such good company, they go away. To put it as plainly as possible, it sucks.
To distract myself, I’ve made an effort to notice the positives of having a half empty nest. It began in...
This Teen’s Story Will Change the Way You Think About Mental Illness
Picture this: One day you wake up with a nagging headache. You’re not generally one to get headaches, so you drink some water and go on with your day. This headache, though, refuses to dissipate. Days go by, followed by weeks and, still, that tiny pebble of a pain weighs on you. You know that everyone gets a headache once in a while, so you don’t ask for help, even though you’ve tried everything you can come up with. Eventually, contrary to your efforts, your head gets heavier and heavier und...
February 6, 2017
Whoever Said That Raising a Boy is Easy?
I stood standing in front of a display of delicious smelling lotions and potions. My shirt was white, my belly swollen, there was a baby boy cooking inside of me. The woman next to me was directing her son away from the fragile bottles. He was about seven or so, excited, much too full of energy to stay quiet and calm in this store filled with women trying samples and spraying perfume in the air and walking toward it to see if they liked the way it made them smell.
He reached over to caress a...
Why I Was Wrong to Discourage My Daughter’s Passion
When my daughter was 6 years old, my mother offered to buy her a horse.
“Absolutely not.” I said.
“But she loves horses,” my mom insisted. “They’re her passion.”
“Forget it.” I huffed. And sadly, I did everything in my power to discourage my daughter from even thinking about life as an equestrian. I was scared of horses, and I didn’t like riding them. They weren’t my cup of tea.
Luckily, my mother grand-parented my daughter in the way that I should have parented her. And I’m not talking abou...
My Daughter’s Messy Room Drove Me Crazy, Now I Miss It
Our teens are back in their rooms and I am prepping dinner in the kitchen when my husband comes home from work. I gesture to the kitchen bar. It is covered with our daughter’s stuff—hairbands, bobby pins, ear buds, iPod shuffle, textbooks, notebooks, binders, laptop, journal and the current book she is reading. Her messes used to stay in her room but increasingly, they have claimed our family living space.
“I’m done.” I say. “It’s time for The Talk.”
February 5, 2017
As a Mom, I Will Always Need to Be Needed
My kids are getting old. And I don’t like it.
Wait. That sounded harsh. Lemme try that again.
Now that they’re in high school and college, my kids don’t need me anymore in the same ways they used to and I miss being needed as somebody’s mom.
See, it’s not that I don’t want them to grow up. Of course I want them to grow up. Like any mom, I want my girls to grow into strong, empowered women, with families of their own someday. I want them to be fiercely independent, to live big, and love passi...
February 4, 2017
15 Things We Love About Our Teens In Spite Of
I love my teens. You probably love yours, too. But let’s be honest, they don’t make it easy. Among the challenges they throw in the way of our affection are these:
15 Things I Love About My Teens (Although They Drive Me Crazy!)1. They will respond to the GroupMe/SnapChat/Instagram of a kid they met once in middle school, and haven’t seen since, faster than they will answer our texts, even if we add exclamation points. How easy is it to forget who pays for food, gas, tuition, housing, insuran...
15 Things We Love About Our Teens In Spite of Themselves
I love my teens. You probably love yours, too. But let’s be honest, they don’t make it easy. Among the challenges they throw in the way of our affection are these:
15 Things I Love About My Teens (Although They Drive Me Crazy!)1. They will respond to the GroupMe/SnapChat/Instagram of a kid they met once in middle school, and haven’t seen since, faster than they will answer our texts, even if we add exclamation points. How easy is it to forget who pays for food, gas, tuition, housing, insuran...
February 2, 2017
Is Your Teen Unhappy Or Is There Something Else Going On?
Anyone who lives or works with teenagers knows they can be moody. It’s not uncommon for teens to pull away from parents or to experience brief periods of sadness, anger, or frustration. Sometimes it’s hard for parents to know when they are dealing with normal adolescent behavior or when it’s more serious.
However, a new study by The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that depression in teenagers is on the rise. According to their findings, the number of teenagers who reported suffering fr...
