Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 420

Teens and the Real Danger of Marijuana Edibles: What Parents Need to Know

The prefrontal cortex of my teenage son’s brain isn’t fully developed.

It’s a fact I have been forced to remind myself of several times a day, sometimes several times an hour, since that fateful call a few weeks back.

“Don’t freak out,” my ex-husband had warned when I picked up the phone, his voice grave and a bit shaky. After pausing for what felt like an eternity, he informed me that our 17-year-old son had ingested some type of drug and was being transported by ambulance to the emergency r...

The Best Part of Being a Family is the Inside Jokes

My husband and I were at a restaurant with two of our three sons recently when my youngest addressed me – although he made sure his dad and brother heard – “Should I tell the waitress why you’re sitting down?” We all erupted in laughter.

Two months before, I’d planned an overly ambitious trip to Costa Rica that involved crossing the country. Twice. In a week. The mileage sounded doable. One day we needed to drive 250 miles from Monteverde to La Pavona. From Trip Advisor posts I knew there wou...

I Dried My Tears and Found Solace Watching Gilmore Girls

When parents send a son or daughter off to college for the first time, they face a new reality at home punctuated by a deep sense of loss and confusion. Empty bedrooms. Uncluttered floors.A car in the garage – filled with gas.

How to deal with this new reality is a difficult question. When my daughter left for college last August, I received all kinds of advice from well-meaning and seasoned parents: dive into projects at home or at work, find that hobby you abandoned when you gave birth, rek...

This Dad Explains Love, Perfectly

I MOW A LOT. I own five acres and I cut them with my little John Deere garden tractor. It takes hours and hours, and when I finally finish, my field of weeds looks like an expansive lawn. An estate. Not exactly a major league baseball outfield, but when it’s green and mowed, it feels something like that.

When I mow a lot, I think just as much. I put on my ear protection with no music, with just the muffled hum of the machine beneath me, and I get lost in my own head. I mow squares or rows or...

What’s Way More Important Than Going to the Ivy League

I live in a highly competitive town; the kind of town that is populated by over-educated, type-A parents who breed over-educated, highly competitive, type-A kids. Why, you may ask, do I live here? Well, when your kids are little and you are looking for a house you are easily swayed by a nice, safe community and blue ribbon schools. What you don’t realize though, is that while you intend to read Goodnight Moon and Polar Bear, Polar Bear to your kids, your neighbor will be reading Anna Karenina...

Financial Aid And Merit Aid Advice with Expert Debbie Schwartz

Debbie Schwartz from Road2College sat down with us and talked financial aid. If you have questionsabout FAFSA, Merit Aid and how to develop a college list that your family can afford, Debbie has got answers.

If you are looking for more help we suggest:

Financial Aid Questions: Money Magazine Expert Has Answers

3 Financial Aid Mistakes to Avoid

Merit Scholarship: Research Schools Now to Save Money Later

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College Admissions Advice With Expert Sara Harberson

We had the chance to sit down with Sara Harberson of Admissions Revolutionto talk about college admissions and answer some of your most urgent questions. Sara is a great resource for parents with high school kids who are just setting off into the admissions wilderness. There is plenty more admissions advice here on Grown and Flownon a huge variety of topics. If we can answer any of your questions just reach out to us at grownandflown@gmail.com.

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Holiday Gifts for College Kids and Teens: We Love These!

If you have high school kids to buy holiday gifts for, shopping can be tricky since it’s almost impossible to keep up with which brands are in or out. College kids are no easier. They’ve been gone all semester and didn’t we just buy them all that dorm stuff???

We are here to help! We’ve been asking our kids (and their roommates, friends, and significant others) and gathered their responses for our list of Holiday Gifts for 2016. We love their suggestions and hope that you and your kids will t...

When Did I Become “That Mom?”

You look tired and overwhelmed and miserable. You’re standing in front of me at the airport on a long line of people waiting to order food and drink. The baby in the stroller is flinging herself backward because she has clearly been wronged in some visceral, gut-wrenching way or maybe just because she wants to be set free. The toddler with his runny nose has unfurled both of his grubby little paws in fully prone position up against the glass enclosure contemplating the array of pastries being...

When Your College Kid Calls at 2AM

Every night when I go to bed, I place my cellphone on the nightstand. This is a habit I got into a few years ago, when my son became a teenager and began spending less time with his parents and more time with friends.You’d think now that he’s in college I’d relax a little, but if anything I’m more vigilant about keeping that phone on the nightstand. When your son is 200 miles away, you worry, even if you don’t realize you’re worrying. I turn off my text, Facebook messenger and email notificat...