Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 421
November 7, 2016
Thanksgiving Dinner: Why We Decided Not to Skip it, After All
Last year my family decided to boycott Thanksgiving. Well, not boycott it so much boycott as just skip it. It has been a hectic fall, and we were tired. My parents, my husband, me, even the kids, we all just wanted to spend the day and our time off relaxing. No mad housecleaning. No three-day meal preparation. No pressure. Just a pot of soup, a bowl of popcorn, and some old movies. It sounded perfect.
Then my brother called from 800 miles away. Surprise! They decided to come for Thanksgiving....
November 5, 2016
“Out to Sea” is a Guidebook for Soon-to-Be Freshman Parents
When I was pregnant with our first child, I joined the gigantic army of other moms-to-be who studied What to Expect When You’re Expecting throughout those nine scary/happy months. Fast forward 18 years and, oh, what I would have given for a What to Expect When You’re Dropping That Baby at the Freshman Dorm book? Fortunately for moms (and dads) with kids on the cusp of departure, Kelly Radi has written Out to Sea: A Parents’ Survival Guide to the Freshman Voyage[image error].
In fact, in her introduction t...
November 3, 2016
In Four Years My Eldest Son Will Be on His Own
As I sat next to my fidgeting son during a parent-teacher conference this fall, his advisor looked at him and asked, “So, Addison, what is it you want to do when you grow up?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about that yet.”
“Well, you should start thinking about it, you are smart, have lots of opportunities, you only have four years of high school left, then it is time for some big decisions.”
“Four years left,” that statement cut through me; I winced at the thought of...
How to Get A Job: 6 Big Mistakes that College Kids Make
The chill of fall has arrived and some recent grads are still searching for employment. For those who used their summer wisely for active networking and recruiting, I continue to hear a very common concern. “I have had lots of interviews, meet all the qualifications, make it to the final round of interviews but I don’t get the job. I just don’t understand why?”
It may also be the graduate’s parents telling me the same thing. It’s especially uncomfortable when the parent is well-connected wit...
Kids Need More Sleep: What Parents Need to Know
Last night, a school night, my 11-year-old son’s baseball team played a game that lasted until9:30. By the time we got home and he ate a quick bite and showered, it was10:15– an hour and a half later thana child who gets up at6:30should be going to bed. The opposing team had a forty minute drive home.
We love baseball. My son is having fun, getting exercise, and learning patience, sportsmanship, and dedication. But the truth is, the game also interferes with his sleep.The same could be said...
Dear Fan at the Football Game Who Called My Son a “Jerk”
Dear Fan in the Stadium Who Called My Son a “Jerk” During The Football Game,
As his mother, I would like to address you now because it’s taken me a few weeks to calm down and no longer have visions of turning around, marching up the bleachers to your seat and physically throwing you down the stairs. Let me take this opportunity to share a few things with you. If you knew my son at all, the term “jerk” would NEVER even cross your mind. As a matter of fact, you are the ONLY person I’ve ever kno...
October 31, 2016
These 2 Moms Agree to Disagree about College Applications
Applying to college is serious business. Although applications are designed to be completed by high school seniors, those students are rarely alone in navigating the college admissions process. Parents, as always, hover nearby. They wonder if their children can handle the complexities of the process—identifying a short list of schools, writing essays, filling out the forms, making a final choice—or understand the long-term implications or financial burden of higher education. They worry their...
October 28, 2016
College Break: Choosing To Stay at School For the First Time
I was stirring risotto when my husband called, a regular Thursday night.
“I’ll be home in forty minutes, lots of traffic.”
“Ok,” I said.
“Oh and I just got off the phone with Nate*.
“Really? How is he?”
“Fine. He has his college break this weekend.”
My wooden spoon paused in its repeating circle around the cast iron pan, rhythm altered. An omen of sorts.
“He has a break?” I repeated.
“Yeah, he asked what he should do. I told him to call you.”
[More on advice to college freshmen from recent g...October 27, 2016
10 Ways to Help Your High School Freshman
As a junior in high school, I know how hard transitioning to all of the challenges of high school can be. From quizzes to social events there is always something on my agenda,so I made this list of ways for parents to get involved and help make things a little easier for their new high school freshman.
For teenagers, starting high school is associated with gaining more independence and having more r...
October 26, 2016
Soaring At The End Of The String: This Dad Lets Go
When I was a boy of about nine, I went out to fly a kite on the banks of the Mississippi River. I was living in little New Madrid, Missouri, a town known for an earthquake two centuries ago that reversed the flow of this mighty river. The Tennessee/Kentucky border sat just across the river from me, but ever since I’d seen a boy dive into this water and never resurface, I had a deep respect for just how far that was.
I flew my kite in the same winds responsible for the violent current, and th...
