Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 448

Role Reversal: Needing My Son’s Help

Last night I needed my son’s help.

Sure, in the past I have told my kids I needed their help, but it was just words. I have shouted from the car that I needed them to bring the groceries into the house, promising not to let them eat any of the food if they didn’t assist me. They never believed my threat. I have insisted that I needed them to clean their room. But they knew there was not an ounce of truth in that. I am completely capable of cleaning their room.

But last night I needed my son.

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Family Traditions: What Happens When Your Kid’s in College?

Family traditions. By the time your kids are college aged, you have a lot of them. Traditions tied to birthdays, holidays, beginnings and endings. Traditions that have provided a comfortable framework for your kids’ lives and have played a significant part in your family memories. Traditions that, when one (or more) of your kids is away at college, suddenly have to be redefined.

As the mother of a college sophomore, you might think I figured out tricks to fool the cruel distance barrier that...

Family Dinner: We Lost the Table and Found Much More

I know what the research says. Family dinner is important – especially for families with teenagers. Teens who eat with their family regularly are less likely to drink, do drugs, and have sexually active friends. Sounds great. Yet, as our children have gotten older, we have found it increasingly difficult to make family dinner a nightly occurrence. In fact, we’ve found it hard to find the time to sit down and eat together more than once or twice a week.

Kids’ schedules and work schedules seem...

College Acceptance: The Day The Letter Arrived

My youngest is a senior in high school, and our time together is coming to an end. This year, as she’s been applying to schools and waiting for college acceptance letters (fingers crossed), I’ve been keenly aware that my role in life – hers and mine — is about to shift dramatically. I’ve been soaking up all of our last moments together as mother and not-quite-yet-adult child.

Yesterday was one of them.

Like so many other high school seniors, my daughter has been anxious since she submitted h...

Wonderful Books for Your 2015 Holiday Gift List

The holiday season has arrived and most of us are right now pondering gifts to give family and friends. If picking out books for the recipients on your list is something you love as much as we do, we wholeheartedly recommend the following titles.

During the last year, we have been fortunate to read and review these booksand have interviewed many of the authors. We were grateful to the writers for their generosity of time and thought their books were excellent. The following are excerpts of ou...

What Did YOU Do When Your Kid Was Accepted to College?

It is one of life’s big moments, a never-to-be-forgotten day, when your teen logs onto the website of the college they will attend and sees the word CONGRATULATIONS. Getting accepted to college is a unique turning point in life. Leading up to that moment there are fears, trepidation and an overwhelming sense of pride for what your teen has already accomplished. Applying to college is a feat and getting accepted to college is the moment of glory. We asked some parents what this experience was...

12 Things I Don’t Miss About Parenting Little Kids

The other day, in my continued preparation for an influx of family for the holiday season, I bumped into something with the vacuum cleaner under one of the beds in the guest room that set me to thinking. I’ve been focusing a lot the past few years,as my kids get older and leave the nest, on how fast the time has gone, on all of the things I’ll miss about parenting little kids.

Why not indulge during a few moments of house cleaning in some of the things (in no particular order) that I actually...

College Admissions: How to Survive While Your Kid Waits

Our eldest daughter is a high school senior this year and we are at that liminal phase between applications and acceptance. Trying with all my might to present a sanguine “que sera, sera, s’ok whatever happens” attitude to my daughter and the world requires more effort than I expected.

I have to put real exertion into not just picking up a phone and calling a college admissions office and saying, “So can you just give us a little update on what you’re thinking about her today? How about I thr...

How to Say Goodbye When Your Kid Returns to College

When my oldest daughter left for college, I was prepared to say goodbye. I had read several pieces of advice from seasoned parents about the significance of the drop-off day, and I had my speech already planned out. Our daughter had yearned to be in college for years, and I felt nothing but happiness for her as I pulled out of the residence hall parking lot. She had gotten into the college of her choice, she already loved her roommate, and she felt excitement for her classes and the challenge...

First Date: What My Daughter Worried About Most

I was concerned that my daughter was worried about what to do in the dark on a first date. Her fears were far bigger than that.

My daughter skims the surface of her 15th year with humor, a bit of angst and much of the internal awkwardness I remember from that time in my life. She is attending high school and has found her niche in the theater department. Her new friends are lovely. They check in on her when she is absent and one girl even brought her flowers on the final night of her performa...