When my kids were little, I never thought I would have to worry about teen dating tips. They were going to be little forever, right? Unfortunately, no. Those rambunctious little toddlers grow quickly into mouthy teenagers who think parents are completely clueless. I now have two teenagers and very soon I suspect one or the other will come home to tell me they are interested in dating someone. Since sticking them in a convent/monastery for the rest of their lives isn't really an option, I decided to start looking into a few teen dating … [Read more...]
Protecting Kids from Questionable Content on TV
February 5, 2016 by · 5 Comments
This post about protecting your child from questionable content on TV has been sponsored by XFINITY but all opinions are my own. Are you worried about your kids watching questionable content on TV? When my kids were young, I was a bit of a control freak over the remote control to the television. I didn't want them to be watching Dora one minute only to have them hit the 'channel up' button and end up on the news watching the latest gang shooting. Step out of the room for even a minute and it's amazing the kind of questionable content they … [Read more...]
Life Skills Every Teen Should Know
January 14, 2016 by · 7 Comments
This post about life skills every teen should know is going to help you prepare your teenagers for the future. A future where, in theory, they live in their own house, pay their own bills and are responsible for their own screwups. Right now, YOU, mom (or dad) take care of all your kid’s vital needs and a few of their desperate wants. One day, God willing, your little angels will flee the nest and you won’t be there to answer every question they have. Like how to boil water or does this shirt match with this tie. Unless you want your … [Read more...]
Parenting Teenagers: Getting Them to Enjoy Family Time
August 31, 2015 by · 2 Comments
Parenting teenagers is sort of like raising a disobedient sloth while simultaneously trying to balance an egg on the tip of a pencil. You need to tread carefully while still motivating, encouraging and sometimes kicking their butts into gear. If you have not had the pleasure of parenting teenagers yet, I don't mean to scare you with the realities of this age group. However, you should be prepared for the chaos that those teen years may bring. Your toddler is a walk in the park compared to the stress of raising teens! One of the … [Read more...]
Best Ways to Start a Family Discussion about Underage Drinking
June 4, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
This post about Best Ways to Start a Family Discussion about Underage Drinking has been sponsored. I am participating in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Anheuser-Busch’s Family Talk About Drinking Program. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation. #ABFamilyTalk So, lets say you have teenagers like I do and you are concerned about underage drinking. With high school graduation and prom season on the horizon, this is a major concern for many parents. You decide you need to talk to your teens … [Read more...]
How to Talk to Teens About Underage Drinking #ABFamilyTalk
May 18, 2015 by · 70 Comments
I am participating in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Anheuser-Busch’s Family Talk About Drinking Program. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation. All opinions are my own. Children are naturally inquisitive creatures. They ask an assortment of questions ranging from 'why is the sky blue' to 'why do farts smell'. Yes, I have a boy.....I'm not sure girls ask as many questions about bodily functions as boys do! As kids get older, they start asking harder questions. 'How are babies made' and … [Read more...]
Teach Your Kids to NEVER Do These 5 Things!
February 23, 2015 by · 5 Comments
I have two teenagers whom I love dearly but I can honestly say that I am not generally fond of most kids. This makes me sound like a horrible person but I have found that many kids (mine included!) have some habits which really grate on my nerves. In my own kids, I can correct their bad behavior or at least punish them for things they know better than to do. Other people tend to frown on non parental adults correcting their kids and maybe the things that annoy ME are totally allowed in your house. In an effort to help society create … [Read more...]
Important Questions to Ask the High School Guidance Counselor
February 13, 2015 by · 6 Comments
My son is in high school this year and while he has always been a good student, I find myself worrying about whether we are doing the right things when it comes to getting into college. It seems crazy that I have to worry about college admissions requirements at the age of 15 but the competition is fierce when it comes to getting into the school of your choice. Unless we hit the lottery, my kids aren't going to Yale but I at least want to know that they can get into a local state school without a problem! So, what do we need to do to make … [Read more...]
Movies for Teens: How do you Know Which Ones are Appropriate?
January 21, 2015 by · 7 Comments
As of less than one month ago, I am officially the parent of two teenagers. It's a rather scary thought, to be honest, and I seriously hope I don't screw it up somehow. There are so many external factors that influence how our teenagers mature and very few of them do parents have any actual control over. Teens get so much of their knowledge from peers, books, TV and movies that it's a wonder any of them become productive adults nowadays. Have you seen what Hollywood is throwing at us left and right? Trying to decide which movies for teens … [Read more...]
Tips for Raising a Well Rounded Teenager
January 12, 2015 by · 9 Comments
As my children move into high school and we start thinking more and more about college, I find myself worrying about raising a well rounded teenager. Academics have never been a problem for my kids. I am incredibly lucky that both my children were accepted into the gifted program early on in elementary school and good grades come fairly easily for them. So, what's the problem? As my kids get older, the schools are starting to push more and more challenging materials at them. You think that's a good thing, right? But the track they were … [Read more...]
