Big Kid
Why Your Teen Should Join Marching Band
Think marching band is geeky? It is, but it’s also a great way for any teen to find a great tribe, stay busy, and have a boatload of fun.
Big Kid
Summer Reading Book Recommendations From My Teens
A summer recommended book reading list from my teenagers; they love sci-fi, fantasy, coming-of-age teen drama, and (of course) manga.
Big Kid
Independence For Lunch, One Way Or Another
Challenging my teenager to manage her own school lunches is giving me palpitations, but it’s time and—one way or another—she can handle it.
Big Kid
Lunch Boxes Of The Teen And Quirky
Worried that your teen is the only one whose lunch isn’t Pinterest-worthy? Allow me to make you feel a lot better about your life (and lunch) choices.
Big Kid
College Planning: Mid-Junior-Year Check-In
Time marches on, and now that my kid is halfway through her junior year, college planning is beginning in earnest. There’s so much to think about!
Big Kid
When Smart Isn’t So Smart
Is being gifted all it’s cracked up to be? In some cases, it can be more of a hindrance to success than you might think.
Big Kid
My Kid Turned 18 And All I Got Was Grateful (and Some Ink)
While a child’s 18th birthday is a big deal no matter what, it’s especially meaningful to our family that our once-struggling kid is now, finally, thriving.
Your Life
#ImWithHer, And I’m Going To Get Loud About It
I tried being quiet about politics, but I think I’ve reached the point of no return. Expect me to be plenty loud from here on out.
Big Kid
Dear Teacher: My Disabled Child Is Not Lazy
Having an invisible disability is hard; having an invisible disability as a high school student and being scoffed at by a teacher is worse. Don’t be that teacher.
Big Kid
The Unbearable Wrongness of Sportsing
I was never a sporty kid, and my own children never want to exercise, either. How do I set them up for good lifelong habits when I can’t get them off the couch?
Big Kid
Difficult Parenting Situations Turned… Cooperative?
Can a “cooperative kid” be made of a troubled teen? With a lot of parental changes (and tongue-biting), signs point to yes.
Big Kid
Harassment vs. Helicoptering
A reader asks if she should stop in when her middle schooler is being harassed, or if it’s too much. I have soap box for this one.
Big Kid
The Case For Low-Tech Anxiety Management For Teens
Teens are likely to turn to their computers and/or peers when they’re stressed out, but could old-school hand-crafting be a better solution?
Big Kid
I Snoop On My Kids Because I Can
As teens leave behind ever-widening digital footprints, do their interactions deserve privacy? I don’t think so, and my kids know where I stand.
Big Kid
Summer Reading Recommendations for Tweens and Teens
Is there any better time than summer to dive into a good book or two (or ten)? I say no. Here’s what my teens are reading, and what I hope they’ll read.
Big Kid
Teenagers and Bad News Parties: What Do We Tell Them?
A reader asks how we deal with teens and the specter of poor teen decisions about drugs and alcohol and parties.
Big Kid
To New Parents, From A Parent of Teens
I don’t tell new parents the things I think they really ought to know, because I doubt they would believe me. But here’s what I always want to say.
Big Kid
A Handy Fundraising FAQ, From A Band Parent
You may dread the appearance of a kid with a glossy brochure of wares on your doorstep, but school/activity fundraising is here to stay. Here’s why it matters.
Health & Safety
It’s a Miracle Any Of Them Live To Adulthood
We’ve all missed an illness or worse-than-we-realized injury in our little kids, but does it stop happening when they get older? Not exactly. At least we’re not alone.
Big Kid
ADHD and College Prep: The Last Frontier?
My high school senior is more ready for college than I’d imagined, except for this one little issue that could turn into a giant issue. I have to trust her.