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.
Big Kid
Surprise: Both My Kids Start College in the Fall
My youngest is about to embark on a new adventure: college (as a dual-enrolled high schooler)! It’s weird and wonderful and scary and awesome.
Big Kid
Push. Pull.
As the clock ticks down on my oldest’s remaining time at home before launch, the pushing and pulling between us intensifies, bittersweet.
Education
Busting College Application Myths
In the fall-of-senior-year panic of “must”s and “should”s, I think applying to college ends up being a lot scarier than it needs to be. Relax. You can do this!
Big Kid
How to Prep for College Without Losing Your Mind
Tired of “expert” advice on readying your high schooler to get into a top college? Me, too. I like realism, and a non-stressed kid. Here’s my take.
Big Kid
ADHD in the Dorm: What To Buy
Those generic “what to buy for your college freshman” lists are missing some key items for our kids coping with ADHD. I’ve got some additions for that list.
Big Kid
College Worries, Big and Small
As I try to prepare both my kid for college and myself for her launch out of the nest next year, I’m realizing my worrying strategy may be skewed.
Big Kid
College Prep Shouldn’t Be College Madness
I’m so tired of the notion that it’s up to parents to figure out their kids’ college choices, and to do so starting in middle school, to boot. That’s silly.
Big Kid
Snipping the Safety Net
I’ve always been the “Mean Mom” and it’s weird to pull back and let my nearly-adult teen make her own choices, but I have to trust her. It turns out, I do.
Big Kid
College is Looming, But Will We Kill Each Other First?
Oh, those halcyon final days of high school when… your college-bound teen knows everything and you’re just stupid. Yeah. Um. Take a deep breath.
Big Kid
Like Spreading Out an Enormous Pile of Rocks
Graduation is almost here, and so are all of the feelings that accompany it. Time to make a to-do list and focus on that, I guess.
Big Kid
Drive, Baby, Drive: Time for my Youngest to Step on the Gas
As we ever-so-gently force my youngest to get behind the wheel, he’s learning he’s more capable than he thought, and I’m delighting in watching him do so.
Big Kid
Post-Graduation and not Looking for The Moment
It seems like there was supposed to be an immediate shift, somewhere in the whole turning-18-and-graduating-high-school thing. But life is full of moments.
Big Kid
The Good, the Bad, and the Dorm
I’ve been focusing so much energy on getting ready to let go of my college freshman, I forgot I was going to have to do a trial run with her brother, first.
Big Kid
Senior Year: The Last First Day and The First of Many Lasts
I thought getting my oldest off to college was the hardest transition, but now it’s time for the last everything as her little brother heads into senior year.
Big Kid
College Application Time: Numbers and Considerations
Do you have a high school senior in the house? You’re likely right in the thick of college applications, so here are some questions to think about.
Big Kid
Mother/Daughter Dynamics, On and Off Stage
With just a few months left before my oldest flies the coop, we survived being in a show together (and had a blast).
Big Kid
Senioritis? Keep Your Eyes on the Prize!
Has a case of senioritis arrived at your house? Don’t wave it off; talk early and often about these last few months before graduation.
Big Kid
The Waiting is the Hardest Part of College Admissions (for me)
While we wait to hear from my son’s top-choice college, I’ve taken to a somewhat unconventional coping method.
Big Kid
What to Do When College Decisions Arrive (Hint: Don’t Panic!)
If you have a high school senior, chances are college acceptances and rejections are rolling in, and along with them, some angst. Don’t panic!