Tag: parenting

7 Halloween Activities to Enjoy with Your Teen

7 Halloween Activities to Enjoy with Your Teen

Your teen doesn’t seem into the fall family activities as she used to be. Maybe those sullen pumpkin patch photos were a sign. Then she decided not to trick-or-treat, but just retreated to her room instead. Halloween used to mean family fun, but it seems 

How to Use the Parent Portal the Right Way

How to Use the Parent Portal the Right Way

It’s Friday afternoon and you get an email from the parent portal. Your child has a low grade in English. Ugh. So you open the portal to check all her grades. And lose your dang mind. To get her back on track, you’re now checking 

30 Holiday Treats to Make with Your Teen

30 Holiday Treats to Make with Your Teen

“Ms. P, Merry Christmas! These cookies are for you!” My 8th-grade student then spent 5 minutes describing the weekend he spent with his mom, baking all their family favorites. He clearly loved the tradition and spending time with his mom. Remembering his excitement made those 

12 Essential Holiday Gifts for Remote Learners

12 Essential Holiday Gifts for Remote Learners

High school and college in 2020 certainly look different than in years past. Students are learning remotely or attending classes just a few days a week. Many extra-curricular clubs and sports are canceled or only meeting on Zoom. So many teens are isolated from their 

How Can You Help Your Teen with Remote Learning?

How Can You Help Your Teen with Remote Learning?

“This fall must go better than last spring.” “What can I do to help my teen through this?” “I can’t work full-time and stay on top of her school work.” “How can I best parent through remote learning?” When my local school district announced that 

Bad Teacher This Year? How to Deal With It

Bad Teacher This Year? How to Deal With It

We’ve all had a bad teacher. And I’m sure you remember that instructor very clearly. His or her appearance, attitude, mannerisms, and teaching methods are all stamped in your memory. Ugh. For me, it was my high school German teacher. She just wasn’t good at 

11 Life Skills All Teens Need to Know

11 Life Skills All Teens Need to Know

“Thank you so much for writing that recommendation for me. Can you help me with this envelope I have to send it in? How do I write an address on it?”   That year (before college apps went digital) I had not one, but TWO, high 

Why You Need to Volunteer at Your Teen’s School

Why You Need to Volunteer at Your Teen’s School

Recently, my neighbor said she’s become the “Room Mom” for her 1st grader’s classroom. As she talked about all the ways she was helping the teacher I thought, “Why don’t they have this at the high school level? I would have killed for this.” But 

Top 10 Posts of 2019: Organization, Study Skills & Teens

Top 10 Posts of 2019: Organization, Study Skills & Teens

It’s hard to believe that 2019 is about to end. Cliched but true, time flies the older you get. Also cliche, a top posts of 2019 list. I follow a lot of bloggers and love their best-of lists. It reminds me about their best posts 

9 Top Christmas Movies to Watch with Your Teen

9 Top Christmas Movies to Watch with Your Teen

If I let him, my husband would set up our Christmas decorations on November 1. But I won’t let him. I firmly believe in celebrating one holiday at a time. So, no decorations until after Thanksgiving. And then we go big. Big tree, lots of