Healthy family relationships, like a healthy diet, are everything. Being a teenager is hard. Parenting a teenager is hard. The closest thing we have to a handbook is the Center for Parent and Teen Communication. Where was this when my dad and I were butting heads in the 80s? I am … [Read more...] about From Helicopter Parent to Lighthouse Parent
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Corona Stream of Consciousness
I've been stress baking. Today I made an apple pie and croissant bread pudding. Even Mac Daddy is getting in on the kitchen action. He's making Jennie Perillo's homemade pasta for dinner. The house is unkempt. I cannot function when my surroundings are untidy. I am a nag. … [Read more...] about Corona Stream of Consciousness
When There’s a Will, There’s a Way
Death isn't something we talk about comfortably. We particularly eschew the subject in our American culture. It's admittedly not pleasant, but it's so very vital. I spent ten years volunteering with pediatric bone marrow transplant patients so I unfortunately dealt with death in … [Read more...] about When There’s a Will, There’s a Way
Connections Matter
The world is indisputably more connected than ever before. Yet paradoxically, we are also more disconnected. Face to face interactions are replaced by screens with time delay jerkiness and buffering. We don't inherently look people in the eyes, and parents are constantly … [Read more...] about Connections Matter
Driving Me Crazy
I swear, no one in Raleigh stops at crosswalks to allow pedestrians to cross safely. It matters not if you have a stroller, a dog on a leash, a child holding your hand, or are wheelchair bound. No one stops, regardless the neon yellow sign or flashing lights. In fact, I've been … [Read more...] about Driving Me Crazy
Free Summer Meals
Summer is a time for doors closing (or slamming, if you have teenagers in the house) as we end one chapter, while windows are thrust open to let in fresh ideas and inspirations. There is a palpable sense of freedom and wistfulness about the luxury of laziness. I watch my sons … [Read more...] about Free Summer Meals
Parenting Performance Review
There are no performance reviews or report cards in parenting. Generally speaking, in a job we get periodic reviews to let us know where we have room to improve and where we are excelling. In parenting, no such thing exists. I was told once in a review that I "need to learn to … [Read more...] about Parenting Performance Review