Why I Talk With My Teens About My Wild Past
I was 14 when I first snuck into my parent’s liquor cabinet and poured some sort of brown alcohol into a hastily washed Aquanet bottle. I took…
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Tag
high school
The Tooth Fairy’s Parting Gift For a Teen and Her Mom
My daughter used to be enamored with the heart-shaped notes the Tooth Fairy left under her pillow. She’d run into my room in the morning squealing…
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Senior Year is Coming, Ready or Not
Yesterday was my son’s last day of his junior year in high school. This summer will be one of the hardest of my life, as I prepare for his last…
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I Never Imagined What I Was Wearing on Graduation Day Might Stand in Between Me and My Future
I grew up very poor, living in low income housing, eating reduced lunches, and being raised by a single mom working two jobs just to make ends…
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Dear 8th Grade Graduate: Thanks for Letting Go of My Hand
You let go of my hand and walked slowly through the door. You turned your chestnut head to look at me one more time, and then you blew me a kiss. My…
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He’s Sweet Now at 7, But What About 17? As a Dad Who Works With Teens, Sometimes I Worry.
My son is currently in the first grade. It’s hard to believe my oldest—that 6-pound, 15-ounce baby we brought home from the hospital…
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Dear High School Graduate: Now is Your Time to Make the Life You Want
Dear High School Graduate, This is such an exciting time for you and I want to congratulate you on your incredible achievement. You’re on your…
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Where You See a Kitchen Sink, Your Teen Sees an Invitation to Talk
I was at the kitchen sink late in the evening, scrubbing the stoneware baking dish and serving spoons from dinner. Actually, I had been planning on…
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Dear Graduate, You’ll Always Have a Place Here With Me
There is change in the air, can you feel it? It lies subtle and thick above us, pressing on our shoulders and on our hearts, leaving us with a dread…
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To the Class of 2019: You Are Loved
Dear graduate, I know you are not looking for advice. I know you just graduated and you feel like you already know everything. And you do . . . but I…
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