Parenting a teenager is not easy. There are so many things we as parents need to figure out and navigate and monitor and discuss. Are they having sex? Are they doing drugs? Are they skipping school? Are they making good choices? Somehow, we have to figure out how to help guide them and keep them … [Read more...]
Soundtrack for Life
Tehre are lots of teen books with a music theme - and I read a lot of them because, like the teens they are aimed at, I love music, so I'm drawn to them. It's simple - but the books aren't always simple and fluffy stuff. These two are solid reads about kids trying to find their way - and making … [Read more...]
Do you tell the parents?
When my kids were small and they had playdates with little friends there were times when things went sideways. When the other child's parent came to pick them up I had a choice to make. Do I tell Little Johnny's mom that he pinched/hit/spit/grabbed/yelled or do I smile and wave and thank heavens … [Read more...]
Signs, Symptoms and Risks of Drug Use in Teens—and How to Get Help
It sounds so dramatic—opioid crisis. The reality is that deaths due to drugs being laced with extremely dangerous substances are on the rise. The biggest culprit is fentanyl, a drug you can’t see or smell, and that, even just trace amounts, can cause death. Teens dabbling with drugs is nothing … [Read more...]
This will be the last one, I promise
Yes, it's true, this sickness has thrown me into a egomaniacal whirl of complete self-involvement. I cry, I sob, I weep on the phone with my friends. I wake up my husband in the middle of the night because I decide it's unfair that he sleeps so peacefully. I've gone nuts. Today, however, … [Read more...]
Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor
I promised myself I would get back on the alphabet bandwagon for my Thursday mothering alphabet series but I had such a surreal moment yesterday I just had to share. Cupcake, my eldest step-daughter, came by my school for some university counselling with our most awesome guru on the subject. When it … [Read more...]