Tweens & Teens

Growing up I had a close friend who swam competitively. She and her four brothers all swam on the same team. At the time, I felt sorry for her because she wasn’t allowed to choose her own sport or activity. Now as an...

I was intrigued by the title.  “Quit Doing These 8 Things for Your Teen This Year if You Want to Raise an Adult.” So I clicked and read the list of ways to make your teen more responsible, autonomous, and ready...

It’s been less than 10 years since iPhone changed our country, our culture, our world. Gone are the days of pay phones and Facebook via the desktop. As a member of the generation with my childhood riding in cars without movie entertainment and my...

I am the parent to three girls, ages 24, 20, and 15. Ever since I started to work for AIHA, the association for occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) scientists and professionals, in 2014, my mama bear instinct...

I lived the first 34 years of my life in New Orleans, where my parents and their parents and their parents (and so on) lived their entire lives. I had no intention whatsoever of living anywhere else until I...

We’ve all heard the expression, “time flies,” but you probably never really understood or appreciated the truth of that sentiment until you became a parent. Of the many invaluable lessons our children teach us, perhaps none are as important...

I caved to the pressure last Christmas and convinced my husband that it was time to get our twelve year old daughters smartphones. They were two of the few sixth graders at their school without phones. Before sixth grade they were...

I've been harboring a Pokémon trainer in my house for a few years now. He binge watches the shows and movies on Netflix, meticulously organizes his card collection in plastic sleeves, and has the outfit to go Pokémon hunting...

Summer 2016 is quickly winding to a close. At the end of July, we picked up our twelve year old twin daughters at sleep away camp. They spent four weeks in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina having the time...

I was a “well rounded” student in high school (my euphemism for “average”). The only time I thought about the SAT exam was the morning my mom woke me up, made me a hearty breakfast and sent me off...

When your kids are entering their senior year of high school, they will really start to think about where they want to go after they graduate. And if they decide that they want to continue their education by attending...

If you have a new graduate, have you thought about creating a 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮 for them? The thought is overwhelming BUT protecting our young adult with the proper legal forms is something that we NEED to consider. After our...

It's summer and summer means; V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N! When on vacation with children, ensuring adequate sleep can be challenging. Vacation can disrupt sleep, unless you plan for it. With a few hacks, you can ensure that everyone gets a good night's...

As parents, we all want the best for our children. We want to provide them with access to the best food, education, role models, and opportunities to improve their quality of life. Our guidance in these matters is crucial,...

"Can you believe that KIDS have their own cell phones now-a-days?! I was {insert college-age here} when I received MY first cell phone!" (totally telling my age by that statement!) I'm guilty. I admit it. All three of my kids {ages...