As I walked out of my classroom door on the last day with students before winter break, it hit me like a tidal wave. The kind that comes out of nowhere, knocks the wind out of you, and leaves you standing there wondering how something invisible can feel so heavy. I was suddenly flooded with emotion, so much so that I didn’t even know where to begin processing it. All I knew was that I needed to make it to my car before the waterworks started.
Read moreTag: parenting teens
Why My Kids are Getting Zero Presents This Christmas (Includes 30 Unforgettable Local Experiences)
This year, there will be nothing under my Christmas tree. No gadgets, no updated devices, no video games, no toys. And I say that with purpose, not neglect. Because what my children truly need, what they have always needed, isn’t another object. It’s our time, our presence, and our attention.
Read moreCount Me In as Your Plus-One, Always!
I get asked this a lot: “How do you get your kids to actually go to Mass or church?” And honestly, it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer. But here’s the truth: it starts young. I’ve been taking my children to church since they were toddlers, starting with my firstborn, and the key has always been modeling faith in real life.
Read moreI Barely Survived the Group Text: Parenting Teens on Empty
It’s about half an hour before the end of the workday. My brain is fried, my to-do list is laughing at me, and I’m just trying to wrap things up when, ding!, the first text rolls in.
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