This Full House Archive

Tag: Raising teens

  • Better late than never, admitting you have a problem, being late.

    Like any other 15 year-old boy (at least, the teenagers I've had the pleasure of ignoring me) my son likes to sleep (a lot!) and can fall asleep, at a drop of a hat, standing up, with one arm tied behind his back and holding up a "Do not disturb!" sign with the other, if need be. He gets it from his father.

    Glen and Holly hiking together, sort of.

    Glen and Holly hiking together in the marshlands of NJ, sort of.

    The boy is probably lagging behind or running perpetually late, for almost everything, too. Guess who he gets THAT from?!? G'head, I'll wait!!! Although his is more of a laid-back, slow and steady sort of late, while I'm frantically trying to finish up all the things…at the same time…and probably doing it wrong, too…not to mention…SQUIRREL!!!! 

    Aaaaanyway, I was going through some paperwork at my desk (alright, so I was filing stuff from last year, let's just pretend it was today's mail, okay?) and my son…slooooooooowly…pops his head in to let me know that he's home from school.

    Although my neighbors could probably hear him barrel through our front door, anyway. This is also the kid who feels the need to identify himself when texting me…or calling me…on my phone.

    "Hi mom, it's Glen, I'm home!"

    See what I mean? 

    "I have late dentention on Wednesday."

    To be fair, my oldest ran late nearly every day when she was a freshman (and pretty much right through graduation), but go figure this would be the year the high school decides to crack down on lateness.

    "But, before you say anything, I get it!"

    [one beat, two beats]

    "In my defense, it's dentention I owe from a while ago!"

    I didn't ask if it was because he forgot that he owed detention from a while ago, because TEEN BOYS ARE ALSO SUPER-FORGETFUL and, well, I just happened to ask myself that same question…right now…because SQUIRREL!!!

    ©2003 -2014 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook, a way for you to subscribe to receive This Full House blog post by Email and everything!   

    I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

  • MOTY: Fughetaboutit, I’m going for Mother of Two Decades!

    If you were to ask me to list the scariest words in the English language, a few years ago, it would have looked something like this:

    • Strep throat
    • It's probably viral
    • Chuck E. Cheese
    • Parent-teacher conference
    • I couldn't find any clean underwear (don't ask)

    Today, although we are way out of the Chuck E. Cheese demographic (blessed be!) and conduct our parent-teacher conferences via email, the list is still pretty much the same.

    Which leads me to believe that this house does IN FACT eat underwear AND regurgitates socks in the strangest places, sometimes.

    Trust me, you do NOT want to know.

    Unfortunately, my teens also still get sick, it IS most probably viral AND parents still send their kids sick to school, too. I know, because I am one of them.

    Long story, short: my 15yo son (he's a freshman in high school, btw) has been home sick all week; on an antibiotic since Monday; but feverless for the last two days.

    So, considering he's been working so hard on keeping his grades up (most especially, in his math class), I insisted he go back to school TODAY.

    "But I really don't feel well."

    Just so you know, Rule 1 of the Teen Handbook dictates: you should NEVER feel well enough to go to school.

    "It's okay, your father will drive you." 

    Not for nothing, but Rule 2 of the Teen Handbook also dictates: you should run as late as possible, the closer you live to the school.

    Even longer story, short: we're using every laundry basket in the house to block Doofus-dawg from getting up on the furniture (he fractured his foot and, as of yesterday, is wearing a splint, because OF COURSE!) and, well, there just isn't any room on the couch, dagnabit!

    [phone rings]

    "Hi mom, it's Glen."

    Fun fact: my kids still feel the need to identify themselves, most especially to me, on the phone.

    "I'm in the nurses office."

    Oh, and I just thought of another phrase to add to my "scariest words in the English language" list — see above.

    "I've got a 103 fever."

    [eyes go wide]

    Here's the part where I solidify myself as a forerunner to being awarded the Mother of the Year crown: I actually considered his messing with the thermometer, in some way.

    I know, MOT..to the friggin'…D…right?!?

    Until, I'm sitting in the front office and then watch…with WIDE eyes…as the nurse assists my son as they…slowly…walk…down…the…hall…to…the…front…office…in…front…of…his…Italian…teacher…and…everything.

    I could NOT sink into the metal chair, deep enough.

    "Hi, you Glen's mom?!?"

    [one beat, two beats]

    "Nope, I'm his Aunt!"

    Honestly, all you other mother of the year candidates, you guys should just go home now. I GOT THIS!!!

    ©2003 -2014 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook, a way for you to subscribe to receive This Full House blog post by Email and everything!   

    I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, thus far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

  • Winter of discontent, breeder of constructive anxiety.

    It's snowing (again!), the kids are home from school (see previous parenthesis!) and, although I am thrilled to NOT have to worry about my oldest driving (it's her day off, YAY!) or our school buses getting through this mess, I'm just hoping they actually finish out the year…before the 4th of July.

    Maximus 5

    2 out of 6 people in this house actually like the snow, I am NOT one of them.

    The cold weather is rough for a lot of folks. Especially, if you are prone to winter depression. Most especially, when you are dealing with a physical disability. But, you know what's really hard? Watching the people you love, more than ANYTHING on this planet, try and fight their way through both.

    Maximus 2

    Aaaaand, if you are a parent, well, then you already know that there is NOTHING worse than seeing your child in pain. Physical, mental, emotional, it doesn't matter. Unless you are a parent of a teen, or caring for an aging parent, who's grown accustomed to feeling alone and helpless, then it's like walking around with an epic splinter, embedded deep inside your chest, constantly poking at your heart.

    Maximus 7

    I once thought the best Garth (not his real name) and I could hope for (as parents) is that our children grow up to be healthy, happy and relatively well-adjusted human beings.

    Only NOW do I realize that it is a lifelong process, for ALL of us.

    Maximus 3

    So, when the problems seem insurmountable (like today), it helps to know that sometimes…some…ding…danged…times…the answer is as simple as embracing the ability to look beyond the storm.

    Kids (in unison): Hey, daddy's home!

    Finding that…one…bright…spot…of…hope.

    Me: Oh, wow, they actually let you come home WAY early, huh?

    AND then cling to that mother-trucker…FUH-EVER…or, at least, until the next BIG storm.

    Garth (not his real name): I didn't text you, because you've got enough to worry about.

    Although I prefer to think of it as more like "constructive anxiety" am I right?!?

    [sound of crickets, chirping]

    Stupid ground hog, dumbass Winter Storm Maximus.

    © 2003 – 2014 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything! 

  • Parenting teens: the school project infographic.

    So, last week, I created a little infographic to help reinforce a more realistic homework ritual to help save other parents (especially, those with younger kids) a few headaches.

    This week? I was inspired by my friend Beth (a.k.a. Life in the BAT Cave) to create an infographic to help your child complete school projects – which, at second glance, could pretty much be used as another homework infographic — because I am also really good at multi-tasking, for you, like that. 

    School Project Infographic Edited

    **passes bottle of [insert favorite brand of wine or beverage of choice, because I'm easy, here]**

    You're welcome.

    ©2003 -2014 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook, a way for you to subscribe to receive This Full House blog post by Email and everything! 

  • Confession: I’m almost 50 and I’m okay wit-it.

    Contrary to popular opinion, raising older kids (i.e. can quantify their age(s) using more than two hands) does have its perks: I don't worry so much about having age-appropriate conversations.

    Because, as most parents of older kids already know, I consider myself pretty gosh-darned lucky whenever my teens DO decide to talk to me, AT ALL.

    Son: Madonna needs to retire.

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  • Parenting teens: the homework infographic.

    NO! I am NOT and have NEVER claimed to be an expert, at anything — other than my insanely awesome ability of leaping tall piles of laundry in a single bound, while listening to 4 different conversations, at once.

    However, I can't help but sometimes feel this incredible need to share a few insights on raising kids.

    For example:  parenting under the influence of teenagers can make even the smartest of people…sound stoopid…most especially, to teenagers.

    So, to save other parents (especially, those with younger kids) a few headaches, I have created this little infographic to help you reinforce a more realistic homework ritual:

    Deciphering Teenagese

    **passes bottle of [insert favorite brand of pain reliever, here]**

    You're welcome.

    ©2003 -2014 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook, a way for you to subscribe to receive This Full House blog post by Email and everything! 

  • Note to self: for the days you feel like you’re not doing a good job, read this blog post!

    This Full House CompleteTwo out of four of my kids are not very happy with me at the moment and — especially if you have kids who can use both hands and feet to quantify their age — most parents would be all like…good…it means you are doing your job.

    Right.  So, I'll just go ahead and file it under "really sucky aspects of raising teens" and be thankful that I'm not required to submit a work performance assessment or self-evaluation or anything.

    Because, all we parents have to do is look at our own kids.

    Long story, short (you're welcome!): the really, REALLY challenging part of parenting teenagers — besides pretending that it doesn't hurt when your own kids begin to question your parenting skills — is pretending that it doesn't hurt when YOU begin to question YOUR OWN parenting skills.

    (more…)

  • If I have to eat my words, let it be “dessert”!

    Good morning NOTI'm guessing it isn't a morning bird.

    We're on the downside of a Nor'easter that came knocking on our house in the middle of the night (because, of course!) and, with a full plate of stuff that needs to get done before the kids get home from school (it's a half-day, enough said!) I am super-thankful to be awake, with electricity and everything.

    It's still raining cats and dogs and a couple of squirrels (seriously, I think it's their mating season, or something) so my husband, Garth (not his real name) is all, like, "You're driving Hope to the bus stop, right?!?" early this morning.

    Yeah…he's a REAL good dad like that… AND he already took 2 other kids to school, even earlier.

    Fiiiiiiiiine, so I holler down the hallway, "You better hurry up, because I am SO NOT driving you to school!"

    I, on the other hand, do not react well with mornings…no matter what the weather…yo.

    "ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME?!?"

    I've been driving kids to and from school for the last 14 years and experienced many "ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME?!?" moments, but NEVER something like this.

    "I am SO NOT fighting for a parking space…at the school bus stop!!!"

    So, once again, I'm eating my words and driving a kid to school: on the bright side, the middle school parking lot was empty, making the ride totally stress-free.

    "But, the doors don't open for another 11 minutes."

    [eyes go wide]

    "Aaaaaaand, good thing my coat has a hood, right?!?"

    Yeah…we grow real smart kids like that…AND aren't you glad I didn't Facebook this, earlier this morning?!?

    [sound of circkets, chirping]

    Stupid rain, dumbass #NaBloPoMo.

    ©2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!

    I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

  • Kids Grow Up, Leaves Continue to Fall, You’ll Get Over It (Okay, now you tell me!)

    Pool in Autumn

    I was never a big fan of daylight savings time — especially in the spring, when my kids were younger and they would run around at 8:00 p.m., their bodies insisting that…NUH-UH!!!…it's not bedtime, because it's really 7:00 p.m.

    On the other hand, I could always come up with a way to put that extra hour we'd get in the fall to good use.

    Autumn 2013

    Today, my husband tackled lots of little p.i.t.a. jobs around the house (that multiply quicker than dust bunnies, if left unattended) while my son and I hit the backyard…HARD!!!…and raked the daylights out of all the leaves that seemed to have dropped overnight.

    Glen 2000

    Glen in Autumn of 2000

    Now that my kids are older, I can't help but think back to the days when stuff like raking the leaves was actually fun and it doesn't take me very long before I get all…MAH BAYBEEEEEEEES…when did they get SO GROWN?!?…and stuff.


    Glen Autumn 2013

    Glen today, raking the daylights out of our backyard.

    Then, it's time to drag the tarp filled with wet leaves to the compost pile behind the pool and…DAAAAAANG…if I don't get over the…MAH BAYBEEEEEEEES…pretty quick, too.

    Aaaaaand, with snow-shoveling season just around the corner…I'm pretty sure I will continue getting over it…well into springtime 😉

     2003 -2013 This Full House with a fan page on Facebook and everything!

    I'm NaBloPoMo-ing it, feel free to check out what I've NaBloPoMo-ed, so far (PHEW!) and let me know how I'm doing (I mean, 30 posts, in 30 days, really?!?) when you have time, of course!

  • Dealing with mean girls (and boys) from a teenager’s point of view.

    2 days into the new school year and my youngest has already had to deal with 7th grade (a.k.a. the birthing ground for mean) girls, who seem to be prepping themselves to be catty women when they grow up (if ever), and it’s breaking my heart.

    Unfortunately, it’s easy for us parents to say things like, “they’re just jealous” and “because the new boy talked to you at lunch, first” or “they see you as a threat” because we’ve ALL been there, right?!?

    Aaaaaand, therein lies the rub.

    You see, my kids have a real hard time understanding (or even believing) that their parents may or may not have dealt with mean behavior, at some point in our lives, and that at least one other person in the bathroom/class room/gym/hallway/lunchroom imagined it to be really funny, at the time, too.

    In this case, calling your name out loud, turning their backs and then giggling their little fool heads off or just walking into a room…

    [cue: giggling little fools]

    …then casually glancing down at yourself, wondering if you’ve mistakenly put your pants on backwards or something and, well, as if being 12 years-old wasn’t difficult enough, right?!?

    So, having lived through a couple of mean moments (or twenty) of their own (dammit), I asked my two oldest girls (they are 19 and 17) and my son (he’s 14) for their thoughts on dealing with mean girls (or boys) from a teen’s point of view.

    Because I am very open-minded, not to mention they are MUCH smarter than me, like that! 

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