I arrived home from work mid-afternoon and found Teen seated on his yoga ball hunched over a stack of papers in front of the family room computer, his study spot. I came up behind him and while I was yet two feet away, he abruptly stiffened and threw his hands in a “Don’t Shoot!” position. … Continue reading Panic Attack
Tag: high school
Tell the Truth
A few nights ago, just as I realized I had an unforeseen free evening ahead of me, my neighbor popped over to spontaneously invite me to a panel on teen stress at a nearby high school. I said yes. An hour later I fought back tears as a well-dressed dad pointed to a picture of his … Continue reading Tell the Truth
Good Enough
When I was in high school, Good Enough was good enough. We did our best - and sometimes not - and we did well. Most kids in my middle-class high school were on the College Prep track; we knew a few in the "non-College Prep" classes, and we understood they struggled; we knew a few who took Honors/AP … Continue reading Good Enough
The Kids are Okay
We have completed Week 2 of the school year and I can happily report that we are all doing OK! At least mostly. I think. We've only had... ...one lost backpack, ...one slept-through alarm clock, ...one forgotten bike lock combination, ...one forgotten lunch box, ...one "oops, I forgot to turn it in" homework assignment, ...a couple "oops, … Continue reading The Kids are Okay
The Church: Traveling Together
What seems like a bazillion years ago, I participated in a high school marching band (sorry, no humiliating pictures available - I did look, I promise). Before freshman year, I registered to be the pianist/accompanist for Beginning Orchestra; unbeknownst to me, everyone quit and the band director transferred me to Marching Band. And the trombone, because the … Continue reading The Church: Traveling Together
Paper Towns
Paper Towns by John Green My rating: 3 of 5 stars You can see her: *that* girl in your high school, the sparkly, witty, smart one, the one everyone adores and some suspect might be way cooler if she wasn't also the popular kids' ringleader. Her name might be, for example, Margo Roth Spiegelman. Your … Continue reading Paper Towns