As your child gets older and more independent, the summer break takes on a whole different vibe. Your now-teenager has successfully navigated middle school, some of high school, and possibly even completed Drivers’ Ed (eek!) At this point, they’re likely pretty entrenched in their daily routine: getting to class, completing assignments, attending practice, and (hopefully) doing their chores. And then summer arrives and it all falls apart. Your once busy teenager suddenly has hours and hours of time to play with and no direction creating a situation that can quickly escalate out of moms control—so here are some summer tips for moms with teens to help nip it in the bud right from the start.
The school year is drawing to a close and summer will be here in a minute, with it the buzz of schoolkids ready to burst from the confines of their routine and be free. Never fear: a successful summer transition is within your reach. The change from classroom to summer setting need not be jarring—for you or your child (or your teen). Doing a bit of prep before summer’s arrival will ease you all into this change and set you up for a summer of grand memories and structured good times.
I remember them all. Mrs. Connelly taught me cursive and made me want to use it to write great stories one day. Mr. Grant praised me in front of the whole gym class for finishing a race with my leg bleeding even though I came last. Miss Tanner found math riddles in her spare time, and that year I crossed the arithmetic threshold and became fascinated with Fibonacci, perfect squares and golden rectangles.
Sports are a great way to have fun and escape the stress of everyday life. It teaches kids discipline, perseverance, and gives balance to screen time. No matter what sport you’ve signed up for, there are a few essential items you’ll want to bring along. I’m a proud soccer mom and my boys love to play in the sun. I love that they have fun, but I also like to be prepared – just in case. Check out this handy list for tips on packing for your first day on the field.
This morning I watched my kids sleep as I stroked their hair and hugged them. At 10 and 12, though, they are a bit more excited about playing Fortnite and soccer than cuddling with their Mama. At least I still get tons of high fives and an occasional bear hug. Back when they were newborns, I was so sleep deprived that all I wanted was help holding and soothing them. And now I just want to hug them and have time stop. How life changes!
When I was pregnant with my first child I was intrigued by the idea of cloth diapering. It seemed like the right thing to do: better for the environment, better for my child’s skin and reproductive health. But there was so much information, so many choices… I was overwhelmed and intimidated.
Making vision boards is a great exercise for the new year to set intentions for you and your family! Using words and images, they visually show you your goals and dreams. Your mind responds strongly to visual stimulation, so not only does the process cement your goals in your mind, but seeing your board in a prominent place triggers this visual cue.
Are you looking for a local experience that is educational without being boring? City On Edge is the latest exhibition at Museum of Vancouver, showcasing 100 years of protest history in Vancouver. It is based on the book of the same name, which was published by Greystone Books, and was written by by retired Vancouver Sun research librarian Kate Bird. Ms. Bird co-curated it with MOV’s curator Viviane Gosselin.
I love Marvel movies, Game of Thrones, and House of Cards, but in a world where every day brings a new natural disaster, cultural conflict, or some other heartache, it can be hard to find entertainment aimed at adults that doesn’t push the emotions to the extreme.
So a smart, grown-up, comedy aimed at women who have been around the block a time or two (or three)? I’m on board, basking in the warm glow and loving the refreshing breeze.
I remember as a little girl, dressing up to go to the bank. It wasn’t as fancy as Easter Sunday, but close. I had three tiny bank books in hand: ‘checking’, ‘savings’ and ‘long-term savings’. None of the accounts had much in them but the bank tellers assumed I was learning a ton and thought I was cute. Getting one’s bank book updated and waiting patiently in line was apparently a super-engaging kid activity. Sometimes I wouldn’t go for a few months and each interest payment would take so much time to print. Line by line. One cent, two cents…my family was very frugal and budgeted impeccably in order to save for vacations and big purchases.