Communicating with teens

I had an exasperating conversation with my 13-year-old son last Friday. It was his father’s birthday and we were planning to go to dinner that evening. I called home to give him an advanced warning to get ready for the event. I considered it a form of insurance for both of us, since my showing up at home [...]

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Olympic gymnastics

My daughter and I have been watching the Olympic gymnastics competition for the last week and a half and we’ve been both thrilled and frustrated with the results. It was the first time we really sat down together and watched Olympic gymnastics, even though my daughter has been a competitive gymnast for ten of her fifteen-and-a-half [...]

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School calendar and weather

My kids started back to school last week on August 11, which is so totally stupid. Over the years their first day of school has gradually shifted from late August (mildly stupid) to the current start date (totally stupid). They go back to school a full three weeks before Labor Day, which used to be [...]

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Time for a change

It’s time for a change in gymnastics programs for my teenage daughter, a level 9 gymnast who has been in the sport for ten years. Although she is somewhat reluctant to leave the coach she has been with for nine of those years, my husband and I feel this is the right thing to do [...]

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