Search Results for: blog advantages to having your teens friends over

Teen Cliques

An old high school friend recently added me to a Facebook group, in which a reunion is being planned. It has been 25 years since we graduated. So it’s been interesting to look at some of the old faces and read up on how everyone is doing. It is hard to imagine some that have gotten married and had children. I guess it’s because I still see them as they were in their cliques. You know the labels that teens put on each other. Back in my day it was the jocks, preppies, nerds, outcasts and the popular kids. I … Continue reading →

Something Important to Look for in Teen Dating

This week my family celebrated my stepmother’s birthday at a restaurant. I asked my daughter if she would like to have her boyfriend join us, which of course she did. It has been my goal to take advantage of any opportunity to get to know him. Now this isn’t the norm, I realize. Most of the time when teens are dating, the parents are kind of on the outside trying to look in. Not this mom. I am an involved (please don’t mistake it for smothering) parent. The great thing is that my daughter has absolutely no problem with this. … Continue reading →

The Dilemma of Friends Spending the Night

There is an interesting dilemma taking place in our home with regard to my children’s friends. I always enjoy having them over and sometimes spending the night. I definitely prefer everyone hanging out here, where I can keep a better eye on things. But recently the issue of having friends sleep over has changed a bit. My youngest son, who is in 7th grade, has friends that are either in his grade or 8th. A couple of those guy friends (who are in 8th grade) are also friends with my 9th grade daughter. I have no problem with her hanging … Continue reading →

The Silence of Relationships

I am beginning to see a disturbing trend in my teens, something that will require diligent effort to change. It is silence. Now you might think that is actually a good thing but it really isn’t…I will explain why. The silence I am talking about is the silence of relationships. Gone are the days of talking on the telephone for hours on end. Friendships have now become more “technologically advanced.” Actually, I think technology hasn’t advanced relationships; it has diminished them in many ways. Let me give you some examples. Take my 12-year-old son whose best friend lives close by. … Continue reading →

4th of July Memories

The 4th of July is truly one of my favorite holidays. I love the memories we create, as we gather in our yard with friends. We always have quite a spread of every kind of meat you can possibly grill, lots of side dishes and at least four different kinds of dessert. The kids jump on the trampoline, ride bikes, hang out in my children’s bedrooms and go to the park. The adults relax and talk, and eventually play a game. This year it was a hilarious game of “Catch Phrase.” Then we enjoy snacking again while we watch the … Continue reading →

More Musings of a Mom

Is it true that today I have a 13-year-old daughter? Yes, my only daughter has finally hit the teenage years. Last night I took her and a friend of hers to the mall. She wanted to spend her birthday money and eat at the food court. We walked around, going from store to store. Then she said that she had to use the bathroom. We began to walk down this long corridor that leads to the bathrooms. I had this instant flashback in my mind. Several years ago I had gone down this same corridor, only my daughter wasn’t walking. … Continue reading →

Advantages to Having Your Teen’s Friends Over

When I was younger, especially as a teen, my parents rarely allowed friends to come over. I think it mostly had to do with the fact that they didn’t want to be bothered or deal with the noise. In all honesty I can relate. My kids are on spring break this week and of course they have all these plans for their friends to come over. Since I work from home, it seems almost logical that all the friends would come here. A part of me wants to say no. I still have work to do and frankly, I don’t … Continue reading →