It is the time of year when families with teens begin to worry about next year’s class lineup. They know that choices made through high school will ultimately impact college options. Thus, I often get the question from parents of ambitious students, “Is it better to take an AP class or a college class?” If [read more] …
academics
Big Picture Thinking
Sometimes, as a parent, it is difficult to get to the end of a day, much less plan all of high school or take a realistic look at the remaining years your child has left under your roof. But, by operating in disaster mode all the time, life ends up being just one long crisis [read more] …
Rejecting the Checklists
I don’t really think of myself as a rebel, but as I look back over the years my husband and I have parented, I have to admit that it sure looks like it! Growing up I was a list checker and tended to think inside the box. However, some combination of marriage and children and [read more] …
Enough is Enough
On a stunning Southern California spring day we were driving to meet our son to celebrate years of hard work – his college graduation from the California Institute of Technology. My cell phone buzzed and I heard a strangled voice, “Mom, one of my classmates committed suicide yesterday.” The beauty of the day was shattered along [read more] …
The Junior Gauntlet
The spring semester means different things depending on where your student is in the high school progression. Freshmen are still exploring activities and learning to hold their own in difficult high school classes. Sophomores are rolling along in their AP class(es) and settling into their extracurricular focus. Seniors are breathing easier after completing the college [read more] …