DIY explosion: my teen and I made a dress out of candy wrappers
I’d been itching to dive in and thoroughly immerse myself in a huge creative project all winter — what could scratch that itch? Then inspiration struck — what could be sweeter than a one of a kind dress created with my fourteen-year-old?
Tips for helping your offbeat student navigate the waters at public school
No one wants their child to miss out on the opportunity to be themselves, and creativity and individuality can seem impossible in a large, standardized school environment. I have seen, though, that it can work.
My daughter and I bonded over Harry Potter fanfic
Fanfic exists to fill in those gaps between episodes, to make plots make more sense; to carry on a beloved series of books after the author has abandoned it. And, let’s be honest here, to let the characters do what their creators never would — have sex. Lots and lots of sex.
Dust off your fave ’90s dramedies and save them to share with your angsty love-struck teen
Even though I spent a good bit of my time pretending I lived in the ’80s and listening to punk music, I spent most of my reality living in the ’90s and listening to singer-songwriters and what would grow to become know as folk rock. When I met my best friend, she introduced me to a couple of ’90s film gems with my kind of people and music, and the rest is teenage history.
Parenting a teen in the shadow of Facebook
Kids that are in high school and college right now are the guinea pigs for coming of age in the social networks. They are learning the hard way what should and should NOT be posted to their Tumblr, Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Crafty teens are rocking Etsy
The Internet has done some great things for teens — like giving them a place like Etsy to sell their eyeball pendants, bright blue plastic star earrings, and more.
Would you let your teen get a tattoo?
A friend recently posted a status on Facebook saying her four-year-old asked to get a tattoo for her birthday — and “not one that washes off in the bathtub.” Of course, the idea of a four-year-old getting a REAL tattoo is ludicrous (and probably illegal), but it had me wondering — what if that four-year-old was sixteen? Would it be ok then?
Non-mall summer job ideas for teens
For every kid that likes folding clothes at a local big box establishment, there’s another who really… doesn’t. If your offbeat teen is looking for a summer gig that he or she might actually like, here are a few suggestions.