Browsing all posts in "Teenagers".

Cartesian Dualism Does NOT Get You out of Chores

Back in the day, Aristotle was “THE Philosopher.” In fact, that is exactly how he was referred to by the Church fathers, from the time of his reintroduction in the west in the 11th century. St. Thomas Aquinas made it his life’s work to put a Christian spin on the old pagan, and by the [...]

The Generation Gap?

It seems like every week someone is decrying, bemoaning, or otherwise pointing to a “generation gap.” Kids, apparently, just THINK differently than adults. Well, duh. But is that permanent? Is it a generation thing or a kid thing? [As a confirmed materialist, I don't believe claims that the next generation is wired differently unless I [...]

More Parental Nightmares

There are so many, aren’t there? We parents worry about so many things: we worry that our kids won’t be happy, won’t be strong, will be teased, will be misfits, will have problems in school, will get sick, won’t find love… In the eternal litany of things mothers must worry about, a new study takes [...]

The Mother’s Guide to Groceries

In some cultures, women simply pick up what they need for that day at the local market. No long term planning is required. This wonderful method requires that: a) one has a local market; and b) your kids don’t run out of food in a single day. In America, most of us are used to [...]

The Mother’s Field Guide to Summer

For the armchair biologists out there, I offer a field guide to summer species variation, from my years of (mostly) scientific research on the subject: 1) Mini-pizzas begin taking flight in droves (It must be a narrow escape, though, since they leave their little plastic coats behind on the kitchen counter). 2) Soda cans begin [...]

Those Pieces of Paper Used to Mean Something

For those of you who don’t already know, I have a few degrees on my wall. Well, in a closet, since my office space is too full of bookshelves to find room for diplomas. But still. I mention this because, apparently, my children have forgotten this. I don’t mind so much with the Engineer, since [...]

Your Child’s First…Speeding Ticket

Yep. It’s a milestone in every parent’s life. Some parents have great angst about their kids driving. I know some folks who delayed getting their kids into driver’s ed until they were nearly twenty. Not me. I am so tired of being my kids’ chauffeur that any kid even near 16 gets shoved out the [...]

Growing out of the Kids

Today’s paper had a tiny little article about the Duggar family–the subject of The Learning Channel’s “18 Kids and Counting.” Apparently, she’s pregnant with number 19. I don’t watch reality TV and had never heard of them. So if you are just as clueless as I am, here’s the basic story. When the Duggars were [...]

The Dark Side

Somewhere in my gut, I knew it all along. It began insidiously, of course, when a well-known game manufacturer made some tiny little announcement in a trade journal. Then the hype started. Everyone must do this! It’s so great! It’s fantastic! It’s a must-have! For only $49.95 (plus tax), (plus on-line fees of $13/month), you, [...]

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Mead

Because no movie with witches, warlocks and hexes should go unpunished, no matter how beloved, the latest Harry Potter movie is under fire for–teenage drinking. Here’s the scoop. There is a scene in the Hogsmead pub where the three young friends order butter beers. Hermoine, apparently, acts “tipsy” later (did NOT notice that when I [...]