Category Archives: parenting

academics, college health, parenting

3 Tactics to Manage College-Induced Stress

stress

College stress happens to just about everyone – if you’re not stressed while in college, there’s probably something wrong! It’s just a combination of responsibilities and things that all add up to make you feel super tense and overwhelmed. Especially as you’re not used to living college life at all – it’s the first time you’ve ever been away from home, you have to be more independent when studying, and the course content is a lot harder than in high school. 

With all of this considered, what can you do to manage college-induced stress? Here are three tactics that seem to work really well:

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college prep, life lessons, parenting

Teaching Your College-Bound Teen Essential Car Maintenance

car maintenance

Starting college is an exciting adventure for almost everyone. Yet, it can be difficult for parents to ensure they’ve adequately prepared their young adult children to navigate the worldindependently. 

Most parents know that college-bound teens will need to know how to do laundry, cook simple meals, and where to go if they need medical attention.

However, if your child is planning to take their car to college, it’s also necessary to teach them the basics of car maintenance. From changing a tire and checking fluids to basic safety techniques while doing the maintenance, these skills serve them throughout their lives. 

Whether your teen is taking the hand-me-down vehicle or you did your research and bought them a new or used car through Edmunds, it’s essential to know what you should cover and what your options are if you don’t feel equipped to teach these skills?

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college prep, parenting

Involved Parenting Paves the Way for College

involved parenting

Getting the best out of your teen is easier than you think. A lot of the time, there are solutions that we don’t think of because they are too simple. Instead, we try to complicate things when there really is no need. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some involved parenting to get the best out of your teen and help them grow towards independence before college.

Show Up

The first, and arguably most important thing that you are going to need to do is to show up. Kids and teens live by example, so if you are not showing up, why would they? Your kids need you to show up, be there, support them and do everything that you say you will. You don’t realize it at the time, but your teens are constantly watching you and learning from you. When people talk about having a mini me, this is literal. Your kids are either going to follow what you do, or go in the complete opposite direction, depending on a number of factors, though the former is the more likely of the two options.

If you show up, your kids will know that you care. It really is as simple as that. Showing up is the most important part to your teens, so make sure that you do this. 

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careers, Guest Posts, parenting

5 Resources to Help Your Student Learn to Code

code

A recent study found that 76% of parents want their children to end up in STEM-related careers. And with an ever-growing number of jobs requiring knowledge of new technologies, it isn’t very hard to see why. From manufacturing to marketing, most jobs today are dependent on computers for their success. And computers are dependent upon code. That’s probably why so many parents are hoping to get their kids into coding.

As many as 85% of parents are encouraging their children to learn to code, according to one study. But despite wanting their kids to learn, many parents are at a loss about the best resources available to help kids to code. Where can a parent start when they want to help their child dive into this new field, especially if they don’t know much about coding themselves? We’re here to help!  We’ll help you narrow down the options by explaining the different categories of resources out there. Then, you can decide which resources best meet your needs. 

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college planning, college prep, parenting, Uncategorized

Dealing with Teenage Drama About College

teenage drama

Are you dealing with teenage drama about college? If you were expecting an easy ride you’ve probably realized that you were delusional. Even the best of daughters has her moments; and even the model son makes you want to pull your hair out. A friend of mine once told me (when I was potty training my daughter and was totally frustrated), “Honey, potty training ain’t nothing compared to raising teenagers.” She was right!

Navigating college roadblocks, based on my experience and the experiences of other parents, can be difficult and frustrating. There are three tactics parents can use when dealing with these unexpected twists and turns along the road to college.

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college planning, parenting, summer programs, Uncategorized

Summer Boredom Crushers

summer boredom

School’s out for the summer and it won’t be long before you hear those dreaded words, “I’m bored.” My grandsons have already uttered them!

Personally, I never liked those words. I don’t use them myself and I taught my kids not to use them. They knew if they used them, I would find them something to occupy their time and they wouldn’t like it.

While you can’t jam college prep down your teen’s throat this summer, you can prepare for those “I’m bored” moments and take advantage of the opportunity to help them find something to occupy their time.

Here are some suggestions to crush the summer boredom:

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admissions, parenting, Uncategorized

Recent Survey Shows 1 in 4 Parents Cheated to Get their Child Into College

parents cheated

If you watched the Netflix Special “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal”, you might think that only rich parents cheat to get their kids into college. But according to a new survey from  Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning, you would be wrong.

What did the survey find?

According to the survey, cheating was more common among families from high-income households and parents who made less than $49,000 annually. In contrast, only 19% of cheaters are from middle-income homes.

“We’ve heard stories and scandals about college-admissions cheating among celebrity parents, but this survey reveals that it’s not uncommon for average parents to use unethical practices during the college application process,” Intelligent managing editor Kristen Scratton says. “Interestingly, 25% of our survey respondents cheated by listing false achievements, making sizable donations, or getting a test-taker to impersonate their child on the SAT or ACT test.”

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career colleges, careers, parenting

Supporting Your Teen’s Career Aspirations

career

Research shows that parents have a strong influence over their child’s college or career path. That influence may be subtle, and beyond the conscious awareness of the child, or often not so subtle. Parents have been known to push a child into a career path for numerous reasons, most have nothing to do with the child’s interests.

Parents are the number one influence in the career and college major choices made by their children.  

Growing up, my parents had some friends who insisted their children and even their son-in-laws follow the father’s career path as a doctor. They all attended college and medical school following in his footsteps. They all became doctors, but not all were happy in their careers. Most were miserable and floundered around until finally giving up and leaving the medical profession. Not only did they waste years on their education and a medical degree, but they have never recovered from what they perceived to be a failure.

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careers, parenting

Helping Your Teen find their future career

career

You might think teenagers have it easy, after all, they have no real responsibilities – what could they possibly worry about?! However, teenagers actually feel a lot of pressure. They are expected to figure out what they want to do for the next X amount of years in their education, as well as have a good idea of what they would like to do in their professional lives once education is over. It’s a lot to think about for a brain that isn’t fully developed yet (and for a person that likely doesn’t 100% know themselves, and is not free from the pressures/expectations of friends/family) to handle. 

It can be really difficult for them to figure out what it is they want to do, but as their parent, you can help them. Remember that no matter if they want to become a Massage Therapist, chef or a writer, it is your job to support and guide them wherever you can. Below, we’ll go through some of the things you can do to help them figure it all out.

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college planning, college prep, parenting

Using the Summer for College Prep

summer

Before you think I’m advocating “heads to the grindstone” this summer, rest assured these activities will not consume your or your student’s summer months. What this summer college prep will do is prepare your student for the upcoming school year and help him enter the next phase of his education thinking and planning for college.

The summer before middle school

Entering middle school is a huge transition for students. They go from one classroom to multiple classrooms, lockers, multiple teachers, and more homework. The summer before your student begins middle school is the perfect time to begin preparation for the future. Although it might seem premature to start thinking about college, it’s never too early. Your child needs a strong middle school foundation in order to take the high school courses that colleges expect of a college-bound student. 

For a list of 10 tips for soon-to-be middle school parents, click here.

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