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IT'S PROM TIME!!!
 Posted
5/14/2013 8:06:00 AM
It's prom season, one of the greatest times in the life of high school students. I can also be a time of great anxiety for parents.
WHY? First of all, we worry about our kids safety. How will they get there, who are they going with, what are they doing afterwards?
Second of all, THE COST! It's much more expensive if you have a daughter. My nearly 17 year old just went to her junior prom. Her dress was $200, but it easily could have been $500. The shoes were on sale for $40. The mani-pedi was $55, the hair and makeup $90, the eyebrow wax was $15, the cluth was $20, and the tickets were $160. We got off easy with the limo. A friend's uncle provided it free, but would have cost $300-$400. We gave the driver a $20 tip. I also spent $100 on pizza and wings ...
DAD CHAT: HELPING KIDS COPE WITH MARATHON TRAGEDY
Posted
4/16/2013 8:26:00 AM
It's a tough day in Massachusetts and the world after the senseless bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, on Boylston Street, yesterday afternoon. Three people, including an eight-year-old Dorchester boy, were killed and 144 others were injured, several critically.
For those of us who are parents it brings up the difficult question about how to handle it with our children. It's frightening for ALL adults, so it stands to reason children will be horrified and frightened, as well.
The experts, including Dr. Susan Swick, head of Pediatric and Adolescent Psychiatry at Newton Wellesley Hospital, suggest finding out exactly how much your kids know. Answer them in accordance with how old they are. Toddlers and three and four year olds need not be told, since they probably aren't aware anyway. However, Dr. Swick points out that if your four-year-old is the youngest and has older siblings, they may ...
DAD CHAT: THE DRIVING AGE SHOULD BE 18
Posted
4/9/2013 7:18:00 AM
I have more driving anxiety now than I did when I got my license over 30 years ago. WHY? My 16-year-old daughter now has her driving permit. She’s only been on the road once, with my wife, after practicing in the cemetery a few times.
I’m worried about everything. Is she paying attention, going too fast, have her seatbelt on, looking in her mirrors, have the radio on, cell phone turned off???? YIKES. Then there are the other drivers to worry about.
I hate to say it, but I now think the driving age should be raised from 16 to 18. Of course, I didn’t feel that way in 1982 when I got my license at 16 ½, with far less training than they get today. However, there are far more drivers, with far more distractions in today’s world, compared to 1982. I’m sure my parents felt the ...
DAD CHAT: COLLEGES CAN'T ACCEPT EVERYONE WHO APPLIES, BUT THAT'S OK!
Posted
4/2/2013 7:48:00 AM
Pittsburgh, PA high school senior Suzy Lee Weiss wrote a funny, sarcastic op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal about the college acceptance process. She says that colleges have lied to kids, telling them "to be yourself" and you'll got into the schools you want to go to. Weiss sarcastically writes that had she known being "herself" wouldn't have done the trick, she's have pretended to be from another ethnic group, helped under privileged animals or start some fake charity.
A "Gawker" columnist totally missed the sarcasm of Weiss' piece and criticized her for being entitled, spoiled and afraid of actually working to get good grades.
One thing I've noticed as my two daughters prepare for the college application process. It is a total crap shoot. When 34,000 students apply to Harvard University and only 2,000 get in, you can't base your acceptance on achievement alone. They all basically got ...
DAD CHAT: PROM RULES - THE FIVE B'S
Posted
3/26/2013 6:53:00 AM
It's prom season and one of the grandest high school traditions makes high school hearts flutter with excitement, while causing their parents to beat excessively with worry. From formal gowns and tuxes, to luxurious limos and spas, the prom has became an act of excess. It's up to you
Here are my rules for your children, who are going to the prom. Focus on what I called the "The Five B's"! They are bouquets, breasts, booze, buses and boys!
Bouquet and buses are the way to go
When it comes to breasts, just say no
Flowers are pretty, they smelly really nice
Buses are safer, they will suffice
Breasts are for babies, not teen boys
Keep your hands to yourself, the girls are not toys
Booze is for losers, with no self respect
They'll all get caught when the teachers check
So, here's what I mean! Boys don't bring their ...
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