High School

Everyone knows that having friends is important and that it makes us happier. It is kind of commonplace and it stands for every period of life. But there are stages when it is more important to make friends and belong to certain circles, and one of the first that comes to our mind is teenagehood. In this period, friendships are more important than ever, as they are giving young people the sensation of acceptance and belonging. Additionally, the ability to connect with peers encourages the development of empathy, compassion, etc., in adolescents. Besides, through these friendships, young people form an identity that is not, in any way, related to their families. However, not all teens manage to make friends easily....

It has begun. The annoyed sighs and eye-rolling. The huffing and puffing (Big Bad Wolf style!). The “Ugh, Mom, I know” and “Fine, Mom.” I really thought I had a few years before the sassiness would rear its ugly head. I thought that would be teenage behavior. WRONG! My formerly respectful and sweet ten-year-old daughter has entered the back-talking phase – and it is driving me crazy! Alien abduction I feel like I put my well-mannered daughter to bed one night, and she must’ve been abducted by aliens that taught her to be sassy. Almost overnight, she started interrupting us to tell us what she did or didn’t do. The eye-rolling started when asked to do simple chores. For the most...

Before I’ve even had a chance to brush my teeth, the day sometimes seems to already be heading downhill. Rushing around and nagging everyone to get out of bed, get dressed, brush teeth and hair, make beds, and pack the chrome book has already started us all off on the wrong foot. After I kiss all of my kids goodbye and send them off to school, mom guilt quickly sets in. I start to think about how much is expected of kids these days, and how they really are doing a wonderful job at keeping it all together, considering all that has been thrown at them this year. 2020 – Need I say more? Back in March, their little worlds were turned...

I had a breakthrough in my decade-long teaching career just two years ago. Latent as that epiphany may be, I’m thankful it happened at all. I had tried to face my students with a stone face, not bending over the slightest challenges of my rules. I had tried to be buddy who sits on desks, creates inside jokes, and agrees to copious amounts of extra credit. While I remain close to so many students from those years despite my twenty-something attitude of knowing it all, the last two years have been the most transcendent. What did I do differently? I said one phrase to myself over and over again – “Be who you needed when you were younger.” Putting Advice...

Confession: It's summertime during a worldwide pandemic and I had no idea what to write for this blog post. It has been eating away at me this entire week. I cannot tell you how many times I stared at my blank screen, cursor judgmentally blinking away at me. "You've got nothing interesting to say, Heather. You go to work, wait tables, change diapers, keep up with your weekly chore chart, school's out and the kids go from video games to trampoline, to asking what's for dinner, to eating anything but ground beef (it's expensive right now!) for dinner, then it's off to bed at 9 pm, where maybe they'll go to sleep without asking for water, maybe you'll take a...