My words had been impactful but not in the way I had intended. I had created parental expectations that my children felt they might not be able to meet.

Grown and Flown

29.05.2025

The 10 Things I Wish I'd Known Before My Kids Left for College

Your teens are off to college and it's time to connect with old friends, do things you’ve always wanted to do or do nothing at all.

Grown and Flown

29.05.2025

Does Your Teen Just Want to Be Ordinary? Cool, Mine Too - Grown and Flown

Was my son's university so focused on finding a prized world-changer they were telling ordinary students average goals weren’t good enough?

Grown and Flown

29.05.2025

Mom of Teens and Teacher: School Is the Best Kind of Chaos for Me

So for this mom of teens, school is the best kind of chaos. A place where I know someone will always be needing something.

Grown and Flown

25.05.2025

What to Say (and Not to Say) to Parents Whose Teens Are Not College Bound

Amidst graduation parties and college move in days, there are parents whose teens were expected to be college bound but aren’t. What to say and not say.

Grown and Flown

25.05.2025

My Son May Not Have a College Education But He Has His Dream Job

My son struggled in high school. Instead of college he decided to work and train as a plumber and he is very happy with his decision.

Grown and Flown

23.05.2025

Dear Girl in Target, Please Let Your Dad Do This for You

Your dad's selection of the right toolkit is his way of equipping you for the future, literally and figuratively.

Grown and Flown

23.05.2025

The Definition of Success: Life Lessons In a Letter to My Children - Grown and Flown

I want my children to know the deep truth that the kind of success I believe in can’t be measured by income.

Grown and Flown

13.05.2025

Welcome Home For the Summer! Here Are The Ground Rules

We are all now full-fledged members of one team whose goal is peaceful co-existence. Everyone is now expected to treat the others as likable roommates, who want to stay likable roommates and there are ground rules.

Grown and Flown

12.05.2025

What I Want My Teens to Know About Being 'Average'

Our teens need to be able to know how to change a bike tire, talk on the phone, and, most importantly, to know they’re OK! Average is normal.

Grown and Flown

12.05.2025

When Your 'Grown and Flown' Moves Out of Town

Last summer my daughter graduated from college and took a job out of town. I should have celebrated but I was in no mood to do cartwheels.

Grown and Flown

11.05.2025

How to Put Together the Most Complete First Aid Kit For Your Teen

This first aid kit checklist for a college student is from a pharmacist and mom. It has everything, and we mean EVERYTHING, they'll need.

Grown and Flown

11.05.2025

College Readiness: How to Know if Your Teen is Prepared

Experts agree that the signs pointing to a lack of college readiness are almost always evident in high school.

Grown and Flown

10.05.2025

Nine Things a Parent Can Do When Their Teen Fails Out of College

If your teen is on their way home after a dismal semester, much good can come next. With the right perspective it can be a moment for growth.

Grown and Flown

10.05.2025

This Grandparent Love Is Slower, Softer, Sweeter

There is only this moment to savor. So, I'll rock slower. Listen longer. And, I'll let her tiny hand guide me.

Grown and Flown

08.05.2025

Dear Friends and Family, Please Keep Your Snarky Opinions About My Teen's College Choice to Yourself

No matter where your teen will attend school in the Fall, someone is going have an opinion about their college choice.

Grown and Flown

08.05.2025

How Much Spending Money Does My College Student Need?

How much money do parents generally send their teens away at college? Here is how parents answered the question and how they sent money.

Grown and Flown

07.05.2025

I Begged My Parents Not to Come to Graduation: The Long Road Home

I begged my parents not to come to my college graduation. It was a long drive and I was only attending a small departmental graduation. But they came.

Grown and Flown

07.05.2025

My Day Always Started With a Call to My Mom: Who Do I Call Now?

My mom passed away in October...and I am lost. I don’t know how to start my day. I don’t know who to call.

Grown and Flown

07.05.2025

This Baseball Mom Has 12 Pieces of Advice for Parents of Athletes

To the parents of athletes of any sport, when your teen moves on to the next level, they will be starting all over again. This may be harder for you than them.

Grown and Flown

06.05.2025

Academic Advisor has 12 Things She Wants to Tell College Parents

University Academic Advisor sees how difficult it is for many students to manage the stress of college. Here's what she wants parents to know.

Grown and Flown

06.05.2025

6 Things You Should Never Do as the Parent of a College Kid

Here are some signs that you may be over-parenting your college student and suggestions about what you can do instead.

Grown and Flown

03.05.2025

The Child You Drop Off at College Won't Be the Person Who Returns Home

As I count the final days to college drop off, I’m trying to stay positive and upbeat. But I’m sad, but NOT because I won’t get to see him.

Grown and Flown

01.05.2025

How to Survive College Kids Who Live at Home: 12 Rules to Use

Everyone is legally an adult in my somewhat chaotic house. The secret to surviving the chaos in our house comes down to these twelve rules.

Grown and Flown

01.05.2025

Living in the Leaving Period: Life After Graduation

I’ve seldom had such mixed feelings as I did after my son's graduation. Such is the mind of a parent in the middle of the leaving period.

Grown and Flown

01.05.2025

18 Years Old - Transition from Teen to Adult

My youngest is 18 years old. As he readies for college, I miss him before he is even gone and I will be so sad once he has left.

Grown and Flown

29.04.2025

How Can Teenagers Know Everything and Nothing?

Writer and mom, Annabel Monaghan, writes about how teens know so much but, surprisingly, not about the simplest of things.

Grown and Flown

27.04.2025

My Son is 20-Years-Old and Here Are 20 Life Lessons for Him

I remember where I was when I was 20. Now my son is 20-years-old and I have 20 pieces of life wisdom that I want to tell him and his friends.

Grown and Flown

27.04.2025

17 Items to Take Care of Before Your Student Leaves for College

You may be thinking about what to buy before your teen leaves home, but here are a few practical matters you should take care of now.

Grown and Flown

20.04.2025

Hate the Dress, Love the Daughter: What To Remember About Prom Shopping

Parents can’t guarantee a wonderful prom night, but we can do more to support our daughters’ wellbeing during prom shopping and all that leads up to the event.

Grown and Flown

15.04.2025

Dear Daughters, Here's My Life and Laundry Checklist for You

Dear Daughters, look at this life (and laundry) check list as your “what was it Mom used to say about. . .” refresher course.

Grown and Flown

14.04.2025

Moving Out of the College Dorm, for the Summer or Forever

Moving out of the college dorm: Here are 11 steps that will save time, prevent backache, and minimize stress.

Grown and Flown

12.04.2025

Six Alternatives to an Over-the-Top, Expensive Graduation Party (2025)

Here are 6 ideas for a less expensive graduation celebration that may be a better fit for your family and grad than an elaborate party.

Grown and Flown

11.04.2025

College Students Still Need Parenting in These 7 Ways

We let our college students go, and this is right. But they are still connected to us, and need our support and love in these 7 ways.

Grown and Flown

10.04.2025

8 Ways We Can Help Our College Students During Uncertain Times

Former college president offers eight ways parents can support their current or future college student in an uncertain educational climate.

Grown and Flown

03.04.2025

Seven Things I Wish I Had Known Before Freshman Year of College

I sat in my dorm room that first day of freshman year with a huge smile, but inside, I was a mixture of petrifying fear and excitement.

Grown and Flown

01.04.2025

See Why This Mom Says That She Is 'Cringey'

So, what about me is cringey, you may ask? Other than the fact that I breathe? I embrace the role of cringey parent.

Grown and Flown

30.03.2025

22 Ways for Teens Can Earn Money During Vacations and the School Year

Here are 22 ways teens can earn money during the school year and vacations, especially during the long winter break.

Grown and Flown

24.03.2025

10 Things Current Students Want First Year College Students to Know

Here is advice from college students to incoming first years now that they have completed their own first year of college.

home›Grown and Flown›Kids & Parenting

Grown and Flown - Kids & Parenting

The Father’s Day Gifts My Father Left for Me

Parental Expectations: a Crushing Culture

The 10 Things I Wish I'd Known Before My Kids Left for College

Does Your Teen Just Want to Be Ordinary? Cool, Mine Too - Grown and Flown

Mom of Teens and Teacher: School Is the Best Kind of Chaos for Me

What to Say (and Not to Say) to Parents Whose Teens Are Not College Bound

My Son May Not Have a College Education But He Has His Dream Job

Dear Girl in Target, Please Let Your Dad Do This for You

The Definition of Success: Life Lessons In a Letter to My Children - Grown and Flown

Welcome Home For the Summer! Here Are The Ground Rules

What I Want My Teens to Know About Being 'Average'

When Your 'Grown and Flown' Moves Out of Town

How to Put Together the Most Complete First Aid Kit For Your Teen

College Readiness: How to Know if Your Teen is Prepared

Nine Things a Parent Can Do When Their Teen Fails Out of College

This Grandparent Love Is Slower, Softer, Sweeter

Dear Friends and Family, Please Keep Your Snarky Opinions About My Teen's College Choice to Yourself

How Much Spending Money Does My College Student Need?

I Begged My Parents Not to Come to Graduation: The Long Road Home

My Day Always Started With a Call to My Mom: Who Do I Call Now?

This Baseball Mom Has 12 Pieces of Advice for Parents of Athletes

Academic Advisor has 12 Things She Wants to Tell College Parents

6 Things You Should Never Do as the Parent of a College Kid

The Child You Drop Off at College Won't Be the Person Who Returns Home

How to Survive College Kids Who Live at Home: 12 Rules to Use

Living in the Leaving Period: Life After Graduation

18 Years Old - Transition from Teen to Adult

How Can Teenagers Know Everything and Nothing?

My Son is 20-Years-Old and Here Are 20 Life Lessons for Him

17 Items to Take Care of Before Your Student Leaves for College

Hate the Dress, Love the Daughter: What To Remember About Prom Shopping

Dear Daughters, Here's My Life and Laundry Checklist for You

Moving Out of the College Dorm, for the Summer or Forever

Six Alternatives to an Over-the-Top, Expensive Graduation Party (2025)

College Students Still Need Parenting in These 7 Ways

8 Ways We Can Help Our College Students During Uncertain Times

Seven Things I Wish I Had Known Before Freshman Year of College

See Why This Mom Says That She Is 'Cringey'

22 Ways for Teens Can Earn Money During Vacations and the School Year

10 Things Current Students Want First Year College Students to Know

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