Category Archives: Kids

Gossiping With My Girl

Posted on November 27, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

While I was getting dressed for Thanksgiving dinner, I overheard an alarming conversation between my husband and my 16-year-old daughter. It went something like this: Daughter: “Dad, have you watched the latest Gossip Girl yet?” Mr. 70 Percent: “Yes! I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check, Teenagers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Nothing Two Advil Won’t Cure

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

When my son first told me his head hurt after football practice, I offered my standard response: “I’m sure it’s nothing; take two Advil.” By now, I should know better. I have given this erroneous assessment at least a dozen … Continue reading →

Posted in Boys will be boys, Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check, Working motherhood | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Honey, I Lost the Kids

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

I was up around Franconia, New Hampshire, on what my family always refers to as “yet another” girls’ weekend (while I typically preface it with “sorely needed”) when I committed a grave error. I texted my husband with a simple … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

The Scariest Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

There’s no trick-or-treating in Snowville tonight. In my house, we couldn’t even enjoy our rare uncontroversial family tradition of pumpkin carving, which Mr. 70 Percent and I started long before we ever heard the splitter-splat of baby spit-up on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Go-Between

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

My 16-year-old and I recently enjoyed a very 21st century mother-daughter outing: we made a pilgrimage to the Apple store to purchase the new iPhone 4S. (Each of us was using a phone with a screen so shattered it routinely … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Teenagers | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

The Things I Shouldn’t Have Said

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

It was on 6 x 9 that I snapped. We had been over it dozens, maybe hundreds, of times. “52?” she’d say. “No, 56!” I could swear she’d had her math facts down cold by the end of 3rd grade, … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

A World Without Jobs

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

Of course I’m sorry that Steve Jobs is gone. I enjoy Apple products as much as anyone. More important, he was far too young–56–and lived the kind of unconventional, multi-faceted, follow-your-bliss life we should all aspire to. In addition to … Continue reading →

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Like School, But Worse

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

“Nobody likes going to religious school,” I tell my youngest daughter whenever she complains about going to Hebrew school, which is twice a week. “It doesn’t matter if they have to go to CCD or Sunday School or a madrassah. … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

A Family Vacation With Someone Else’s Family

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

The biggest disadvantage of having three kids covering a seven-year age span is that it is virtually impossible to find a family activity that makes everyone happy. Movie night, for instance, means either the 9-year-old hides her eyes during Pulp … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

There’s No Place Like Camp

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Susan H. Greenberg

Usually when the kids arrive home after being away, we enjoy a brief honeymoon period: they are engaged, chatty, appreciative, helpful and pleasant. Not this time. My 16-year-old daughter returned yesterday after four weeks of being a junior counselor at … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check, Teenagers | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments