Category Archives: Parenting

parenting, children, working motherhood, reality check

On College Tours, It’s the Pannini Press that Matters

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Susan H. Greenberg

“Too preppy,” my son declares, refusing to join the other juniors gathered for a tour of one stately southern campus. “Too alternative,” he decrees at another, halfway across the same state. Mr. 70 Percent and I are in the midst … Continue reading →

Posted in Parenting | 3 Comments

When Children Know Best

Posted on January 4, 2015 by Susan H. Greenberg

A gap year turned out to be just what my daughter needed after high school. As I wrote for The New York Times, now I’m a believer.

Posted in Parenting | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Proud and Out in Budapest and Prague

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Susan H. Greenberg

My mother loves cake. Any kind of cake: chocolate, apple, layer, carrot, cream-filled, caramel-glazed, you name it. This is one of the many things I learned–or remembered–on the 10-day trip I recently took through Central Europe with my mother and … Continue reading →

Posted in Grandparents, Parenting, Teenagers, Travel | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

The Trouble With Vermont

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Susan H. Greenberg

I have spent the past five months trying to figure out Vermont, without much success. It’s not as easy as you might think, given its reputation for simple, wholesome, back-to-the-land living. Which isn’t to say, exactly, that I don’t like … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Food, Neighbors, Parenting, Small-town life, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Home is Where the Mess Is

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Susan H. Greenberg

The move to Vermont is behind us, if not the unpacking. It’s a slow process. Every day I tackle approximately one box, then collapse, exhausted, on a giant pile of mismatched socks. Among the things we haven’t yet been able … Continue reading →

Posted in Division of Labor, Family life, Kids, Marriage, Parenting | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

The Last Walk

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Susan H. Greenberg

I slipped the leash around his neck for the last time. He wagged his tail, hopeful even through his labored breaths that we might be going for a walk. Just 24 hours earlier, Max, our 12-year-old Lab, had been diagnosed … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Parenting, Pets | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

The Packing Wars

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Susan H. Greenberg

If you really want to test your marriage, just pack up your house. You don’t even have to move; simply spend time together determining who has more useless crap. In our case, I think even Mr. 70 Percent would agree … Continue reading →

Posted in Division of Labor, Family life, Marriage, Parenting | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

In Which Mr. 70 Percent Moves Me

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

I’ve had a lot to process. Mr. 70 Percent has gone all out and gotten himself a new job. In Vermont. And so our gradual withdrawal from civilization continues. We left the New York area in 2005, beaten down by … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Marriage, Neighbors, Parenting, Pets, Reality check, Teenagers | Tagged , , , , , , | 22 Comments

The Lousy Weekend

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

It was nearing five o’clock on a Friday, and I was looking forward to the weekend: soccer, errands, dinner with friends, the season premiere of Homeland. Then the phone rang. “Mommy?” my daughter said. Her voice sounded shaky. “What happened?” … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check, Siblings, Teenagers | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Removing the Names to Protect the Guilty

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

Apparently I’ve been on a hiatus. In general, if I don’t post for awhile, it probably means one of two things: either someone in my family has done something–possibly involving body art, sexual exploration, illicit substances, and/or the police– that … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Parenting, Reality check, Teenagers, Working motherhood | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments