Having just been through the college application process with two of our children and about to embark on it with the third, I have lived the complexity of choosing the ‘right’ extracurricular path. The struggle of figuring out how to partner with your child to leverage their ‘best’ self in support of the looming college application. It is so easy to feel overwhelmed and to get caught up in what you think they ‘should’ be doing to set themselves apart from the thousands of applications an institution will receive; but the reality is the more we focus on the ‘should’ the more distant we become f ..read more

While our focus at Teenhackz is the resiliency of youth, once in a while I’m reminded of how important it is to recognize (and appreciate) that how we raise our kids – our energy and effort, is directly connected to how we are faring in this rough and tumble world.  As I read this article today I was struck by how relevant it is to my own experience at this point in my life.  I actually wondered if it had been written about me!  And while it doesn’t change my current trajectory, what it does is give me permission to be ok with the feelings I feel and the angst I experience and normalizes the p ..read more

I have one child already in college and another about to complete their senior year in high school. And the stress is high. A diligent student who has great grades, performed well on the SAT, has all sorts of varsity sports and amazing experiences like ‘Girls Who Code’ behind her and a terrific work ethic. And guess what? She hasn’t received an acceptance from one college that she actually wants to attend. And it makes no sense. And we are perplexed. And we are not alone. The system is broken. The complex and seemingly nonsensical college application process is letting our kids down. Thus, its ..read more