49 Ideas for Teens at Valentine’s

49 Ideas for Teens at Valentine’s

Ideas for Teens at Valentine’s Day

Here is the thing about your teens. They might act all cool and aloof. But, here is the truth… They love everything you have ever done for the holidays. They love the traditions. Here are some great ideas for teens at Valentine’s.

So much in their world is stressful and difficult. They look forward to some of these things all year. If YOU are super stressed, ask them to rank their favorite things, and then ask if something can be dropped because everyone (or most everyone) put it toward the bottom of their list.

If you haven’t made a big deal about Valentines Day in the past, this would be a great time to start. After all, this holiday is all about LOVE! And, ASK FOR HELP! Your teen would probably rather do something for you themselves than give it up. This would be a win-win! *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

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Ideas for Teens at Valentine's

Here are great ideas for teens at Valentine’s!

11 Advent Calendars for Valentines Day -Your Teen Will Love

They are a hit at Christmas, so why not continue the fun for this season as well?

Advent calendars are anticipation for a special event. There are so many fun advent calendars available! I decided that this would be a fun post, and my boys and a couple of their girlfriends helped me to find advent calendars that teens will love.

 

25 Movies for Valentine’s Day: Movies About Love

Valentine’s season is here, and it’s a great time to watch some movies about love. These are not all about romantic love, but love between friends and family as well. These are great movies to use as a springboard to some conversations about realistic love. Make a bowl of popcorn, and have a movie marathon!

Best Valentine’s Gifts to Give and Get For Teens

Valentine’s Day can be such a fun time for teens. Even for teens that do not have a special “other person”, giving gifts to a bestie or other friends can be fun! Finding the best Valentine’s gifts can be a lot of fun, and there are many great activities as well that I list at the bottom for fun!

Best Valentines Decor For A Dorm Room: 9 Fun Ideas

Valentine’s Day is such a fun holiday! Here is some great Valentines decor for a dorm room. A great way to get involved at college is for your teen to participate in a decorating contest!  

A great way for your teen to create a homey spot for themself is to get into the holiday spirit, no matter the holiday! My boys never chose to do this, but I know that lots of students might choose to embrace these ideas!

Ideas for Valentines gift

Send a Sugarwish! So many sweet snack choices -savory too!

Do you need a date night with your special someone? Here are “date night in” boxes

Here are great Valentine gift ideas for almost anyone!

Some pretty initial jewelry is fun to give.

Valentine Day clothing is always fun.

There are such great gifts here for any woman/girl that you know!

I hope you can use some of these ideas for teens at Valentines!

Related posts

Gift Guide for a Teen’s Easter Basket

Inquiring Minds Want to Know: “What Are the Best High School Graduation Gifts”

Cinco de Mayo With Teens Can Be So Fun!

15+ Best Gift Guides for Teens!

Best Year Round Posts for Parenting Teens and Tweens: 50+ Titles

I would love to stay in touch!

Visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest and YouTube! I look forward to seeing you again! And, finally, if you feel like this post was helpful, please share it on your favorite social media platform! Thank you so much!❤️ 

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Ideas for Teens at Valentine's

 

11 Advent Calendars for Valentines Day -Your Teen Will Love These!

11 Advent Calendars for Valentines Day -Your Teen Will Love These!

Advent calendars for Valentines Day are just fun!

They are a hit at Christmas, so why not continue the fun for this season as well?

I like to think of it as anticipation for a special event! I realized how many fun advent calendars there are available! I decided that this would be a fun post, and my boys and a couple of their girlfriends helped me to find advent calendars that teens will love.?

I have gathered many of these from Etsy, but there are a few here and there from other websites. Have fun picking one out! *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

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Advent Calendars for Valentines Day

Valentine’s Day Countdown Advent calendars

You Fill My Heart With Love Valentine’s Day Countdown -14 day countdown on a wooden board with 2 choices of magnetic hearts.

Gnome Countdown with wooden “candy hearts”, so cute -DIY -31 day countdown

Valentines Day Countdown and Devotional -15 day printable devotional advent for the season of love

Valentine’s Day Coffee or Hot Cocoa Gift Box Countdown Calendar -Choose your favorite, and open a box each day leading up to Valentines (15 boxes)

Advent Calendar Hearts -These are simply red paper hearts that can be connected. Made for Christmas, but would be great for a Valentine’s Day countdown (there are 25 hearts)

Valentine’s Day Bracelet Making Kit -comes with 24 cards and 24 jewelry pieces: 2 bracelets and 22 mini charm beads

Let me count the ways… -Wooden board with 14 magnet hearts

Do-it-yourself Valentines advent calendars

These can be fun when you find small gifts and write notes to the ones you love. Here are some great gifts for less than $5! And, here are more!

Set of 50 small red sachet bags -These would be perfect for creating your own advent activity for this season of love

Valentine Advent Boxes -These are printable boxes to be filled with goodies that you come up with

Countdown to Valentines Day Bags  -Set of 14 Vintage Valentine pictures on little bags to fill with items you choose on your own

Vintage Inspired Valentine Advent Calendar -These are vintage prints on the lids of 14 small metal containers which you will fill with items you choose on your own.

DIY 14 day countdown -You write the 14 things you love about your child, and then cover with scratch-off stickers (I assume they are clear underneath!). They can scratch off one each day.

Other ideas for Valentines

Send a Sugarwish! These are so fun because you can pick what you know your teen will love! Candy, cookies, popcorn, and many other options -plus you get to choose the size you send.

 

Advent calendars for Valentines Day

Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers. It is a great time to show our love for others. Here are some ideas for notes for your DIY advent calendars…•Bake some heart shaped cookies

•Drink some pink hot chocolate

•Drink some pink hot tea

•Make some homemade paper Valentines for a neighbor or to take to a home for older adults

•Bake a fancy dessert

•Make a Valentine gingerbread house

•Make and decorate salt dough ornaments

Related posts

Have a Valentine movie night

Decorate a teen’s room for Valentine’s Day

Best gifts to give and get for a teen at Valentine’s Day

49 Ideas for Teens at Valentine’s

7 Things to know if you love a teenager

Best Year Round Posts for Parenting Teens and Tweens

I would love to stay in touch!

Visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest and YouTube! I look forward to seeing you again! And, finally, if you feel like this post was helpful, please share it on your favorite social media platform! Thank you so much!❤️

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Advent Calendars for Valentine's Day

25 Movies for Valentine’s Day: Movies About Love

25 Movies for Valentine’s Day: Movies About Love

Valentine’s season is here, and it’s a great time to watch some movies about love. These are not all about romantic love, but love between friends and family as well. These are great movies to use as a springboard to some conversations about realistic love.

Relationships can be so complicated, and with all the social media options available these days, it’s even more important that our kids know that communication is key. Not texting, but talking. Relationships can and should be grounded in friendship first, and there is no rush to any of this!

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These movies about love can really help open the door to difficult conversations!

After a painful breakup one of my boys experienced, we watched a few of these movies. He ended up liking some of these, even though, at first, he thought they were chick flicks. Watching these together opened up some great conversation that he later said really helped him. Here’s a checklist to keep track of the ones that you have watched:)

Here is our family’s list of the best movies about love to watch for Valentine’s Day!

*This post may contain affiliate links.  My full disclosure policy is here.

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Movies about love|www.parentinghighschoolers.com

Movies About Love

Valentine’s Day– This is great! This is the story of many intersecting stories about love. Mother love, romantic love, puppy love and more… Each relationship in this movie is special for different reasons, and there are lessons to be learned in each situation.

You don’t love someone because they’re perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they’re not,” Jodie Picoult in My Sister’s Keeper

Sweet Home Alabama– A young woman in the big city learns that she can leave home, even recreate herself, but leaving the past behind is not as easy as she thinks.

You always gain by giving love,” Reece Witherspoon

Ghost– Love from beyond. The spirit of a young man comes back to warn his love that she is in danger. Appearances are not always what you think!

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same,” Emily Brontë

10 Things I Hate About You– A complicated of boy meets girl, boy wants to date girl, girl not allowed to date… A fun story about love/hate between sisters, their dad, and the boys who want to date them.

I have decided to stick to love; hate is too great a burden to bear,” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Movies About Love

The Proposal– Love conquers all even when the girl is the office “witch” and the movie starts out with the boy hating the girl.

When you love someone, you love the person as they are, and not as you’d like them to be,” Leo Tolstoy

Grease– Lesson learned here is peer pressure can be intense. Be who you are!

Love was made for me and you,” Nat King Cole

Some Kind of Wonderful– Lessons about growing up, the freedom to make your own decisions

Love is a friendship set to music,” Joseph Campbell

When Harry Met Sally– Harry wants to prove to Sally that men and women cannot be friends because sex always gets in the way. I love the evolution of their friendship throughout the movie, and ultimately sex does complicate things as he predicted. Classic!

Love is friendship that has caught fire,” Ann Landers

Pretty in Pink– Love conquers all, friendship and the struggles across social and economic classes are a few of the themes in this classic John Hughes film. If you want to show your teen a glimpse into the ’80s, then this is my pick!


Love recognized no barriers,” Maya Angelou

Movies About Love Dirty Dancing– Another classic. Set in the ’60s, this has love and conflict wrapped up in Kellerman’s family camp in the Catskills, this movie delivers a young protagonist who “was smart, funny, reckless, tenacious, awkward, curious, righteous, strong- and instantly real.”  


Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary,” Oscar Wilde

You’ve Got Mail– Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, enough said!


I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly,” Kathleen, in You’ve Got Mail

While You Were Sleeping– A girl who imagines herself to be in love with the “perfect” man, finds out that love is so much more when you find the right guy.


You don’t marry someone you can live with — you marry someone you cannot live without,” unknown

Sabrina– I liked the original Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, but LOVE this remake with Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford! Girl loves boy who doesn’t have a clue she exists. Girl goes away and grows into beautiful woman. Girl comes home and then things get complicated when boy finally “sees” her.


The best thing to hold onto in life is each other,” Audrey Hepburn

Hope Floats– Great movie about starting over after all seems lost.  


Love yourself first, and everything falls into line,” Lucille Ball

Movies About Love Where the Heart Is– Talk about starting over! Natalie Portman is great as a young pregnant woman who is abandoned at a small-town Walmart. Ashley Judd steals the show as the sidekick.  


Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you,” Misty Copeland

Steel Magnolias– My girlfriends have my back no matter what, and this movie goes to show that we all need our girlfriends through the situations that life can bring us. There is a new version that I have not seen, but I heard it’s great!


A good friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have,” an Irish proverb

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days– This is a cute rom-com about a relationship that has every reason to fail from the start.


“You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly,”  Sam Keen

Fried Green Tomatoes– Another example of girl friends being there through thick and thin.

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart,” Eleanor Roosevelt

The Vow– True love twice! An amazing true story…

You are my sun, my moon, and all my stars,” E.E. Cummings

Movies About Love

Beaches– Girlfriends again. Even when a friendship seems to end, their love for one another shines through in the end…

There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that become family,” unknown

Regarding Henry– True love, true friendship, and what is important in life is what Henry and his wife discover after a horrible accident.

The couples that are meant to be, are the ones who go through everything that is meant to tear them apart, and come out even stronger,” unknown

A Walk to Remember– Be true to yourself. I showed each of my boys this movie when they were in middle school. Peer pressure, love, family, and how to stand up for what is right are all themes in this great movie. The book is great, too!

You know it’s love when all you want is that person to be happy, even if you’re not part of their happiness,” Julia Roberts

The Notebook– Loyalty and lifelong love are the story here. I cry every time!

I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day.

She’s All That– Another great teen flick. Their relationship starts on a dare. Pygmalion updated…

To the world, you may be one person, but to one person you are the world,’ Dr. Suess

Clueless- Another update. This time Emma is the story, and Alicia Silverstone is hilarious as the heroine.

She was one of those, who, having, once begun, would always be in love,” Emma, Jane Austen

I hope that one or many of these movies about love will help you to enjoy the Valentine’s season!

We love to use movies to teach a lesson in a totally “innocent” way. These movies about love and friendship can spark great conversations about all facets of life and love.

Have fun, and enjoy some movies about love with your teens this Valentine’s season -or anytime!! Remember to download the checklist to keep track of the movies that you have watched!

Movie Night Add-ons

Blue-tooth projector -I really want one of these after seeing it work at a friends house.

Outdoor projector

Popcorn popper

Fun popcorn bowls

Popcorn seasonings

Related posts:

11 Advent Calendars for Valentines Day

49 Ideas for Teens at Valentine’s

Best Valentine Gifts for Teens to Give and Get,

Best Valentines Decor For A Dorm Room: 9 Fun Ideas

49 Movies to Watch for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas

7 Things to Know If You Love a Teenager, and

The Best Sports Movies to Watch with Your Teen

I have to include one more movie for the Leap Year! This is a cute rom-com with Amy Adams.This movie’s theme is that you can’t control love!

I would love to stay in touch!

Make sure to visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest and YouTube where I share lots of helpful info for parents of tweens and teens! And, finally, if you feel like this post was helpful, please share it on your favorite social media platform! Thank you so much!❤️

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Movies about love|www.parentinghighschoolers.com

Mom Self Care: Give Yourself The Gift of 4:15

Mom Self Care: Give Yourself The Gift of 4:15

I want to give you a gift. Actually, I want you to give yourself a gift, the gift of mom self care. Here are the thoughts from my head on this cold winter’s evening.

When I first wrote this post, it was over Christmas break. Self care for busy moms was weighing heavily on my mind with so many stories of stress out and exhausted moms in my life.

We are now experiencing an uncertain time, and self-care is even more important than ever! Stress is at an all-time high, and we need to refill our own bucket before we can fill anyone else’s! Please take care of yourself! *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

It’s time for some mom self care!

4:15: What is this?

You ask what is that? Well, let me tell you! This is what woke me up from my sleep early this morning! Most, it not all of us, work full time at something:  a job outside the home, raising our kids either at home or in addition to an outside job, a combination of part time jobs (which in many cases adds up to more hours than a regular job!).

You name it, we are workers! So, let me tell you about the 4:15 rule. 

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Tips for mom self care|www.parentinghighschoolers.com

First, give yourselves the gift of REST.

We moms have a tendency to be the first up and the last to bed because we see it all, know it all, and seem to be the only ones who can get the most accomplished in our waking hours. But, here’s the news. None of it is going anywhere!

Do what you can, delegate what you can, and leave the rest for tomorrow. None of us is getting enough sleep.  Not brand new mamas, not mamas of teenagers, and not even grandmamas. I know my mom still says that she has to tell herself to go take a shower and go to bed! She hasn’t had a child in her house since 1985!

So, put yourself to bed at a decent time. Take a nap if you can–my friends all know that I am a huge proponent for napping! If you have time for a nap, then take one. I have figured out the perfect amount of time for my naps-with lots of research involved.?  Do your research, and figure out what works for you.

Here is my all-time favorite comfy, over-sized, fuzzy hoodie sweatshirt for a great nap! I really do want one in every size.?

It is so important that we treat ourselves!

My YouTube video all about this post is down at the bottom, be sure to watch!

1:15-MOM QUIET TIME

This might be my favorite self care ritual of all!

When you first wake up, give yourself the gift of 15 minutes of peace and quiet. This time is yours to spend doing something that will fill you for the day. Prayer, meditation, yoga, staring into space, these all fit the bill. For me, it’s to start my coffee, read my Bible (I’m loving the One Year NIV), and pray. Here is a cute “Do not disturb sign”, for you to hang if needed.

Find a great devotion book, and follow that for awhile. I’m kind of all over the place. There is no one way or right way! It’s your time, fill it with what fills you! Your time can be whatever you want it to be. Just 15 minutes–for YOU!mom self care

 

2:15-EXERCISE FOR BUSY MOMS

Here’s another 15 minute block that you need to carve into your day. Somewhere, anywhere that works for you. It might be over your lunch. It might be right after your quiet time-that is what works best for me! It might be right after work, or even right after you get the last kiddo settled for the night. Whatever works for you.

Find some kind of exercise that works for you and try to work up a sweat in 15 minutes. If you want to add more time to this, then great, but minimum 15 minutes. This is a minimum amount of time for your best health, so aim for more on the days that you can, but know that 15 minutes of some kind of vigorous activity is to your benefit.

I love jumping on my mini-tramp or taking a quick walk around the block on my busy days. What is your go-to for exercising quick? Mom self care includes exercise!

 

3:15-ZONE WORK

What?!! If you have never heard of Flylady, then you’re in for a treat. (Confession:  I signed up for her newsletters, and got overwhelmed! I like her ideas, and have taken them to heart, but I don’t need one more thing in my inbox. So, I cleaned her out of there–but, I still Love her ideas.)

Pick a zone (think: room or area, such as your master bedroom). Then, for 15 minutes attack it. It can be just one pile that is bothering you, or just the area in general. You get to decide what needs doing. Set a timer, and get to work.

If you don’t finish today, pick that same zone tomorrow–it’s not going anywhere! By doing this one pile, one cabinet, one shelf, one area at a time, you will eventually get through the house. Not today or tomorrow, but sometime!

I love this because it’s doable. If I have more than 15 minutes, then I set the timer for the amount of time that I have and really work until it beeps at me. You will be surprised by how much you can actually get accomplished in those 15 minute blocks of time if you really focus!

Good luck, and let me know if this works for you! Mom self care

 

4:15-MOM ORGANIZATION TIPS

Your day is done. You are ready for bed. This is the last 15 minute block to plan into your day. Look at your calendar for tomorrow and the rest of the week. Make a list of where you need to be, and what you might need at the store. Make note of any calls that you need to make. Check the weather, and start thinking about what you might wear the next day. Pack your lunch for tomorrow, so that you are not scrambling in the morning. 

Basically, you are taking 15 minutes to get your day started off right for tomorrow. When I don’t take the time to do this, I regret it every time! This helps your tomorrow so much! Try it and see if this helps at all. If you just take the time to think things through, then a lot of morning stress is eliminated. And, who doesn’t like that?!

I looked for some planners that you might like. Planner 1, planner 2, and planner 3–all are different, but super useful! Here is a digital family planner that is editable on the fly. And, here is a really cool acrylic board for planning at home.

 

Mom self care includes getting organized!

Finally, the gift of GRACE

Many times, as moms, we are very hard on ourselves. We try to do everything for everyone, and forget about self-care. This isn’t healthy or right. We are the hub of the family. That is not to say that our husbands are not as important! But, we as moms pretty much keep track of all things needing to be done, and have a finger on the pulse of each individual in our homes. 

In order to keep up with all of this, then we need to take better care of our own selves. Give yourself these 4 fifteen minute blocks to do what needs doing–for you! These blocks of time-only ONE hour-of your day, will help improve your life so much!

Take care and know that I am thinking of you all and cannot wait to hear if any of this works for you all! Do you have any good ideas that go along with this? 

Please share these self care tips for moms! We all need to look out for one another:)

Related posts

Just for fun, here are some books I love when you have some extra time to yourself!

Another post I have written with 10 tips for self-care

This post was written with stress relief for teens, but it all applies to moms as well!

Here’s a post with my favorite books from 2021.

Best Year Round Posts for Parenting Teens and Tweens: 50+ Titles

*Did you know that I have a Facebook group that is all about Deals for Moms of Tweens and Teens?

I would love to stay in touch!

Make sure you subscribe to my Parenting High Schoolers newsletter below for a weekly dose of love from me about surviving and thriving with teenagers. Visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest and YouTube where I share lots of helpful info for parents of tweens and teens! Thank you so much!❤️

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Mom self care for moms|www.parentinghighschoolers.com

Ideas For Parents in January: 10 Timely Tips

Ideas For Parents in January: 10 Timely Tips

Ideas for Parents in January

What I’m learning and loving in the month of January! I will talk about a few things that I am learning and loving in my life right now. This may include recipes, books, movies and gadgets, etc. So, here are some ideas for parents in January.

I will do this sometime during each month. (Here are October, November, and December) Let me know what you are learning and loving so that I can add that to future posts! *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

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Ideas for Parents in January

Learning:

Need some proof that teens are doing good works in this day and age? We hear al the time about problems that teens get into and bad things that they do. Here are some amazing examples of positive things!

Teens befriend 6th grader when no one would sign his yearbook.

Here’s another story about a cheerleader coming the the rescue of a younger kid.

A teen develops armor to block stray radiation during chemo treatments.

Teen makes prom dress for older sister, flooded with other requests!

Ideas for parents in January|www.parentinghighschoolers.com

Loving:

Book:

College Bound

College Bound: The Ultimate List of Conversations to Help Your Teen Through High School is a down-to-earth means of addressing life after graduation.

With useful terms and outlined conversation ideas, these techniques will thoroughly prepare you for the critical discussions you and your child need to have, including plans for college. By following this convenient guide, you’ll find the information and courage you require to equip your baby to successfully leave the nest.

Movie:

Have you seen Peanut Butter Falcon? Oh my goodness! It was so great! Such great lessons about friendship, acceptance, bullying, and love. The cast is great, and it was so much fun to watch with our boys. It is rated PG-13.

Gadgets:

Have you tried this stuff? It is amazing! I have some by my bed and by the couch downstairs. I love that it is fragrance free. And, the price! Less than $7 for 16 oz. I could not survive winter without this.

Quote:

As you step into this new year, be bold enough and daring enough to believe in the abundant good that has been prepared for you.“—Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Scholarships:

MarvelOptics.com National Scholarship Contest

Eligibility: Any current, full-time student at an accredited two-year or four-year American university or college is welcome to apply to the Scholarship Program. There is no age nor specified major requirement.

Requirements: There is a list of directions on the website, so please follow all directions. In order for your entry to be eligible, ALL guidelines must be met.

Award: Two gifts totaling $3000 will be awarded annually. Each semester (spring and fall), one recipient will receive a $1,500 scholarship to the institution of their choice. The scholarship will be sent directly to the school’s financial aid office.

Due Date: The essay submission deadline is 12:00 midnight EST August 15th for the Fall semester and January 5th for the Spring semester.

NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship programThis has extensive requirements, but the reward is pretty great!

Eligibility: The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are at least in their FINAL year of intercollegiate athletics competition.

Requirements: Student-athletes must be nominated by the institution’s Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) or a FAR designee (preferably an individual in academics). And meet the following criteria:

  • Must be in final season of NCAA athletics eligibility or must have completed athletic eligibility,
  • Must be in final year of undergraduate academic work or received an undergraduate degree.
  • Have an overall undergraduate minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2
  • **There are other requirements -so please check out their website.

Award: The one-time non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring).  Each sports season there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program.

Due Date:

Fall sports nomination deadline: January 10, 2023; Winter sports nomination deadline: April 4, 2023; Spring sports nomination deadline: June 5, 2023

Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship

Eligibility: You must be a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school student of any level. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident.

Requirements: Must submit a 140 character statement about technology addiction. Finalists will be asked to write a full length 500- to 1,000-word essay.

Award: $1000

Due Date: January 30

Helpful term to know with teens:

Estimated family contribution—EFC -this is determined by filling out the FAFSA.  It is the amount that the government thinks your family should be able to pay.  Its exact definition is  “a measure of your family’s financial strength and is calculated according to a formula established by law.”  (I think we could live on rice and beans and maybe afford our EFC!)

Holidays:

Festival of Sleep Day (3), National Bagel Day (15), Martin Luther King Day (3rd Monday), National Hugging Day (21), Chocolate Cake Day (27), Inspire Your Heart With Art Day (31)

I hope that you have learned some things with these ideas for parents in January!

Timely post  for January:

Headed Back To College

How To Plan a Budget for College Next Year

15+ Best Gift Guides for Teens for Events Year-Round

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

25+ Movies for Valentine’s Day All About Love!

Advent Calendars for Valentine’s Day

Decorate a Teen’s Room/Dorm Room For V-Day

49 Ideas for Teens at Valentine’s

I would love to stay in touch!

Make sure to visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest and YouTube where I share lots of helpful info for parents of tweens and teens! And, finally, if you feel like this post was helpful, please share it on your favorite social media platform! Thank you so much!❤️ 

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Ideas for Parents in January

Ideas For Parents in December: 10 Timely Tips

Ideas For Parents in December: 10 Timely Tips

Ideas for Parents in December

Do you have tweens or teens? Here are some ideas for parents in December! I include books, movies, and timely help for parents of tweens and teens. (October and November) Let me know what you are learning and loving so that I can add that to future posts! *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.

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Ideas for parents in December

Learning:

Do you have a high school student? Are they starting to think about college? This is such a fun time! But, beware of the price tag for college! Help your student to be more aware of what these costs will be now and in the future.

Give you student the gift of knowledge this holiday season! Student loan debt is no joke. Here are some links to articles that will give you some help when having this conversation with your student, significant other, and anyone else involved in the education of your teen.

Most College Grads Consider Their Student Loan Debt a Life Sentence

How Will We Pay For College Next Fall?

The Truth About Student Loan Debt

Here are some things we have learned about having teens over the holidays these past years…

Loving:

Book:

Maisie Dobbs -Winspear

This past year, I have learned to love the character of Maisie Dobbs. 

Maisie’s intuitive gifts and helped her earn admission to the prestigious Girton College in Cambridge, where Maisie planned to complete her education -she began as a housemaid.

The outbreak of war changed everything. Maisie trained as a nurse, then left for France to serve at the Front, where she found—and lost—an important part of herself. Ten years after the Armistice, in the spring of 1929, Maisie sets out on her own as a private investigator, one who has learned that coincidences are meaningful, and truth elusive. Her very first case involves suspected infidelity but reveals something very different.

In the aftermath of the Great War, a former officer has founded a working farm known as The Retreat, that acts as a convalescent refuge for ex-soldiers too shattered to resume normal life. When Fate brings Maisie a second case involving The Retreat, she must finally confront the ghost that has haunted her for over a decade.

The Henna Artist -Joshi

I loved this book and learned so much about this culture. Lakshmi is a wonderful main character!

Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own…

Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow—a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.

One True Loves -Reid

This is a love story with a twist! I loved the woven loves of Emma’s life.

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her.

Signal Fires -Shapiro

I loved the mystical way this is written. All the characters are somehow connected, and each relationship is important to the next. As the point of view changes with each character, you learn more about their perspective

Signal Fires opens on a summer night in 1985. Three teenagers have been drinking. One of them gets behind the wheel of a car, and, in an instant, everything on Division Street changes. Each of their lives, and that of Ben Wilf, a young doctor who arrives on the scene, is shattered. For the Wilf family, the circumstances of that fatal accident will become the deepest kind of secret, one so dangerous it can never be spoken.

On Division Street, time has moved on. When the Shenkmans arrive—a young couple expecting a baby boy—it is as if the accident never happened. But when Waldo, the Shenkmans’ brilliant, lonely son who marvels at the beauty of the world and has a native ability to find connections in everything, befriends Dr. Wilf, now retired and struggling with his wife’s decline, past events come hurtling back in ways no one could ever have foreseen.

Ideas for parents in December|www.parentinghighschoolers.com

Movie:

The Martian

Are you looking for a great movie to watch with teens? This is it! Whenever we see that this is on, we watch it! We first all saw it at the theater, and then bought it. It has great themes such as: survival, friendship, perseverence, problem solving, and hard work. So many great lessons and conversations have taken off from this movie every time we watch it!

Gadgets:

Christmas Tree– We ordered this one from Amazon, and I am so happy with it! The price was right, and we have needed a new one for a few years. I thought that if it didn’t work, then I would just return it. Amazon is so awesome with returns!

I love the way this looks real after I fluffed it all up. This is a huge thing for me since we cannot have a real tree because of one of my boy’s allergies.

Have you seen this thing?? It can fix lights on strands or a tree! Lightkeeper Pro

Gift wrapping Station This cart is a game-changer! You can have all your supplies right at hand with a flat surface to wrap on. My girlfriend has this, and I am jealous! This is all I want for this for Christmas!

 

Helpful term to know with teens:

HIPAA is a governmental term. The Health Information and Portability Accountability Act comes into action when your teen turns 18. Up until this point, you as the parent have signed the HIPAA form at all doctors visits. This includes dental, vision, and insurance information as well as primary care.

Your 18 year old will need to sign this form and list any adults who may be given information regarding their health. If you are not on that list, then you will not be privy to any of that information. (A really good description for an 18 year old to read about what the HIPAA means is here.)

**It is recommended that you get a power of attorney for the state that your teen goes to college in, as well as the state of permanent residence. Here is more info about each state’s requirements.

Grab both the health and financial power of attorney legal documents. We used them and printed these out for our two oldest boys while they were in college. It took less than 15 minutes to fill in the blanks, and print out!

I have heard horror stories about parents not being able to make medical decisions for their kids because this was not in place, so please do this for your peace of mind. *The cost of these forms is so much less than going to an attorney, which I checked into before doing this. And, talk about EASY!

Quote:

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love. –Hamilton Wright Mabie

Ideas for parents in December|www.parentinghighschoolers.com

Holidays:

Pearl Harbor Day (7), Chanukah (varies yearly), Christmas Card Day (9), Ice Cream Day (13), Bake Cookies Day (18), National Ugly Sweater Day (the third Friday), Winter Solstice (21), Christmas Day (25), Card Playing Day (28), New Year’s Eve (31)

Gift guides:

Need some ideas for shopping this holiday season? Here are some:

Gift Guides for Teen Girls

Gift Guides for Teen Boys

Stocking Stuffers for Teens

Great Gifts for Mom

15+ Best Gift Guides for Teens

Other timely help

25 Days For a Teenage Christmas

Help your teen with their finals with these tips!

Watch some great holiday movies!

Christmas With Teens: 11 Special Ways to Bond Over The Holidays

This post was written with summer in mind, but some of these tips would be super helpful over winter break!

I hope that you have learned some things with these ideas for parents in December!

I would love to stay in touch!

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Ideas for parents in December