Cinco de Mayo means fifth of May. It is important for one area of Mexico, and has become a fun American tradition to celebrate. Here is information about the holiday and many ways we can celebrate Cinco de Mayo with teens.
What is Cinco de Mayo?
History
Originally celebrated for the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, this holiday is celebrated in parts of Mexico and the United States in honor of a military victory in 1862 over the French forces of Napoleon III. It started in Puebla where this unlikely victory occurred, and has spread as a fun excuse to celebrate with parades, food and drinks.
The reason for the attack was Mexico was having trouble paying back war debts to European countries, and France had come to Mexico to collect that debt. France, at that time, was the largest military force, and they were looking to build up their empire, since they had just sold a huge portion of it to Thomas Jefferson in the Louisiana Purchase. Napoleon also wanted to have this base for Confederate soldiers during the Civil War-this might have resulted in a different outcome for the south had it not taken so long to win this war in Mexico.
France lost this particular battle, but eventually won the war after a few years. For five years, this area was until French control.
Read on for fun ideas around this holiday!
Things to know about Cinco de Mayo
It’s actually not celebrated that much in Mexico except for in the state of Puebla. A couple of things to remember when and if celebrating this holiday are: be aware of the historical significance and don’t use Spanish vocabulary inappropriately, (ie. Cinco de drinko.)
This holiday actually has been celebrated in the US since the 1860s. It started in southern California when Mexican immigrant citizens used the holiday as a way to celebrate their heritage. *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy ishere.
Your teen can help to plan and cook
This is a fun holiday to celebrate with teens because who doesn’t love Mexican food and drinks? And, what better way to get your teen into the kitchen than food and drink for a party! So, plan a fun party for Cinco de Mayo with teens now!
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Here are some fun ideas for ways to celebrate this Cinco de Mayo with teens!
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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 as well!
We encourage our boys to give gifts at least to us and their grandparents, even if it is just a card. These can mean a lot, especially if they are homemade!
Showing someone that you care is a life lesson, and there is no better time than Valentine’s Day to make sure that this happens!
Encourage your teens to reach out to someone or many someones with a message of friendship and/or love.
I put together the following list of Valentine’s gifts with help from my boys and my middle school students. These vary in price from just a few dollars up to a lot -most are really inexpensive items of less than $25. Our teens need to remember that it is the thought that counts more than anything.
*This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.
“Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.” ―Eleanor Roosevelt
Heart shaped box – Use these to create something beautiful to then fill with some other gift for your Valentine.
“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” —Booker T. Washington
Photo box explosion album -My son got one of these for Christmas from his girlfriend! It is so cute! She did say that it took some time to put together.
Some fun activities for spending time together on this special day!
•Create a Valentine tree -I think these DIY twig trees are so cute! This one is cute, too.
•Write someone love notes and/or coupons -you get to choose what to offer.
•Spend one on one time with your teens -watch movies, play games, take a walk… Here’s the link to a post my friend wrote about creating a fun day with her teenage daughter!
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!
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
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.
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
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
“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
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
“You are my sun, my moon, and all my stars,” E.E. Cummings
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.
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 myFacebook page, and follow me onPinterestandYouTube 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!❤️
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 ishere.
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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!
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
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.
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
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 a140 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!)
Make sure to visit myFacebook page, and follow me onPinterestandYouTube 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!❤️
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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
HIPAAis 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.)
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
I hope that you have learned some things with these ideas for parents in December!
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. Make sure to visit myFacebook page, and follow me onPinterestandYouTube where I share lots of helpful info for parents of tweens and teens! Thank you so much!❤️
Right now our students are super stressed with finals. Whether they have high school finals or college finals, doesn’t matter, they are maxed out. Now if your middle schooler is anything like mine used to be, they were just stressed out about having to get up and actually go to school (insert rolling eyes). Here are ways to help your student prepare for finals.
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What can we do as parents to help our kids as they are preparing for finals? Let’s help them to have the best semester ever! Here are a few ideas…
*This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy ishere.
Encouragement is great, and can go a long way to help your student prepare for finals. I find that if I nag, then we get into a fight, and that goes nowhere fast.
So, the next time your grouchy teen snaps at you, take a deep breath, count to 10 (or 50 or 100), and respond in a non-snappy way. I know, easier said than done, because I am the queen of snapping! Hang in there, deal with the current situation, then go open a nice bottle of red!
Ask them for ways you can help your student prepare for finals.
Maybe, for now, you could expect less from them around the house so that they aren’t having to deal with as much for the moment.
Stock their favorite snacks in the pantry and fridge for easy access. My boys like me to even serve them in their rooms on a tray–I use these plates (they are compostable, and I can write a message on them!) and cups for cookies, cheese and crackers or any other goodies. ( My boys love this mix!)
This is the only time that I do this, so it’s fun to order things that I wouldn’t normally have in the house.
If they are still at home, planning a snack or meal when you know they have time for a break will go a long way towards a more energized student. I know my boys tend towards hangry when studying and stressed, so keeping them fed is almost a full time job:)
Make your teen take a break every now and then.
Everyone needs a break. I know one of my boys would never think to take a break, and would get mad if I even suggested it. But, make this happen occasionally, and they might just thank you later.
Watch a favorite episode or movie. Bake a batch of cookies together. Run up to their favorite fast food joint together and let them order what they want.
Even just giving a quick hug or high five can be all the affirmation that they might need. Any of these activities would be great for getting their mind off of school just for a while. These will help yourstudent prepare for finals all refreshed.
Put it on their bathroom mirror or on their desk with a motivational quote or verse. My boys have often left these for months because they knew I was thinking of them!
If your kiddo is away, even out of college and in a stressful period with maybe a first job, you can do something similar. Send them a card with some encouraging words. It is always so fun to actually get snail mail, and I bet they keep it!
I still have a silly card my dad sent me when I was in college during some stressful period-probably finals. I love the fact that my dad took the time to write it (even though he mentions that my mom told him to!) It meant the world to me!
Make them breakfast.
This seems like a no-brainer, but a lot of kids skip this meal. I fix breakfast during the week for my boys for that reason alone. If you aren’t in this habit, make the time to do this until finals are over. Feed their bodies and their brains. Cooking is the way I show my love to my family. I love to cook, and it makes my heart happy to feed everyone.
If you’re not into cooking, then maybe put out some easy snack food for your teens before bed so that it’s there in the morning to grab as they run out the door. They will know you’ve thought of them and maybe they’ll eat a little something–bonus! (BTW-my boys are all great cooks, I just like to start my day with them in the kitchen during the week.)
When kids have any kind of test and especially when you help your student prepare for finals, this is the most important meal!
Give your student grace.
They will be tired and most likely grouchy during this time. Encourage them to get enough sleep. Make sure they are eating enough of the right things. Let them know you love them. Be patient.
This too shall pass. Every finals season, I feel like I’m taking them too because the stress is almost contagious!! Deal with it a minute at a time, then go hide in your room with your latest Netflix binge!
Hang in there, mamas, you got this! Go give your kid a hug:)
Look for more ways to help your student prepare for finals.
Do you have any strategies that have worked for you as you help your student prepares for finals? Please share!
Make sure to visit myFacebook page, and follow me onPinterestandYouTube 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!❤️
Your parental rights change the day your child turns 18. Learn what you need to take to know for HIPAA, FERPA, POAs, and all the other changes that occur when your child becomes an "adult."
Parenting High Schoolers is now Next Phase Parenting. Your Turning 18 Checklist will come from Next Phase Parenting.
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