Being a mother with a child going through the college process is a little like child birth — while it’s happening it’s sooooo painful, but when it’s over you look back and think it wasn’t that bad (bu...
Giving Up Your Dream College To Graduate Debt Free
In 2006, I was accepted to my dream school, New York University. When I saw the financial aid package, I figured I would do what everyone else did and take out loans. I thought that was just the way t...
Financial Aid Paperwork From Hell
There is one piece of my daughter’s college application process that is entirely mine, or rather, my responsibility to do with her. Insert doom and gloom music here … HINT: Anything left over from Ha...
Gifts For Teens and College Students
It’s the holiday season and believe it or not there are gift ideas to consider for those needing help with college prep and planning. Our list includes gifts for parents learning about c...
A Present To Your Child? The Gift Of Failure.
On one of the pages of the program I compiled for my son’s Bar Mitzvah, many years ago, was a poem entitled, “ Children Are Like Kites.” The message took the rough edges of parenting and smoothed them...
A Parent’s Guide to College 101
I remember the initial relief I felt after we placed the college deposit for our daughter, and the rush of anxiety that immediately followed about what came next. After two kids and six years as a col...
The Decline of Student Mental Health and What Parents Can Do About It
An increasing number of high school and college students in the U.S. are struggling with mental health challenges. The media is filled with articles about students experiencing high levels of stress o...
Creating Boundaries – Knowing When to Say Yes vs No
One of the more important pieces of advice I gave to my daughter before she went off to college was how to say “No”. It’s something I should have talked about more while she was in high school. Of cou...
“Failure to Launch” Is Not A Label You Want For Your Child
When we hear the phrase “failure to launch” many of us think of the romantic comedy featuring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. But as a psychologist, when I use this phrase it’s usually i...
Making The Most Of Summers During High School
Even though it’s the dead of winter and in some places the thermometer is hovering just above zero, this is the time to start planning how you will spend your summer vacation. Don’t leave the planning...