By Mary Rarick

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I decided that it was time for our sixteen-year-old son to have his own cell phone. Our thinking went something like this: summer’s here and the cell phone would afford our son more freedom and responsibility. So we added limitless texting, crossed our fingers and handed off my husband’s old EnV2.

The results have been better than expected. We’ve eliminated our land line, saving us $23 a month; we can reach my son any time, so his “leash” is a little longer; he’s taken responsibility for handling the details of his social life, coordinating get-togethers and keeping us informed.

First impression: success!

By Mary Rarick

Have you had the what-to-do-when-you’re-stopped-by-the-police talk with your kids? If not, I’m guessing your kids are white.

The unwarranted shooting of Aaron Campbell has everyone questioning whether or not  race was one of the factors. What most acknowledge, yet few openly admit, is that, sadly, it probably was. (more…)

By Mary Rarick

Listening to podcasts yesterday while commuting downtown, I came across an interesting gem on Talk of the Nation: Bob Elston’s op-ed in USA Today regarding the backlash over his educational trip to Hooters with his 11-year-old son. (more…)

By Mary Rarick

To see him eat you’d think my son was allergic to vegetables. Given free reign my guess is he’d eat nothing but the four food groups: carbs, meats, sugars and fats. Top Ramen, Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese, spaghetti with meatballs, pancakes, French toast: these are a few of his favorite things. (more…)

By Mary Rarick

When Wednesday’s calendar was clear I expected an Easy Breezy, Beautiful, Cover Girl day, so you can imagine my surprise when I received a phone call at the office from my 15-year-old son, stating he’d missed his bus.

Now Jesse has been waking to an alarm, pouring cereal and getting himself, his backpack and clarinet to school on his own since the first grade. (more…)

By Mary Rarick

I love sugar. Love it. Rarely go a day without consuming it. OK, a lot of it.

But when I was pregnant with my firstborn I eschewed sugar in favor of more nutritious fare: broccoli, pea pods, almonds, and raisins and I were tighter than two coats of house paint. Of course once I gave birth, like any addict, I went back to my drug of choice. (more…)

By Mary Rarick

My son just called to inform me that his bicycle has lost a pedal and he needs a ride home from the high school. The problem is that his sister has taken our only vehicle to work. And so he has a problem. (more…)

By Mary Rarick

I’m thankful every day this summer for our crappy stereo speakers. I didn’t always used to feel so kindly towards them. Back in the day my husband and I dreamed of a Bose home theater system. The magnificent sound was electrifying; you could feel the reverberations in your soul.

Our “system,” if it can be called that, is from my my husband’s high school bedroom. While I confess that we don’t have a reel-to-reel deck or an 8-track, we do have plenty of vinyl and the turntable on which to play it. (more…)

By Mary Rarick

As someone who pays a lot of money for health insurance (more on that topic in another blog), I am a firm believer that your health care providers should be five star. We’re paying a premium; we should receive rock star care.

But finding a good healthcare provider is difficult, to say the least. It’s kind of like finding a good hair stylist. It’s not just about finding someone who knows what they’re doing. No. They have to “get” you. It has to be a good fit. (more…)

By Mary Rarick

So many of you have asked about how my son’s doing and what has happened to him since he was threatened at school a couple of months ago. (See Twenty-Four Hours Later.) Since, by her own admission the perpetrator tried to choke him, two charges were brought against her by the school. She subsequently wasn’t allowed to return to school until she received appropriate evaluations and assistance to deal with her overwhelming thoughts. (more…)