Do you remember a while back that we were getting ready to send teen back to university for his second year? Well, I’m not going to lie, there are two aspects to this change in our family that I really struggle with. Firstly, I miss him so much when he’s gone. I thought I would…
One of my favourite trips ever was going to New York with my son. It was our first trip to NYC and quite likely to be a last holiday together for a while. I spent a lot of time planning that trip and I think it’s safe to say we had a pretty awesome time….
When it comes to keeping teenagers entertained, we know it can be a bit of a challenge. It’s inevitable, unfortunately, that they’ll grow out of the activities that used to get them excited and the adventures that used to get them bouncing out of bed on the weekends soon become a thing of the past….
Have you seen the new series on Netflix yet? If you haven’t watched ’13 Reasons Why’ already, I would strongly recommend adding it to your list of must watch TV. It will draw you in as you follow the lives of students at Liberty High in the days before and after Hannah Baker takes her…
One of the most awkward challenges that parents face is when to discuss puberty with their son or daughter. When to have this conversation is only the start of it. How do you discuss puberty with your child and all the changes that the body is about to embark on without wanting to be swallowed…
Whether you choose to visit a theme park, take a traditional seaside holiday or visit a child friendly resort, family holidays can be great fun. However, as your children grow and develop into teenagers with their own ideas of what a holiday should be, you’ll be faced with a new set of challenges which require…
The teenager and I have recently been introduced to a fantastic designer website called Get The Label. This couldn’t have come at a better time with back to school being just around the corner. My son had wanted some new clothes, but didn’t want the hassle of going shopping for them. That leaves me to…
Getting Teenagers Ready For Back To School Well, the summer holidays are nearly over aren’t they folks? Where did they go? They seem to be over so quickly don’t they? My 17 year old son will be starting his last year at school next week, for his final year of A Levels, and regardless of…
Teen is enjoying his summer break so far. Chilling out with his girlfriend, playing too much Counter Strike and being my blogging assistant. OK, so he’s not enjoying the last one so much but if he wants me to keep paying for his driving lessons, a few hours a day to help his Mum isn’t too…
It’s been all change here at Zena’s Suitcase these last couple of month’s, and things are on the up, mainly! As there is so much going on I thought I’d give you a family update, and let you know how we are all getting along. Teen has just finished his A/S Levels, and fingers crossed…
My son isn’t far of leaving school, and as a parent I worry that he doesn’t appreciate how difficult getting into work will be. He’s 17, and typically quite grumpy and refuses to accept help from Mum most all of the time. He hides himself away in his room, plugged into his PC and hasn’t a clue…
Every so often, a realisation hits me a bit like a stinky wet fish to the face, that it’s time to let go a little more. These not so gentle jolts of reality are gearing up for one thing and one thing only. The day when Teen flies the nest. The harsh reality is that…
Wow, 17 years old already, now where on earth did that go? You’ve arrived at that strange grey area between teenager land and adulthood where you know so much, but still need to learn the lessons only responsibility can teach you. I just hope I have equipped you with enough to learn those lessons and…
Today I feel like I should have done more, I should have spoke out, I’m so disappointed in myself. There are some things I cannot stand, and abuse and racism are up there right at the top of the list. So why didn’t say I something, why didn’t I step in. I can’t believe I…
If you follow my twitter feed you might already know that last Thursday was a big day in our house. It had seemed like ages waiting for the GCSE results to come out. School finished for Teen at the May Half Term, and the list of exams he had to sit seemed endless. Just down to…
My Teen is 16 years old. He’ll be 17 in December. I’ve been waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more for him to start experimenting with alcohol but nothing, zilch! No falling in the door drunk, no cleaning up piles of puke and definitely no having to put him to bed in a comatose state….