Why You Should Always Go the Distance
Every week, without fail, I make time to call my grandparents. They fly up north every November for Thanksgiving, and it’s always a treat. When I was just a little girl, I used to sit by the front do [...]
To a Big from a Small, Thank You
In the spirit of the season, I’ve begun taking inventory in my life, identifying all of the people that have shaped me into the woman I am today. As I’ve done this, I’ve realized that the list is nev [...]
Does Family Matter Most to You?
October has been all about resourcefulness here at TWE, and our hope is that that you’ve taken some time to consider what makes you happy and to stop and smell the roses. We’re curious - Has family f [...]
Keep Your Friends Close and Your Soul Sparkling
Throughout my short, although fast-paced 19 years of living, many things have changed. However, one thing that never did was my long-lasting friendship with Caroline, my girl-next-door. We grew up ju [...]
Loving Others: Don’t Tell Them, Show Them!
Ever hear the old saying, “Actions speak louder than words”? Of course you have. We all have. And there’s a reason the idiom has stuck around and found its way into all the nooks and crannies of our [...]
Conquering Distracted Parenting
I’ll never forget my ninth birthday. My mom took my sister and I out to dinner at our regular restaurant, and we sat in the corner booth that practically had our name engraved on it. Food, dessert, a [...]
Families Who Eat Together, Stay Together
According to an article by Goodnet, 59% of Americans reported that their family today has fewer family dinners than when they were growing up. I can see why this would be. People grow up and get busy [...]
Let’s Get Grounded: Here’s How
It’s difficult to prioritize your values and find out what means the most to you when you are struggling to feel a sense of home within the walls of your own body and mind. Sometimes we stray from wh [...]
Advice from the iGeneration: The Parenting We Need
“Sorry girls, that’s just my job,” my dad would always say to my sister, Emily, and I when we complained about doing chores around the house. The “job” he referred to was parenting. He always said th [...]
How Should I Handle a Caregiver in My Home?
There are many reasons why you may hire a caregiver. Maybe you need assistance watching your young children while you’re at work or maybe you need help taking care of an ill loved one. Whatever the r [...]
The Language of Social Media: What a Facebook “Like” and “Comment” Really Mean
Having a social media account and utilizing a social media account are two very different things. Let me define the parameters here. Having a social media account means occasionally or frequently log [...]
How to Make New Friends Later in Life
Life is like a drive, and each swerve and turn we make signifies a change along our journey. When we’re young, we’re constantly making decisions and taking new roads – choosing the education we want [...]
What is “Exergaming”?
Many times, video games are associated with countless hours of children parked in front of the television, controller in hand, eyes glazed over, lost in the world of virtual gaming. Maybe you think v [...]
Be an Everyday Grandparent: Here’s Why
I’ve heard a lot of people who are grandparents joke that they like their job better as a grandparent than they did as a parent. I can see why this would be true. You’re not responsible for parenting [...]
How Often Should I Call My Kids?
There’s that weird, limbo stage kids hit when they’re not really kids anywhere, but they haven’t quite achieved full independence or adulthood. Perhaps they’re away at college, living at home to save [...]
Crafting Family Memories
For my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary, my family put together a very elaborate scrapbook as a gift. My entire family, besides my grandparents, took part in the project. Talk about a lot of ha [...]
How to Give Your Vintage Clothing Meaning
Does your closet feel like a treasure trove of never-ending clothes from the past? Would you consider yourself an “organized” hoarder? Many older women may have an abundance of clothes piled up in th [...]
How Love for a Sports Team Can Tighten Family Bonds
Most kids grow up rooting for their favorite team, whether it be the local high school or professional sports. Whether football, baseball, hockey, or basketball was your sport of choice, or perhaps m [...]
A New Phenomenon: Young Adults Still Living at Home
Just about a month ago, a 30-year-old man named Michael was court-ordered to move out of his parents’ home after they sued to have him ejected. Despite previous attempts by his parents to help him fi [...]
The Grandparent Debate: Should Grandparenthood Be a Full-Time Job?
A few weeks ago, my mom and her old college roommate, Laura, were catching up during one of their monthly phone chats - exchanging news, reminiscing about past memories, and everything in between. Du [...]
My Child Is Moving Back In With Me! Now What?
Almost a year after I was born, my parents bought a new house and sold their old one. Left in limbo for a few months between the official move, my family decided to settle in with my grandmother, Mar [...]
You Can’t Always Get What You Want—Until Now
In 1969, the Rolling Stones sang “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” claiming that instead, you get what you need. While the lyrics of this hit song may have held true in your earlier years, I dare [...]
Long Distance (Family) Relationships: Are They Possible?
When family is scattered across the country, life’s moments can get in the way of staying in touch. We can lose sight of staying connected with family members whom we don’t see on a daily basis. Howe [...]
How to Make Your New Place Feel Like Home
It’s finally starting to feel like spring, and with the changing of seasons come many other important changes as well. For my parents, it’s the fact that my little sister will be graduating high scho [...]
How to Get Your Grandchildren Off the Couch and On Their Feet
Don’t let laziness run in the family! Young children are known for their everlasting energy and exuberance. However, peeling the kids away from the screens of their iPads or iPhones is often a daunti [...]
Take the road less traveled – make it a road trip!
The night before a road trip always felt to me like the night before Christmas. The same way you wrap all your gifts and get the cookies set for Santa, you make sure your bags are all packed and squa [...]
How Can I Prepare My Children For Financial Independence?
A little over a year ago, I applied for my first credit card. My name, my bank account, my money - no one else’s. This card was a first for me, representing a pivotal moment in my life. Up until this [...]
Is Listening To My Grandchildren’s Music Really That Bad?
Music is such an important aspect of who we are. Music can define a certain time in our lives, remind us of a specific event or person, lift our moods, and evoke deep emotions. Best of all, music is [...]
How to Weather the Storm of Conflict in a Multigenerational Home
Almost all homes are multigenerational, most commonly with parents and children living together. Some households also include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, or a mix of it all. Whether out of [...]
How Can Broadway Bring My Family Together?
When I was a toddler, my favorite movie in the world was The Lion King – I watched it weekly! My parents always knew that if they played that movie for me, sometimes even a few times in a row, they c [...]
Should You Follow Your Children After They Graduate College?
In May, my brother, Ed, will graduate from the University of Notre Dame and then move to Chicago to start a new career and a new life. To put things into perspective, Chicago is ten hours away from w [...]
Crafting Across Generations: Getting in Touch with Your Inner-Child
Do you miss the feeling of coloring outside the lines? As we age, we are burdened with more responsibilities and less excuses to let our imaginations run wild, dodge the rules, and get a little messy [...]
GOTCHA! 9 April Fools’ Jokes to Play on Your Family and Friends This Year.
Ah, April Fools’ - a day when no one is safe and everyone can become a prankster. Want to make your family unsuspecting victims of some clever pranks? Check out some of popular favorites below and le [...]
Put Away the iPad!
What can I say?!? I’m a sucker for Traditional Toys, as I’d mentioned in this article. Although video games and iPads are popular, traditional “play” helps young children build skills that last long [...]
Family-Friendly Games to Bring Everyone Together
Every year, my family comes together to our same rented beach house at the Jersey Shore, courtesy of my grandparents. The small house that somehow sleeps 16 is always overcrowded with extra air mattr [...]
Traditional Toys for Child Development
We love spoiling our grandchildren, whether that means reading with them or playing with them. If you have been a grandparent for a while, you probably already have a few favorites, but if you are n [...]
Becoming a Caregiver: What You Need To Know
The path we follow as we age is far from straight. Instead, we are often faced with many obstacles and must adapt as we go. When you become a caregiver for a loved one, your role, and potentially the [...]
Music Therapy for Alzheimer’s
Besides being a nice way to wind down on your commute, music might have additional emotional and cognitive benefits for Alzheimer’s patients. Over the holidays, I went to visit my grandpa, who has se [...]
9 Favorite Books To Read To Your Grandchildren
When we become grandparents, a whole new world opens up to us, and we are so enthralled with this new little creation that we want to shower him/her with love. We fight for our turn to hold this swee [...]
On Choosing Where to Live in Retirement: Two Will Never Be One
You’ve seen them. Those “Best Places to Retire” lists. They evaluate retirement locations on the availability of cultural events and attractions, along with the cost of living and access to medical c [...]
“I’m Baaaaack!”
When Adult Children Move Back Home If hearing cries of “I’m baaaccckkkk” from your adult daughter or son sounds more to you like a scene out of Jack Nicholson’s 1980 movie, The Shining, you’re not al [...]
Re-connecting with Family Members Across Generations
Growing up was punctuated by zesty family interactions during the holidays. Something about those few days- where my aunt would fly in from Georgia, my grandparents would make the trek from Maine, an [...]
How to Bring Up The Topic of Inheritance With Your Family
For many, discussing finances is considered a very private matter. Growing up, I was never supposed to ask how much money my parents made, and we left it at that. However, whether you are a child hel [...]
De-Materializing the Holidays
The holiday season is marked by store sales, wish lists, and piles of presents. The value that our society places on gift-buying is so high that stress levels are proven to also rise during this time [...]
Special Gifts with a Personal Touch
The holidays…. ‘Tis the season of giving. When you give someone a gift, it lets them know you were thinking about them. There’s something nice about giving something willingly without wanting anythin [...]
Online Dating
When I was 7 years old, my grandmother moved to Florida to live in The Villages, an over-55 retirement community. Between the warm weather, golf courses, town squares, and a huge homogeneous circle o [...]
When the Birds Fly From Home
Coping with the Empty Nest Syndrome If you’ve had children, then you know raising them takes up a huge majority of your life. Now I don’t have any kids, but I witnessed my parents raise my sister and [...]
Adding to the Family
Pets-- A Welcome Member of the Family Since as long as I can remember, all family gatherings have been held at my grandparent’s house. The whole family knew, though, that these get-togethers entailed [...]
Healthy Aging: Keeping in Touch with Family
Family structures and dynamics have changed significantly when compared with past centuries. In today’s world, we tend to idealize and foster independence and individuality. From a very early age, ch [...]
Plugging in – Using Your Smartphone to Connect with Family
A handful of years ago, my grandfather purchased an iPhone for the first time. The jump from a flip phone to a smartphone should not be underestimated. It didn’t matter how many times he read the han [...]