Author Archive: Sarah Buttenwieser
Sarah Werthan Buttenwieser is a freelance writer with a personal blog, Standing in the Shadows. In addition to writing, she has four children: two in high school, one in elementary school and the caboose in preschool.
Her work has appeared in Brain Child Magazine, the New York Times, the Huffington Post and numerous anthologies.
Extracurricular Activities Revisited
We all agree that high school students today are under a great deal of pressure. As we parents say to one another—and probably to our children, too—all too often, if we were trying to get into the college we attended now, we’re not sure we could gain admittance. So, some of the pressure our kids [...]
Baaaaaack for the Holidays: How to Deal with Your College Student
Back in August or early September, you probably told yourself to hold on until just this time: the winter holiday break when your college student would return home for a while. That was before Thanksgiving break gave you a taste of the college student’s homecoming—whirlwind of incoming dirty laundry, handing over car keys and cash, [...]
In the Wake of Sandy Hook, Some Resources for Your Teen and You to Share
Doubtless, your teen is horrified about Friday’s news and you, along with every parent sending a child or children to school, is giving a second thought today to something that seemed and felt absolutely routine. I’ve read about many resources for talking to younger kids about the tragedy—and bad news in general. There’s a way [...]
Cyberbullying – A Real Fear for Parents and Teens Today
You might remember these names: Phoebe Prince. Tyler Clementi. Both children were victims of cyberbullying and both ended their own lives. You may know a teen who has participated in or been a victim of a joke or an intentionally cruel incident that evolved into cyberbullying. According to the national organization Stop Cyberbullying, cyberbullying is [...]
Talking Politics with Your Teen
With this Presidential race, a milestone for parents of teens is either having a teen reach voting age—or eyeing that milestone by the next Presidential election, 2016. Do you talk about politics with your teen? If you don’t, this is a good moment to ask yourself why not—and to think about how you might use [...]
Preparing Your Junior (And Yourself) for College Admissions
I’ll admit it—I’m a parent of a rising eleventh grader and I’m on edge. My particular edge is a teeter-totter between excited and frightened, optimistic and melancholy. I know I’m not alone in this (I have friends with kids at this same place and we talk, you know, the way moms do). Up front, since [...]