Hey Emma!

Emma and Dad write letters providing a wide range of advice to themselves. Emma writes a letter to herself as an adult. Dad writes a letter to himself as a teen. Some it is funny. Some of it is poignant. Some is great advice. Some of it is regret. Enjoy this latest episode of Hey Emma!

Emma's college search has been interesting to say the least. Covid restrictions and closed campuses have made the process challenging. However, scholarships certainly help take some of the sting out of the cost. This episode is sprinkled with tips for helping to find a good fit during your college search.

The meaning of life is such an esoteric concept. But we still chase it. We are still seeking it. What is the meaning of life and what does it mean for your life? How do you find it?We also discuss the pressure of picking a career path while you're still in High School and in many cases before you've even had your first job. Why do we have to know what career path we must have in High School? Is it the only path? Can we change our minds?What are the consequences?Can you design a career for yourself?Are you in High School and already have a vision for your own life? We want to know? Tell us at: dad@growingwithgirls.comLinks mentioned in the show:How I Built This wit Guy Raz - https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-thisThat Creative Life - Sara Dietchy - https://www.thatcreative.life/We discuss Dad's philosophy of life in High School. That life is a game. How do you win? What is your philosophy of life?

I know we haven't posted in a while. School was going crazy for Emma and now we are on social lockdown so I talked her into recording a new episode. Today's episode is about the coronavirus and how it has drastically changed all of our lives. Emma also has some good ideas to help us in these strange times. Let's all just be nice to each other, support each other and love each other - from 6 feet away.

Emma has a new boyfriend and while she's riding high on dating, she's also fighting with her sister. Everyone's tired and grumpy going into the holiday season. Also, we throw in High School Musical The Musical The Series.It's a crazy time to be in our house.And we decide to do something different this year for Christmas.

In this episode, we talk about the new four-legged addition to our family. Our new dog Sophie is a young, rambunctious 1 year old who has put our lives a little off-kilter. We discuss the benefits of having a dog - especially for teens. We also are quite realistic about the challenges of having a young dog in a busy household.

In this episode, Emma retells her experience with an electronic baby for a child development class she is taking. In short, I don't think she's going to be having any babies anytime soon. (Thank God!)We also discuss whether this is a good experience for teens to be going through and whether the electro baby is really designed for the classroom purpose for which it is intended.

In this episode, Emma and her Dad talk about relationships and how she would prefer to avoid them altogether while Dad wants her to have someone to share her life with. It is humorous and serious and covers a lot of material in a brief half-hour. Delve into the mind of this wonderful, funny, anxious teen as she tries to get her Dad to understand her perspective.

In this episode, we empty our brains of everything we wanted to cover this summer but never got a chance to podcast about. We handle:* Eating through summer* Filling free time* Back To School* Hair Style* Tourette's Update* Fight with Friend* Puppies!?!?* Andi Mack* IT 2and a variety of other random thoughts.

What you say to others is important. What you say to yourself is just as important. Join us as we explore the things we say to each other and to ourselves as teenagers and as adults. Just because we've grown up doesn't mean we don't struggle with how we feel and the words we use about ourselves.

Emma is finally done with school for this school year. While it was a very tough year, she stuck it out and got really great grades. She had some challenges this year and some opportunities to grow. Now she is planning for the summer.

Emma and Dad took part in a 10 question challenge. But they approached it and interpreted the instructions completely differently. The results are very different sets of questions and quite a few laughs. Check out our website at: growingwithgirls.com

In this episode, Hey Emma! talks about memories and why it may be difficult for teens to have vivid memories at this point in their lives. Emma talks about some good memories and some bad memories. Dad has quite a few memories to share as well.

Pets can be a wonderful addition to a family and they can be a lot of work. We talk about some of our favorite pets and some that didn't work out so well. Sure, they can be great for teaching responsibility or they can be a great way to find out your child isn't ready for a pet yet.

Valentine's Day can be filled with romance and is associated with love. But, it's origins are much less romantic. We discuss a brief history of Valentine's Day starting from its earliest origins. We finish up by discussing what it means to us today. We also discuss Emma's prospects for love. Join us as we explore Valentine's Day.

Emma discusses her diagnosis of Tourettes Syndrome and how it affects her life and school. She discusses some ways she deals with it and other ways she doesn't deal with it but knows she should. If you've got a teen dealing with a health issue, this may help you both work to find a comfort level for you both.

Our own Emma has had a lot of change in her circles of friends. Over the years, her close friends have changed over many times. How to deal with the loss of friends due to moving, changing interests, and even death.

In the first Hey Emma! episode of 2019, we discuss setting New Years Resolutions versus setting goals. What kinds of goals/resolutions will you set in the New Year. Will you achieve them? What goals do Emma and her dad have for the new year and which ones are likely to be realized? It's kind of rambling episode since this one was completely "off the cuff". Nothing was planned and Emma got hiccups in the beginning which lasted through a good portion of the podcast.

Fears can be helpful or harmful. They can be invigorating and they can prevent you from moving forward and growing. Let's take a look at fears from the teen mind and see if we can relate that to our own fears as parents. Teenagers these days have a wide variety of fears that we never encountered when we went to school. Let's open our minds and learn what we can to help our kids become stronger at facing their fears.Emma finally reveals a medical challenge she has been reluctant to share.

Emma's sister Leah joins us to discuss her favorite music styles and going to the theater. I apologize for how rough this episode is due to equipment failures. Leah was really looking forward to joining us on this podcast and we were able to get her to join us. She has a pretty significant speech impediment due to having Down Syndrome but once you tune your ear to what she's saying, she has some pretty thoughtful words. She's an amazing girl who has endured so much in her 18 years. I'm proud of her and so is Emma. Please join us in encouraging her to continue to develop her speech.

Hey Emma! and dad discusses the upcoming Homecoming Dance and other dances, the ins and outs of having a good DJ versus a bad DJ, and how to get your father to be a chauffer.

It's a common battle in families with kids. Eating problems become eating habits. Poor eating habits become ingrained. Why does it happen? Get a teenager's perspective on eating and of course, her Dad is there to provide just a little nagging.

Our first minisode brings us back to school. Emma has returned to high school as a sophomore and we get an update on how it's going so far. It includes crazy psych teachers, high school friend groups and not getting arrested. For more information on Hey Emma! visit our website at www.growingwithgirls.comMinisode chorus by Emma & Dad. Unless you didn't like it, then it was made by some random stranger we grabbed off the street and paid him to sing off key.

You would think a family vacation would be a welcome event for everyone in the family. Well, not everyone. Find out why this teen didn't want to go on vacation and what are some things parents can do to make vacations fun for their teens as well.

Sibling relationships can be warm and fuzzy or cold and combative. How are your relationships with your siblings? If it's anything like Emma's, it's a mix of both. There's one thing for certain, every sibling relationship is unique and comes with it's own combination of beautiful and horrific moments. Join Emma as she discusses what it's like to have 2 sisters and be a middle child at the same time.

Ever wonder what your teen thinks about their body. I thought my daughter would have avoided this issue since we consicously work to help them have a healthy body image. I was wrong.

The terrifying step for parents and teens alike. It'll bring tears to your eyes, sleepless nights, and a sting to your wallet - It's Driver's Ed.

We cover the touchy topic of depression & mental illness in this episode. It has touched Emma's life in multiple ways and she she reveals some of her own challenges with it.

Emma and dad go over some ways to reduce stress & manage anxiety. Music, yoga, and more discreet anxiety management techniques are discussed.

What were you expectations going into Freshman year of High school and how do they compare to your actual experience dring your first year? What were some of your fears and concerns and did they get realized? What advice would you gve other students heading into their first year of High School?