teenagers - Funny Parenting Stories for Fathers (and Mothers)

October Events at Stoughton Library

Stoughton Public Library is hosting exciting and interactive events for all interested residents during the month of October.

List of Events

South Shore Camera Club’s Bora Pina will host a photo tour of the Azores in winter on Thursday, October 1 at 6:30 P.M. in the Community Room. Registration for the event is recommended but not required.

Teens: Candle Making will be in the Community Room on Monday, October 5. Stoughton residents in grades 6-12 can make their own soy-wax jar candle for themselves or as a gift to someone else. While candle-making, teenagers will also learn about the craft’s history and long-standing traditions. Registration for this workshop, funded by the Mass Cultural Council, is required.

The Teen Advisory Board will meet in the Community Room on October 5 to plan teen events and recommend books and other YA materials. Teenagers in grades 6-12 are eligible for the Teen Advisory Board.

The Little Lego Club will meet on October 5 at 10:00. Children ages 1-6 are invited to create with Duplos, Magna-Tiles, and Bristle Blocks. No registration is necessary.

Professional Coach Deborah Hope will host two sessions via Zoom for job seekers ages 50+. The first session, “Using Artificial Intelligence”, will be on October 7. The second session, “LinkedIn”, will be on October 21. Both sessions will begin at 10:00 A.M. Interested parties need only register once in order to attend both sessions. Interactive workshops will help create a job search tool kit and attendees will see topical presentations and interactive workshops.

Arluah Wontan of Titus Media will be at the library on Thursday, October 8 to take professional photos for LinkedIn, job applications, and digital profiles. This free event will be in the Community Room, 6:00-8:00 P.M. Time slots are limited and reservations are required.

Old Fashioned Games for Kids will be held on Thursday, October 8 at 3:30 P.M. in the library’s Community Room. Members of the Plimoth Patuxet Museum will teach games played during colonial times. “Old Fashioned Games for Kids” is recommended for ages 4-10. Click here to register.

Colonial Games Played in Plymouth and Beyond

Board Games
Bowling for nine-pins
Hoop-Rolling
Riddles
Stoolball
Toss and Catch
Wampanoag Football

Stoughton Public Works Department will host the Fall Fix-It Clinic on Saturday, October 10. The clinic allows residents to come together and share their skills to repair items and reduce landfill waste. The Fix-It Clinic is in need of volunteers and “coaches” who can share their skills and assist in making repairs to household items. All residents can get more information by clicking here.

Wanita hosts an adult painting class on Tuesday, October 13. Beginning at 1:30, you will be led step by step as you paint an iconic New England scene. Space is limited, and registration is required.

Books and Discussion

The Book Club will host a virtual discussion on “Julia Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books” by Kirsten Miller on Wednesday evening, October 14 at 7:00. The discussion will be held via Zoom. Registration is required, and a link will be sent out the day before the event.

Mandy from Wicked Good Henna will be in the Community Room on Monday, October 19 at 3:30 to draw temporary tattoos made with henna. The tattoos will last 1-2 weeks and are safe for all ages. Registration is required.

The Bring Your Own Craft Club (BYOCC) will meet in the Community Room on Wednesday, October 21 from 6:00-8:00 in the evening. BYOCC is a relaxed social space where makers can work side-by-side. Creatives of all kinds and ages are invited to bring their knitting, sketching, scrapbooking, or stitching and enjoy the company of others.

On Thursday, October 22 at 6:30 P.M, Martha Washington will speak to the audience as she finishes dressing for the day in “A Personal Conversation in Mrs. Washington’s Bedchamber”. In this informative and interactive program, the wife to the “Father of Our Country” will talk about her family and the events of 1784 that involve her husband and impact her family as well as the new nation. Registration is recommended.

“A Personal Conversation in Mrs. Washington’s Bedchamber” is sponsored by a grant from the Stoughton Cultural Council, funded by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Mass Memories Road Show will host “Southern Census: Stories of Black Migration” at the library on Saturday, October 24 for a one-day community archiving event. People are invited to come to bring photographs, documents, and family objects to be scanned and added to a permanent digital archive at UMASS-Boston’s Joseph P. Healey Library. More information will follow.

Get ready for Halloween with a wicked talk on Thursday, October 29. “Witchcraft in Films” with film historian Frank Mandosa is a lecture via Zoom on movies about and featuring witches. Mandosa’s talk will range from fun (“The Wizard of Oz”) to serious (“Macbeth”) and everything in betweem. Registration is required.

Teen Programs

The Teen Maker Space will be open Tuesday-Thursday, 2:30-4:40. Teenagers are invited to hang with friends, use school and craft supplies, or play video games on one of the various consoles.

The Bookish Buds Reading Club meets at Halloran Park on Mondays at 2:30. No registration is required. Bookish Buds are identified by wearing a pin that can be obtained from the YA librarian in the library’s Teen Maker Space.

Teens: Open Gaming with VR is in the Community Room on Thursday, October 22, 1:00-3:00 P.M. for an afternoon of open gaming and virtual reality. The activity is open to teens in grades 6-12, and registration is required.

Teen Yoga will be held on Monday, October 26. 3:30-5:00 P.M. Mats are provided, but participants are asked to bring a towel for a supportive prop. Teen Yoga is open to teens in grades 6-12. Registration is required.

Teens are invited to get into the spirit of Halloween by visiting the Teen Maker Space on Friday, October 30 at 3:00 for a needle felting project. Teens in grades 6-12 can create their own colorful felted patch on craft felt using wool fibers and a special barbed needle.

Children’s Programs

Me. Amy and Ms. Stacey will host a spooky Halloween Storytime on Tuesday, October 20. Costumes are encouraged. Suggested ages are 2-8, but all are welcome. Each child will get to take home a home craft.

Drop-in Crafting and Building for ages 5-12 in on Monday, October 26. A variety of crafting supplies and Legos will be provided for free play and creativity.

Drop-in Chess for ages 5-12 will be held on Wednesdays, 5:00-6:00. Instruction is available, but children are expected to have a basic understanding of the game. Parents must remain with children.

Stoughton Public Library will host Storytimes every week, Wednesday-Saturday. Teddy Bear Storytime is on Wednesday evenings (6:00). Family Storytime is Thursday mornings (10:00). Baby Storytime is Friday mornings (10:00). Preschool Storytime is Saturday mornings (10:00). Check the library’s website for more information.

Friends of Stoughton Library

The Friends of Stoughton Public Library (SOLA) will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, October 28 at 7:00 in the Conference Room. All are welcome to attend.

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Stoughton Library Events for Week of September 21

Here is the schedule of events at the Stoughton Public Library for the week of September 21.

Monday

The Bookish Buds Reading Club will meet at Halloran Park, weather permitting. Anyone interested in attending is invited to bring their own book between 2:30-5:30 with their own book and read together. Bookish Buds Reading Club is open to teenagers in grades 6-12. No registration is required. Anyone who would like a free Bookish Buds pin to identify as a member of the club is invited to visit the Teen Maker Space at the library.

Teens in grades 6-12 are invited to paint a fall-themed tote bag with Kashmica on Monday afternoon, 5:00-6:00. Registration for the event is required. Fall Tote Bag Painting will be in the Library’s Community Room.

Tuesday

The Teen Maker Space will be open from 2:30-4:45. Teenagers in grades 6-12 can hang out with friends, play board games, card games, video games, or use arts and craft supplies. No registration is needed for the Teen Maker Space.

Wednesday

Drop in Chess for Kids will be on Wednesday afternoon from 5:00-6:00 in the Children’s Area. Some instruction is available, but children are expected to have a basic understanding of the game. Drop in Chess is open to children ages 5-12 and their caregivers. No registration is necessary.

Teddy Bear Storytime with Peggy Sewyck is open to children ages 0-7. Children are invited to wear their pajamas and bring their stuffed friend to the Children’s Craft Room.

Thursday

Storytime at Halloran Park on Pierce St. will start at 10:00 on Thursday morning. The event is open to children up to age 12. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to inside the library.

Drop-in Scrabble for adults is in the Conference Room on Thursday afternoon, 1:00-4:30. No registration is necessary. The conference room is located on the top floor.

The music duo Sultana will be in the Community Room on Thursday evening to show off their new program “The American Story in Song”. Sultana will combine their music with a slideshow, part of the “Live Music Making History Live” program. “The American Story in Song” is part of celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The event is sponsored by a grant from the Stoughton Cultural Council. Registration is required.

Two musicians standing in a forest, each holding an acoustic guitar, with a pathway and autumn foliage in the background. — *Sultana (Photo: jonwaterman.com)*

Friday

Baby Storytime for babies up to age 2 will be in the Community Room on Friday at 10:00. Stories, music, and more will be part of this interactive program.

The library will celebrate the life of Dolly Parton on Friday, September 25 (925) with a showing of her movie “9 to 5”. The movie will be shown in the Community Room, and light refreshments will be served. Registration for the movie is recommended.

Saturday

Storytime at Halloran Park will begin at 10:00 on Saturday morning. The event is open to children up to age 12. In case of inclement weather, Storytime will be cancelled.

Stoughton Public Library Events for Week of August 3

Free events, including hands-on activities at the Stoughton Public Library in Massachusetts.

The following events are scheduled for the week of August 3 at the Stoughton Public Library.

Monday

Wayne Potash will perform at the South School Lawn at 10:00 on Monday morning as part of Stoughton Library’s final “Arts in the Park” event. No registration is necessary. The event is open to children up to age 12. The concert will be moved to the library in case rain or a heat advisory.

Teenagers are invited to make their own natural beeswax lip balm on Monday beginning at 2:30 in the Community Room. Registration is required for this free event. In addition to making lip balm, teens will have the opportunity to learn more about honeybees and pollinators. The workshop is presented by Holmes Holistic Wellness.

The Bookish Buds Reading Club will meet on Monday afternoon at 2:30 at Halloran Park on Pierce St. No registration is required. The Bookish Buds Reading Club meets 2:30-5:30. Teens in grades 6-12 are invited to drop in anytime between 2:30-5:30.

Stoughton Library’s Teen Advisory Board will meet Monday at 5:30 in the Community Room. Teenagers in grades 6-12 are invited to the one-hour meeting and are encouraged to share thoughts and ideas to make the library a better place for teens. Pizza will be served, and active participants will earn credit for one hour of community service. Registration for the event is required. Interested parties can pick up a volunteer form at the Circulation Desk.

Tuesday

The Teen Space will be open on Tuesday afternoon, 1:00-4:00. Teenagers in grades 6-12 are invited to play provided board games, card games, role-playing games, and trivia. No registration is necessary.

Wednesday

The Teen Space will be open for Arts and Crafts on Wednesday afternoon, 1:00-4:00 to teenagers in grades 6-12. No registration is necessary. Teenagers are invited to the self-led creative time. Art and crafting supplies will be provided.

Drop in Chess will be in the Children’s Area for children ages 5-11 and their caregivers. Some instruction is available, but players are expected to have a basic understanding of the game. Drop in Chess will be held 5:00-6:00 in the afternoon.

Teddy Bear Storytime will be held with Peggy Sewyck in the Children’s Craft Room from 6:00-6:30. Children ages 4-7 are encouraged to wear their pajamas and bring a stuffed friend.

Thursday

Storytime at Halloran Park will be at 10:00 on Thursday morning. The event is open to children ages 0-12. In case of rain, it will be moved to inside the library.

The Teen Maker Space will be open 1:00-4:00 Thursday afternoon for video games. The Teen Maker Space features a Wii, Switch, PS2, and PS4. No registration is required. Teenagers in grades 6-12 are invited to participate.

Drop in Scrabble is open for adults, 1:00-4:30 P.M. in the library’s Conference Room on the top floor. No registration is necessary.

The library’s Adult Summer Reading Program will host local artists and photographers from the Taunton River Watershed Alliance for a conversation about their backgrounds, styles, and inspirations. Registration for the event is recommended but not required for those who are interested in learning more about these people and their work. The panel will meet 6:00-7:30 on Thursday evening.

Friday

“Science Heroes” will be the theme of SPL’s Summer Reading Finale! Children ages 7-12 are invited to the Community Room for the hour-long event that is scheduled to begin at 10:00 A.M. The event is part of the Massachusetts Statewide Summer Library Program and is funded by the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, Stoughton Public Library, and the Friends of the Stoughton Public Library.

Saturday

Storytime at Halloran Park will be held at 10:00 on Saturday morning. The event will be cancelled if the weather does not cooperate.

For more events, visit the library’s website at stoughton.org/library.

A Family’s Amazing Day of Visiting a College

It’s always an exciting weekend with our family, but you know that already. Days are always filled with plans and obligations. It can be a family event, game, or even visiting a college.

Wife and I found ourselves going to college on one particular weekend. Lovie got into college some time ago. We got to see the campus she’ll be calling home when she finishes high school.

Visiting College

It’s been a while since Wife and I have been to a college. We both graduated some time ago. It was interesting to go to a campus and see what college is like with Wi-fi and Uber Eats. Some things have changed. Some things haven’t changed so much.

College campus. We looked around on our own before starting the activities.

We arrived on campus on a beautiful spring afternoon. We negotiated our way through campus to a parking lot and continued through the campus to the activities. I looked around the campus and tried to take it all in. Wife and I explained to her what college was like for us when we were students. We didn’t live on campus, but we felt our time in college, no matter how long ago, could help her as she spoke to different students and faculty members.

We asked questions to get more information for her about life on campus and how they could help her prepare for that big, scary place they call the real world. If you have teenagers, you know what I’m talking about.

I told Wife how I wished I was wearing a tweed jacket. Nothing too flashy, just a little something with nice arm patches. Something that said “Academia” while we leisurely walked around campus. Wife just gave me that weird look she always gives when I have a great idea. I love her, but sometimes she has a difficult time understanding my vision. I think it’s a common problem visionaries share.

Lovie is undeclared for now. We spent some time in the hall where the different majors offered by the college were set up to discuss their major and the benefits they offer to the incoming freshmen and transfer students.

What we saw when Visiting the College

While we walk around seeing what fields of study are available, I notice a prize wheel on the table of the Communications Studies Department. I stop to take a picture to send to a friend of mine, who was my boss at a radio station I worked at in my days before I became a daddy. After taking the picture, I send it to my friend. A lady who is working behind the table sees me and we begin a conversation about the communications industry. I explain to her about my brief stint in radio promotions and how I had forgotten about our gargantuan prize wheel until just now.

While we are speaking, I mention my daughter and how she is looking for an academic home during her time in college. She is excited to hear this and would love the chance to speak to Lovie about the things her department can offer her. I am also introduced to two gentlemen who are professors in the department.

The visit was a nice little homecoming for me. I was able to talk shop with people who work in the field. It was nice to discuss things I had studied in school and methods employed in writing serious news stories before the days of the Homework Wars and serving meals you were sure would be a hit, only to find out it was no good and you should have resorted to chicken nuggets and mac n cheese. Sometimes you don’t realize how much you miss something until you just happen to run into someone with the same interests.

Eating at the Campus Common Area

I thank “J” and “Y” for their time and reconnect with Wife and Lovie. We listen to a talk put on by staff and current students. From there, we go to the dining area where we sample some of the delicious fare Lovie will enjoy as she studies and prepares to make the world a better place. We get in line for me the buffet. I have to say everything looks good except for the cheeseburger pizza.

Cheeseburger pizza. The only blemish on the day.

Wife and I continue to talk about our time in college as we ask Lovie for her thoughts on the school. I talk about the nice people I met during my venturing alone. We get into the car and head home. There is a house full of children waiting for us, and we need to make sure everything, and everyone, is still intact and standing.

If you would like help with the college admissions process, including college essays and financial aid, visit endeavoradvising.com.

Pizza Bagels, Video Games, and Batteries

I needed to drop one of my children at their friend’s house last week. I know the father, so I stayed for a bit and talked over a beer. We were in the living room, where one of his kids was playing video games.

Video Games

I’ve met a lot of kids over the course of parenthood, foster parenting, coaching, school pickup and drop-off, and a variety of other circumstances and duties. I think teens are the funniest, and this encounter with another life expert who is still in high school was no exception. Loyal daddies and mommies are familiar with our friend Wilt. Wilt was a child of another friend who seemed to know everything about life, especially basketball. Check out the link I so generously provided. If you have teenagers, you’ll understand what I’m telling you.

I think teenagers are the funniest, and this encounter with another life expert who is still in high school is no exception.

My child and I arrive at the house and the younger children quickly disappear upstairs. I remain downstairs, where “15” is dealing with one of the many challenges you face when trying to assemble a team on a video game. Dad is also in the living room finishing up work before getting ready to go out for the evening. It’s not an easy time for “15”. He’s playing a soccer game on his console, and he’s trying to assemble a national team. Apparently American soccer players are few and far between, and the good ones are even harder to find. I would like to help him, but I know nothing about who plays soccer, let alone where they hail from.

My friend and I watch “15” scroll through lists of players and their attributes. I offer whatever advice I can, but nothing works. The game works in a certain way, and you can’t just create a player and place him on your team. I literally haven’t played a soccer video game since last century, so I’m pretty much useless.

The Smoke Alarm

It gets harder for “15”. Not only does the field of available players lack what he needs, but the battery in the living room’s smoke alarm died, and there is an annoying “chirp” signaling the need for a new one. Each shrill call for a new battery is grating on the virtual general manager, who is having enough headaches with his lacking roster. He’s finally had enough, and he marches to the smoke detector, pulls it from the wall, and then the real struggle begins.

“15” has the smoke detector in his hands. The battery needs to be replaced, but first the old battery needs to be extracted. The Chinese water torture is getting to be too much for the lad, who can get the compartment open, but can’t get the battery out. Dad is enjoying this and so am I, to be honest with you. Finally, I show mercy to the poor child and take the battery out for them. After said extraction, I hold up the 9-volt nemesis and sing, “Ta-daa!” Now it’s time for a new battery, but there is no 9-volt battery in the house. So, the smoke detector sits on the end table sans battery for the time being.

A New Battery

I return home to take care of some chores and duties while my child is away at her friends. My friend has plans that evening, so I am sure to be there promptly to take my child home. I arrive at the house with a gift for “15”. A brand new 9-volt battery. To this day, I am mad at myself for not putting a bow on it.

I proudly present the lad with the gift and the life lesson. He installs the battery and places the smoke detector back in its proper place. Dad and I are proud of the child for doing his part to keep the house and his family safe and secure. Now, it’s back to video games where he has moved on from soccer to basketball. Dad and I are watching him scroll through teams and players. “15” makes some comments about Larry Bird, causing Dad to educate his child about Bird and Bill Russell. Meanwhile, we continue to watch him play.

“Hey, Auerbach,” I say.

“What?”

“I called you ‘Auerbach’.” Dad laughs. The child has no idea what I’m talking about, nor does he understand the reference to his basketball personnel moves.

Pizza Bagels

It’s time for a break in the action. “15” needs food. His dad follows him to the kitchen for a beer. “15” wants to make a pizza bagel. Dad and I watch the child struggle to slice a pre-sliced bagel. We remind the child it’s already pre-sliced, but this doesn’t matter to him because it’s not, “pre-sliced enough”. He gets the bagel sliced and prepares with sauce and toasts it. When it’s done, he has enough grated parmesan cheese for a dozen pizza bagels.

“Hey, Fieri,” I say after a sip of my beer, “Do you want some bagel to go with that cheese?”

He tells me he has a solution and carefully shakes some cheese from one slice of the bagel onto the other slice. He then proceeds to eat the bagel while standing up, back turned to the counter. Crumbs fall to the floor. I tell him I’m willing to bet Dad has invested in some plates for the house. Dad tells me he needs to constantly remind him to use a plate when eating. I had no idea it was so chronic.

Driving home with my child, I ask how things went for them. I get home and enjoy one of the beers my friend sent home with me. My daughter and I watch some important, informative video on Harry Potter. While sipping my beer, I wonder if parents of teenagers were really meant to survive.

My new book, “A Collection of Short Stories” is now available on Apple Books.

Prince of the Road

Being a foster parent gives you numerous challenges everyday. There are things to deal with for school. There are doctor and dentist visits. Meetings with social workers. Another wrinkle being a foster parent can bring is a change in the order of milestones.

Our children range in ages from 17 to six. We will be celebrating a driver’s license before we will celebrate graduation from elementary school. We will help prepping for a high school final exam before dealing with middle school orientation. Things like these are perfectly normal for a family that doesn’t exactly do “normal”.

One of the Gaggle has their learner’s permit. This person has made Wife and I proud. They have shown initiative in their life and work. They looked for and got a job. They sought out how to get their permit and they are looking into driver’s ed.

The child and I have been out on the road getting practice and experience whenever we can. They do well most of the time. Then again, there was this one time…

I fancy myself an amateur craft beer and bourbon critic. One time nearly became a “Four-finger Night” as a neighbor likes to say. We were driving around town. The Gaggle had a few rounds behind the wheel under their belt and kept improving. We were making our way home. On our right was one of those glaring-red stop signs. Painfully obvious to me right away. Somehow, the Gaggle didn’t see it until we nearly passed it. Being the diligent person and stickler for rules, they slammed on the breaks as soon as they recognized their folly. I exclaimed an expletive and put my hands up to shield myself from the dashboard in case the seat belt didn’t work.

The Gaggle apologized. I reminded them to keep their eyes open when driving. They promised to do so and thanked me for the advice. As we continued our way, the route called for a left-hand turn. Unfortunately for our driving novice, this was one of those clearly visible streets that somehow remained hidden until you were halfway by it. Most people would continue on and make the next turn and make their way back to it. Not the Gaggle. Our driving dynamo saw the nearly passed street, slams on the brakes, and cuts the wheel for a hairpin turn that would make Vin Diesel proud. If they ever start casting for “The Fast and the Furious 17”, I think I’m signing the Gaggle up for it. Wait. They haven’t made part 17 yet. Have they?

We continue. We’re almost home, much to my relief. I think the car’s relieved, too. I instruct the Gaggle to make a turn. Maybe they were thinking about the turn they almost missed. Whatever it was, they make this one a little premature and we’re on the left side of the road, practically on someone’s front lawn. I thought I heard a mailbox scream and a lawn gnome reciting a prayer. I tell the child the laws haven’t changed and we’re still driving on the right side of the road. He apologized and literally rights the situation. We get home. He apologizes again before we get out of the car. We get inside the house. People inside ask how it went. We both say it went great. I poured a bourbon.