Today I'm featuring an article by Dr. Henry Cloud that'll help your kids learn to accept responsibility—using a funny, easy game that just might become an ongoing joke in your family. Dr. Cloud writes this about helping kids learn to accept responsibility: "My...
What's more aggravating and frustrating than giving kids or teens a direct order, and then they ignore it? Try this brilliant parenting tip from the psychologists at loveandlogic.com: use the enforceable statement. What is an "enforceable statement"? Say the effective...
What do you do if your teen does something really bad? It could be assault, theft, getting caught with drugs—or 100 other things. What do you do? Your most effective response when your teen does something really bad—is to respond with empathy. Soften your face and...
Your daughter's not choosing the career you want for her, and you're understandably disappointed. Take heart, there may be hope for her yet. Ask her if she'll take the career assessments I discuss in this article. (The professionally interpreted assessments I...
This valuable article on helping teens avoid risk is a guest post by Ken Ginsburg of the Center For Parent and Teen Communication. By Ken Ginsburg A simple check-in rule can help teens avoid risk Our tweens and teens are going to have to make certain decisions and...
Today I'm featuring an article by Debbie Pincus, MS LMHC that originally appeared on empoweringParents.com. If you're worn out by parenting irresponsible kids—if you feel at a loss as to what to do about it—this article is for you. Debbie's article on parenting...
If you're in the long process of launching a teen into adult life, you know the wobbly, unstable feeling. Your teen's about to embark on a journey that's going to be exciting. It'll be a combination of breathtaking beauty and—at certain times—hair-raising,...
Watch just one of the short, succinct video trainings below, and you'll be on the fast track to getting the kids you love through college debt-free. If you've got a bright, capable middle schooler or high schooler headed for college—you're probably wondering, "How...
One of the greatest services I provide to the public is my debt-free college newsletter, which you can have delivered straight to your email inbox every Monday morning. Open this newsletter every Monday, and you'll keep debt-free college at the top of your mind as...
Teen anxiety is at an all-time high. How can parents help? Or at least quit ratcheting up teen anxiety and making it worse? Some of the root causes of teen anxiety are things parents don't have much control over—such as our culture's senseless obsession with elite...
Most parents worry at least occasionally: "What if these kids don't find good jobs and become independent adults? What if they want to lie around on my couch until they're 30?" Join me, Jeannie Burlowski, for episode 6 of the Launch Your Teens podcast, and you'll...
You desperately want your kids to succeed academically in school and in college so they can have a shot at lifetime career success—but cajoling and hovering and pushing them is just so exhausting. Here’s fantastic help that will take you under two minutes to...
With all the national conversation around legalizing marijuana, many teens are jumping to the uninformed conclusion that it's low-risk for them. Experts, however, are extremely worried about the impact of marijuana on developing adolescent brains. Not only that—but...
This episode also includes a hilarious idea for making your teen want to go out and get a part-time job!Join me, Jeannie Burlowski, for episode 4 of the Launch Your Teens podcast, and you'll learn: 1. How working a part-time job increases the odds that a teen will be...
Dr. Charles Fay of LoveandLogic.com is an expert at helping parents grow a teen's brain by leaps and bounds—while helping adults enjoy a less stressful, more fun family life. Dr. Fay recently said this on the subject of growing a teen's brain: "At Love and Logic®, we...
If you're a parent and you've just found this, you're probably thinking: "Oh, wow—seriously? There's help for getting my kids through college debt-free, and into great jobs after college? I had no idea this kind of help was available! Am I late starting this? Yikes, I...
Psychologist Dr. Henry Cloud, co-author of the life-changing Boundaries books and The Mom Factor, says that today’s moms will do more good for their families by giving up “the Supermom model of motherhood, which never worked anyway,” and instead relaxing into being a...
Books make great gifts. Why? Because a carefully chosen book can literally change a life. In this short article I share the top 9 books I most love for parents, 20-somethings, and students ages 12 and up. (Are you worried that your teen won't read a non-fiction book?...
Here it is—the meme every kid needs to see. Copy and forward this meme to the kids you love right now. Tweet this meme out to the people who follow you! [Tweet "Here it is—the #meme every #kid needs to see. #parenting #selfcontrol #boundaries #academics #k12 Thx...
If you're concerned that you're currently LATE to college planning, read this article now. College planning can feel like being lost in a jungle. And sadly, your kid's high school guidance counselor (nowadays more properly called a "school counselor,") can't help much...
By this time nearly everyone's heard of Gary Chapman's book, The 5 Love Languages. It's sold over 11 million copies, it's the 12th most popular book on Amazon (where it has more than 13,000 5-star reviews), and it's been a New York Times Bestseller 8 years running....
You're parenting a teen, and you've just had a fantastic idea for him or her. Something that could pay off in huge ways down the line. But your kid isn't interested. "Nah," he says, scrunching up his nose and shaking his head. "Not gonna do that." Meanwhile, he's...
You've just dropped a son or daughter off at college for the first time—or you'll be doing so soon. Part of you knows you should be getting a lifetime achievement award for making it this far, but instead, dropping a kid at college may feel like a train wreck in your...
To listen to my best debt-free college interview yet, click here. Listen while you're driving or getting ready in the morning, and you just might change the life of a student you love. In March of 2018 I was interviewed by Andy Earle, a Loyola Marymount University...
Back in 2009, researchers in Google's People Innovation Lab spent an entire year finding the answer to one question: "What makes managers wildly successful?" According to this Inc. article, Google put all the resources at its disposal into data-mining "performance...
You're bleeding money to pay for your son's college. You hope he's attending class, studying for exams, and getting help when he's stuck. But is he? Some people say that you can never know for sure, because, "parents aren't allowed to look at their kids' college...
You've nursed your child through bouts of the flu and strep throat, but "senioritis" is different. "Senioritis" symptoms include not doing homework, "forgetting" to study for tests, and getting oddly low grades on homework assignments, papers, and projects that your...
There's one thing parents long for far more than straight A report cards. Parents want kids to do their own homework in a quality manner without the parent needing to prod, nag, oversee, or push. Want to increase your chances of having academically independent...
Your middle schooler or high schooler tends to underperform in school -- and it drives you crazy. What's a caring, involved parent to do? You know how high the stakes are. Is it your duty to strictly supervise and control homework so that your son or daughter gets...
In 2017, 12-year-old singing ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer wowed the audience and the judges on America's Got Talent. Before the 7-minute video was over I laughed, and I cried. Real tears. I am not kidding. And then I thought... What if Darci Lynne had never...
You desperately want your teens to succeed in school, but cajoling and hovering and pushing them is just so exhausting. Here's fantastic help that will take you under two minutes to implement. The difference, according to world-renowned Stanford University...
Parent, might you be ready for a job change by the end of this summer? If you make this job change decision strategically, you could save your kid $40,000 on college costs. "Really? How could my job change save my kids money on college costs?" Many colleges and...
Parents, you feel a lot of pressure to get your kids into a "good" college after high school. An "Ivy League" university would be ideal! But is all the work and stress really worth it? Probably not, honestly. William Deresiewicz, former Yale professor and author of...
Carol kicked off her work shoes and put them away in the front hall closet. "Hi, kids! I'm home!" She called out. It'd been an extremely long workday for Carol, and the commute home had been long and sweaty due to heavy road construction and her car air conditioning...
The 20s are a critically important time of life. Young men and women who maximize their 20s tend to have far better lives than those who don't. I know this, because I've read the book The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them...
One of the best money-saving ideas I suggest for college students is, "Don't take a car to college." Most college campuses provide easy access to safe public transportation—and when a student really needs a car she can always call Uber. (Anyone, anywhere, can use this...
Recently, I was contacted by a freelance writer hoping to guest post on my blog. Her article was essentially a long list of reasons why electrical engineering is a great career for students to consider. The writer provided several great reasons for students to...
Recently, I climbed a mountain in Zion National Park. My husband, the avid hiker, gave me a set of hiking poles and these instructions: "When you start to feel exhausted," he said, "just concentrate on your next step. Where's the next, best place to put your foot?...
In this short post, I'm going to share my best, funniest parenting tip. This one makes me laugh just thinking about it. What do you do when your normally good kid turns sassy or disrespectful, or makes a deliberate choice that's against family rules? My mom used to...
I love Dave Ramsey's video rant about student loan debt, which you can watch at the link I've provided below. (Listen for my favorite Dave line in this rant: "I missed where the lady got helped.") If you've got 9 minutes to listen to this while getting ready for work...
So, your 20-something daughter wants to live at home in her childhood bedroom. Should you happily say yes and make a plate of warm cookies to welcome her back? Or could this put you (and your child) in a bad spot? I’ve written in a previous post about the horror of...
15-year-old Luke had been in a dark, angry mood all day long, starting from the moment his mother wished him a cheerful, "Good morning!" and set hot scrambled eggs and a fresh hot caramel roll in front of him at the breakfast table. Luke ate in broody silence, and his...
If you've got a child between the ages of 12 and 26, you know how difficult it can be to motivate him or her to want to apply for college scholarships. Try this entertaining strategy, one that other parents are using with great success. 1. Give your son a meager...
Your kid's in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade? It's time to set him or her free to feel jazzed and excited about college. Plus -- as a parent-- learn 8 things you can do right now to keep that kid's future college costs low. I'll be covering all this in this free live...
Today I'm announcing the extra bonuses your family will receive if you purchase LAUNCH by January 11, 2017. Bonus #1 You and your immediate family will be invited to attend an online MasterClass with live Q&A with me, the author -- at no charge to you. This online...
Every parent needs to know: teens in crisis can use texting to get immediate, confidential, compassionate crisis help for themselves or for their friends. Tell your kids. Be sure your kids all have 741741 entered into their phone contacts. (Read on to learn more.) The...
If you're parenting a kid who's not yet in kindergarten, you're wondering how in the world you ended up reading an article written by a writer who gets kids through college debt-free. Keep reading and I'll tell you why this blog is the best place for you to be right...
I was recently interviewed by Krista Gilbert on her "Hey Sister!" podcast. It was a great conversation, almost an hour, full of practical tips for anyone who loves a kid age 12 - 22. To listen to the podcast, click on Episode 19 here. Some of the topics we covered...
You'd love for your college-bound teen to get more scholarships, but you worry that his GPA just isn't high enough. Am I right? Well, worry no more. Good news. There are thousands of college scholarships available to students with GPAs as low as 2.50. I'll give you...
Save your cash register receipt when buying school supplies. Here's why. Every notebook, pen, and graphing calculator you buy just might lower your eventual state tax bill—even if you have a very high income. In some states, such as Minnesota, K-12 school supplies and...
Hi, I’m Jeannie Burlowski.
I am a full-time academic strategist, conference speaker, and author of the book “LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward.”
My writing and speaking provide parents a clear, step-by-step checklist so they can set their kids up to succeed brilliantly in college, graduate debt-free, and move directly into careers they excel at and love.
For more than 20 years, I’ve helped students apply to highly competitive law, medical, business, and grad schools. I still do that from my website GetIntoMedSchool.com.
I am married, and my husband and I have a son and a daughter. We live in Minneapolis.