Should I say something?

You ask one simple question.

"Did you print your schedule yet?"

Your teenager barely looks up.

"I said I'll do it."

"Okay."

A few minutes later, you see them grabbing something from the kitchen.

Should I say something about the athletic forms?

You decide to leave it alone.

Driving to practice...

I don't really want to turn this into a school conversation. Maybe this can wait until tomorrow.

At dinner...

Should I bring up the books?

You almost do.

Then you stop yourself.

And before you know it, you've spent the entire day having the same conversation with yourself.

Should I say something?

Not right now.

Five minutes later...

Maybe I should say something.

By dinner...

We're running out of time.

Because if you bring it up too soon...

are you stepping in when they need the chance to figure it out themselves?

But if you wait too long...

what if something important falls through the cracks that could have been prevented?

No one tells you where that line is.

Some days, it feels like you're spending more time deciding whether to say something than what to say.

If you've been catching yourself having that conversation in your own head lately, please don't assume you're doing something wrong.

Every August, parents have to figure out that line all over again.

🧡 Jeanine

What's one back-to-school task you've been wondering whether to mention... or leave to your teenager?