Cathy Tompkins

WHERE DO I COME FROM? Call me Cathy. Cathy with a C, please. I have a vague memory that I was named after my dad’s former girlfriend. I was my mother’s 5th pregnancy, first live birth. I am my dad’s second born; a half sister was 6 years older. I had 3 younger sisters. We... Read More

Leaving the Nest: Adulting 101 I may have said this before, but just to be sure: being the parent of a teen wasn’t easy, but it paled in comparison to parenting a 20-plus-year-old. As long as they were living at home, I could tell myself that I knew they were safe at least part of... Read More

Parenting Older Teens I heard Alan Alda (of Mash fame) say that being a parent is like watching ea cheesy horror film. As you watch that teenager open the door to the spooky basement to investigate the source of a disconcerting noise, all you can really do is watch and helplessly throw popcorn at the... Read More