The Weekend Files

There were no The Weekend Files last week. Sorry about that! It was life that got in the way. Still I felt as if I missed an important appointment… I’ll try and make it up for you today. OK?

See the photo above? In the fall, my husband and I had a huge argument about whether or not to cut bushes, trees and flowers. Mind you: that was after he had already trimmed everything. So now we have been really curious about how our garden is going to look like come Spring. I can’t deny it: there are leaves on the trees. And flowers on some bushes. But it will all come down to the hydrangeas: if they bloom, I’ll agree that he was right and I was wrong. If not? Well, do you really want to know?

1 – Tipping makes me feel uncomfortable. I’m usually worried that I don’t tip enough. And I never gave a tip when I ordered take-out. Is that wrong?

2 – This video made me laugh. I’m always wondering whether our neighbors think that we have 5 more kids hidden in our closets.

3 – „Parents – let it go!“ Quality time is more important for kids than quantity.

4 – My latest podcast crush. So excited for more!

5 – I really enjoyed reading this (long) article in the NYT Magazine on teenagers and their relationship to their parents. My kids are still young, the teenage years are seem far away, but now is the time to set the groundwork for a good parent-child relationship, right?

Last week, I asked a couple of questions on Facebook and I would like to invite you to join the conversation, either on my Facebook page or here on the blog. I need your answers for a future article that I’m working on right now. Thank you!

A question for my American friends and readers: how do you recognize a German? They wear Speedos? They knock at doors before they walk into your office? What else? Don’t be shy! I need this information for a research project.

For my German readers: Wetten Dass gibt’s ja nun nicht mehr. Welche Shows guckt man denn jetzt so als Familie? Welche Show darf man auf gar keinen Fall verpassen? Let’s Dance gehört ja wohl nicht unbedingt dazu… GNTM?