Bill Mercer | RealiTeen

Tia Bandavanis

My name is Tia and I'm very excited to join the Realteen team. I am a fun-loving, caring, and colorful person. I begin and end everyday with a smile. There is only one man in my life and that is my 15 yr. old son John. It's been my job to raise my son from a young age through his teen years. I am a single mom and I feel as though I have done my best to help my son become a responsible young man. I was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in the Maryland and D.C. area. I moved to Jacksonville, North Carolina in 1992. I now consider myself to be a native. I miss family dearly but find ways to visit often. My home and heart is here in Onslow County. This is pretty much due to the fact that I have raised my son here and found it to be a great place to live. I currently teach preschool at a local preschool. I have been teaching for over 20 years. I love children of all ages and could not imagine myself doing any other profession. I enjoy outings with my son to the movies, watching football, visiting local spots such as the Lynwood Park Zoo, going to the beach, and canoeing along our local rivers. I look forward to writing and reading the blogs. I feel this is a great opportunity to explore my parenting role and others. Parenting my teen son has been very rewarding and challenging. However, I have learned that being an effective parent is about learning and growing along with my son!

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My name is Bill Mercer and I am the father of three children. Two sons, John and Drew, age 17, are my teens. My daughter Molly is a college student. They are great people and I am very proud of them. I am a widower for nearly 7 years. I am in a relationship with Betsy and Will Heath (her 12 year old son) and we are all family. I am an insurance representative with Mass Mutual Financial Group in the offices of Bartley Insurance Services here in Jacksonville, N.C. I have lived in Jacksonville since 1986. A native of Richlands, N.C. I graduated from Richlands High School and East Carolina University. I attend Trinity United Methodist church, along with a Mens Bible Study that I depend on. I am grateful for my family and friends and I'm ambitious about the future. Some very important people have played major roles in the lives of my children. I look forward to sharing this adventure with the readers of Realiteen. We are shaped by our experiences. Hope you enjoy. Talk with you soon.

“Let the word go forth”

December 2nd, 2011 Bill Mercer

President Kennedy

Brian Williams of NBC is my favorite “anchor”. I have seen him on various shows and find him to be very professional with a keen sense of humor and the ability to provide a very …
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If It Makes You Happy

November 30th, 2011 Bill Mercer

The holiday season is here and I’ll be glad when I’m in the mood for it. This is the time of year that the pressure gets turned up a couple of notches and this single dad has …
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Great Days!!

November 28th, 2011 Bill Mercer

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday weekend. There are numerous reasons for this, most especially because of family. Molly came home for the first time in quite a while and that was great. It’s unique the way you feel
about your daughter, …
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Ageless Information

November 21st, 2011 Bill Mercer

What is the age of information?We have a saying where I’m from, “been everywhere but the ‘lectric chair, seen everything but the wind”. I think my kids must feel that way …
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No Blueprint

November 16th, 2011 Bill Mercer

MJ Vieweg, my Realiteen colleague, has written a couple of articles of late that ask what defines a good parent. I responded to MJ with “I think of my mother”. I am quite sure …
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