There are physiological reasons why exercise decreases drama. I know when I exercise consistently I am more patient and pleasant to be around. The same is true for your teenager. Consistent exercise, especially cardio, decreases stress and therefore will decrease drama. The Problem is current trends...
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When I was a teen there were no smartphones; we only had landlines. This meant that if I was going to talk to my boyfriend, I had to s t r e t c h the telephone cord as far as I could to get...
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Yes, teen girls can be drama queens, but moms can be drama mamas. "How? Our disrespectful, moody, entitled and defiant daughters can push our buttons. And what happens when they push our buttons? We get angry and frustrated very quickly. We fire words right back at our daughters that...
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[caption id="attachment_4443" align="alignright" width="425"] Teenage girl consoling her sad upset friend[/caption] I hear parents second guess themselves saying things like, "I wasn't hard enough on him," or " I was too soft on her." And what they are really talking about is their parenting approach in...
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[caption id="attachment_4438" align="alignright" width="400"] OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA[/caption] How do you foster your child/teen's creativity? Expressing your creativity through art, dance, writing, film and music is an excellent way to develop the teenage brain. The brain is having a major growth spurt during the teenage years. It...
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Defining success is tricky, especially when it comes to your teenager. Would you say your daughter is successful? Would your daughter say she was successful? These are uncomfortable questions for both you and your daughter. Here's why. This culture defines success in terms of ranking from the highest to...
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It seems so simple. In your head, it's super clear. All you need her to do is clean her room. That's not asking too much. It's the least she can do. You are having guests over and you are cleaning the rest of the house, plus...
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I am taking an online defensive driving course. I could say I am taking the course because I wanted to lower my car insurance, which is partially true. But the truth is, I was speeding and got a ticket. There you have it. The secret...
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The sky was deep blue, no humidity, and the temperature was 60 degrees. I decided to take advantage of this beautiful day in Houston. Days like these are rare in Houston and I wasn't going to miss it. The redbuds were out and some of...
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[caption id="attachment_4410" align="alignright" width="286"] Isolated portrait of beautiful black teenage girl pouting[/caption] My friend sent me a post that said, "Check on your friends with strong willed daughters. We are not ok." I laughed but what really struck me is how many thousands of moms had...
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[caption id="attachment_4406" align="alignright" width="425"] Teens having fun on the beach.[/caption] You need to be prepared when your teen has their first big break up. Parents see the worst version of their teen after a breakup. This makes it hard for you to help your teen and...
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One of our core needs as moms are to feel appreciated. And when we don't get the appreciation from our kids or even our partners day after day after day, it affects us deeply. We can lose our motivation, our energy, our worth, and definitely...
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If your daughter tends to be negative, don't worry; you're not the only one. Cheryl was taking my Power Your Parenting Program. On one of our calls, she said, "Most of the drama happens because my daughter Abby is so negative." I asked her to give...
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[caption id="attachment_4392" align="alignright" width="424"] A young female car driver adjusts the rear view mirror with her hand.[/caption] Why is it that you can be a CEO of a company and feel on top of the world and yet a sassy teenager can bring you to your...
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In this episode I interview my friend and colleague Angela Caughlin, MA. Angela is an expert on how journaling can help you find your inner parenting wisdom. She has lived her message. When recently widowed she had to raise three children by herself. Angela has authored...
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What do I mean by a hard conversation? Basically it's any conversation your teen doesn't want to have with you---and there are a-lot of those. In this episode I give you 5 key elements to help you have a (successful) hard conversation with your teen. 1....
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Every mom worries. You can't eliminate worry. Parenting a teen gives you endless things to worry about. Worry can be useful if it leads to effective action. But too often worry is just wasted energy. It doesn't lead to solutions it just leads to...
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I love being around teenagers. They have an energy and joy that's contagious. When you can get past the drama, you can see the teenager's wonderful attributes and qualities, many of which we have lost as adults. Yes, teens can be emotionally reactive but they can...
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Moms typically make the same mistakes. How do I know this? I am a mom and I've definitely done all three of these. I know that these mistakes created a whole new set of problems for me, and it didn't serve my daughter in any...
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Power Your Parenting: Moms with Teens is back. This is going to be an exciting year. I have lined up some great guests and of course I will be sharing some practical parenting tips and sharing current research on teens. One of my primary...
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