You want the best for your teen. You want her in the best school, taking the best classes. You want her involved and developing her abilities and skills. You want her to be challenged and all this is important for her brain development. But there is...
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What is Mother Fog? Mother Fog is when there are so many things going on at one time that you can't think clearly. This happens all the time with mothers. It's like your mind is covered with a thick, soupy, dense fog, and your thoughts, feelings, decisions,...
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I was talking to Chelsea a 15-year-old girl a few days ago. She's gorgeous and tall, yet she looked small sitting on my office couch. I asked her what was going on. She looked out the window and said, "Everyone hates me at school. I am...
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Remember Cyndi Lauper's song from the 80's, Girls Just Want to Have Fun. You might remember singing that song at the top of your lungs driving to the lake with your friends when you were in high school or college. But that was along time ago...
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Your daughter is going to get upset. The question is how will you handle it? This is a hard one for moms. We hate to see our daughters unhappy, so we jump in and try to fix it, but we make it worse. Your daughter needs what...
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I love the ocean. I enjoy the smell of the ocean, the song of the seagulls and the sound of waves crashing upon the shore. Nothing feeds my soul like the ocean. Last week it was still warm so I went to the beach. I watched one...
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My family loves to tell stories. One of my favorites is when my sister was 13. My dad, sister and I were down at Memorial Park in Houston. We had hiked down to Buffalo Bayou. The bayou is brown and murky and God knows what...
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How would you answer this question? Why is parenting your teenage daughter so challenging? Is it your daughter's attitude, defiance, rebellion, mood swings, and rude behavior? Is it her not obeying you or procrastinating? Is it her walling off in her room and not communicating? Yes, all of these things...
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Is your happiness dependent on your teen's happiness? Can your daughter relax at your house? Is your teen comfortable with having friends over? Do you like being in your home? If you answered yes you have a thriving home environment. A thriving home environment is key to having...
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Is your happiness dependent on your teen's happiness? Here's why I asked you this question. Last week a mom told me with a big smile on her face, "I guess it's time to go back to my recovery meeting," I asked her, "Why?" She told me that...
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Sometimes the answer is no. It has to be if we are going to protect our daughters. This is not the fun part of being a parent. There she is standing in front of you in her mature grown-up body. She tells you, she can handle it....
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In this episode I interview Kari Kampakis. She is author of the new book Love Her Well: 10 Ways to Find Joy and Connection with Your Teenage Daughter. We dive into her book and explore ways to speak life and see the good in your...
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I have talked to moms from around the country and it's different for all of you. Some of your teens have already started school, and others will start after Labor Day. Some of you have teens going back to in-person school. Some teens are alternating...
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Does your teen tend to say extreme generalizations like "everyone at school is so fake", "all the teachers are mean," or "I have no friends." These kind of statements can drive you crazy. You think your daughter is being so overdramatic or you think geez...
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Has your teen ever said to you, "Why don't you trust me?" My guess is they have. This usually happens when you’ve questioned what your teen said, or you’ve said no to something he/she really wanted to do. When a teen says, "You don't trust me,"...
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[caption id="attachment_5113" align="alignright" width="849"] Portrait of a smiling woman lying on carpet with a wineglass , looking away[/caption] In this episode we explore the stories we tell ourselves and how they impact our lives and relationships. We have now lived in six months of uncertainty and...
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Is there more for you? In the teenage years you focus on your son or daughters future. You want them to have every opportunity possible and you’d sacrifice everything to make that happen. You want them to get the internship in Spain. You want them to...
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[caption id="attachment_5104" align="alignright" width="424"] A young female car driver adjusts the rear view mirror with her hand.[/caption] In this episode we talk about a surprising way to be a leader in your home. My good friend Sue Ludwig and I were talking about Dr. Jill Bolte...
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What is the difference between a reactive parent and a responsive parent? Why does this matter? This distinction can change your life, your family and your relationship with your teen. If you want to create a secure attachment with your teen you want to be responsive and...
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How do you safeguard your teens from Sexting? To answer this question I interview two experts. Heather Boynton who is a mother of four (three who are currently teens) and is a professor of Child Development at Clovis Community College where she teaches a variety of...
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