Last week Sara came to see me in my private practice. Sara had that spaced out, frazzled look. She said, "I want my life back. It's only the first week of summer and I'm ready for school to start." Sara really didn't want school to start,...
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Teenage girls live in the selfie generation. It's what teen girls do. So what's up with all these selfies? Parents can be baffled by the frequency of their daughter's selfies. When we were teens we also loved getting our pictures taken but it wasn't all the...
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Every mom wants to see her daughter making progress. You hope to witness your teen moving forward and progressing in their academics, creativity, relationships, responsibility and maturity. This yearning is instinctual in moms and feels like it is written in our DNA. Because this feeling is so...
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The last month of school can get crazy. Many of you have been living your lives at 100 miles per hour with the entire end of the year activities. Your daughter thought that summer would never come, and the finals and projects would never stop. She'd...
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How many of you worked on Mother's Day? Probably most of you did. It's great to get the cards, flowers, and be taken to lunch or dinner. It's wonderful to be appreciated for all that you do. But it's not enough. Here's why. I know that many moms are...
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When I was a teen there were no smart phones; 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...
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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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What do you remember about your prom? I don't recall the details but I know I had fun. I didn't stress about my hair, makeup, or how much I weighed. There were no Promposals. I went with my boyfriend and two other couples in a car....
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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...
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Defining success is a 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...
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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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One of our core needs as moms is 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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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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It's all about the heart. This is what enabled me to see my daughter as an "An Amazing Treasure." 'A Mother's Heart' is not talked about in the parenting books. Most parenting books focus on giving you tools and techniques to get through the teenage...
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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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Mothers have an amazing skill. Since your daughter was a baby you have learned how to tune in to her every look, movement, and sound she's ever made. By the time your daughter is a teenager, your 'tuning in' skill is highly developed. Now, it...
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What do you worry about? If you haven't worried about anything this past week, then don't read this article. But I'm guessing you have. :) Even the most enlightened and spiritual will find themselves in a state of worry. We worry about different things. We worry about...
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Do you need a vacation from the Holidays? I wouldn't be surprised if you are All Mothered Out. You know if you are All Mothered Out because...
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