I love being around teenagers. They have an energy and joy that's contagious. When you can get past the drama, you can see their wonderful attributes and qualities, many of which we have lost as adults. Yes, teens can be emotionally reactive but they can also be...
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One of the quickest ways to connect with your daughter is through laughter. But let's be honest. Does your daughter's silliness and playfulness drive you nuts sometimes? You want her to be serious about...
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A garden flourishes when it has the proper balance of all the elements; the same applies to your teenage daughter. Most of this is not news to you. You know that in order for your daughter to blossom, she needs to eat healthy, get plenty of...
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Have you ever felt the wall? You know the wall between you and your daughter. It's obvious when the wall is up. It feels icy. She glares at you. She walks past you in the hall. She is walled off in her room. You force her talk but...
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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...
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You are just trying to be helpful and you say, "You aren't going to learn anything if you are on facebook, texting, and watching You Tube videos while you are trying to study for your test." You go on to say, "If you want to...
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I am not a morning person. It's 7:30 am and I am getting my annual Mammogram at the Woman's Hospital. Babs was giving me my Mammogram and she was very talkative. She definitely did her job and kept me completely distracted with her philosophy of life. It was...
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My daughter is so stubborn. She argues about everything. She won't listen to anything I say. If I say one thing, she blows a gasket. I'll ask her about her day and all she says is fine. She's so disrespectful. It's like she's in her own little world. Do any of these...
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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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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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"This year I'm not going to be exhausted and stressed all the time." "This year I am going to get in shape and lose 10 pounds." "This year I am going to finish my book." "This year things are going to change with my husband." "This year I am...
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It's important to be aware of what truly replenishes you. Here's why. When your body is low on "I Feel Good" energy, it protests. Unconsciously you feel, "I deserve some reward. This isn't fair. I'm not having any fun. I hate how I feel." On automatic...
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Lights are twinkling in our neighborhoods and holiday music is playing everywhere. The holiday season is here. I was reminded of one of my favorite Christmas songs when I was little, "All I want for my Christmas is my two front teeth...
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The teenage brain is under major reconstruction during the teenage years. There is a window of opportunity to "use it or lose it." What this means is that the brain is doing some major pruning of brain cells. If you use these brain cells these neural...
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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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(What does that really mean?) 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...
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In Daring Greatly, Brene Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, defines shame as "the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging." I define Mother Shame as the persistent...
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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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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...
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