You can feel it. This morning is different. The house is quiet. My daughter had her best friend spend the night last night and they are sleeping peacefully. The pressure is gone. It's the first day of summer. Woo Hoo!!!! My daughter couldn't wait for school to be...
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Joan just wanted to relax. She picked up her favorite book and got into bed. She had just told her 12 year old daughter Brittany to clean her room. Five minutes later her daughter starts a huge drama scene. Brittany started slamming doors and went...
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Last night I was in the middle of something when my daughter came into the room and said let's go watch a movie. I said "Give me 15 minutes." She said back to me, "You know Mom I will be gone to college in...
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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 most moms are...
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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...
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Do you wonder why you are not enjoying your life? You wanted to be a mother. On paper it looked good. You have the house, kids, work, and the husband (or no husband). You have food in the refrigerator. You tell yourself, "There are so...
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The greatest gift you can give your daughter is to believe in her. It's one thing to believe in your beautiful baby girl cooing in your arms but it's another thing to believe in your angry teenage girl who just threw the F-bomb at you. Your 'belief'...
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I was at a workshop and my mentor left us with this question. "What are you tolerating in your life?" The first thing I thought was, I've heard this before. (Like, if I heard it before then I wouldn't have to pay attention to the question.) Then...
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Yes, teen girls can be drama queens, but mom's can be drama mamas. "What are you talking about? It's my daughter's fault. She is rude, disrespectful, and defiant." I know it's easy to focus on your daughter's behavior, but it's easy for mom's to join the...
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Are you tired of the same old story? What does this mean? It means you are tired of having your life repeat the same 'story' over and over again. You feel trapped in a story you don't even want. It feels like everyone else is in...
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This week I have talked to several confused and distraught mothers. Though each situation was different they had one common denominator. These mothers dismissed their intuition and trusted others opinions over their own. Because of this, things weren't going well with their families. These...
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Sometimes the answer is no. It has to be, if you are going to protect your daughter. 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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"We get along great on vacations!" I can't tell you how many times I have heard this in my private practice. Why is it, that families (and couples) who fight all the time at home, can enjoy each other on vacations? The answer is STRESS. The Conspiracy of...
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Defining success is a tricky, especially when it comes to your teenager. If I asked you if your daughter or son was successful what would you say? Would your daughter say she is successful? These are uncomfortable questions for both you and your daughter. Here's why. This culture defines...
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I have read over 25 parenting books for teens in the past couple of years in preparation for writing my book. For a while it felt like, I'd get a package from Amazon every week. My daughter was always disappointed to see another parenting book....
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I hear this all the time...
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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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We call it multi-tasking. Women pride themselves for being able to do a million things at once. Here's my question. How's it working for you? I remember hearing a speaker say that meditation is doing one thing at a time. For mothers this seems like a luxury. It's not...
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Has your computer ever been attacked by viruses and spyware? It can drive you nuts. Your computer starts going real slow and it feels like you are waiting forever for your email to download. And the longer the virus and spyware runs, the more it...
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Have you recovered from the Holidays and the first week back to school? I wouldn’t be surprised if you are All Mothered Out. You know if you are All Mothered Out because… You have no patience, especially with your kids. You feel like you are going to implode...
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