We call it multitasking. Women pride themselves on being able to do a million things at once. Here's my question. How's it working for you? My guess is that it's not working that well. Something is going to be compromised. It's not just that we are doing several...
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The fourth of July is a day to celebrate our country's freedom. How about you? Do you need a little freedom? How about a little emotional freedom, especially when it comes to your daughter's drama? Your teen can be happy, angry, sad, stressed, and hyper in a five-minute...
Read MoreIt can drive you nuts. There she is lying on the sofa being a couch potato while you are running around trying to get your work done. Summer, for lots of moms, is more work when the kids are at home. We don't want our kids...
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"How do I get my teen to listen to me?" This is the big question for moms of teens. It seems so easy, right? You tell your daughter what seems reasonable, and you want her to listen to you. But actually, we want more. We want...
Read MoreWhen you are the parent of a teen, the fantasy of summer break includes both laughs shared in the sunshine and industrious kids getting work done. Often, reality is a bit different. That disconnect can lead to family drama, which is no one's idea of...
Read MoreThe 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-year activities. Your teen thought that summer would never come, and the finals and projects would never stop. She'd daydream about going...
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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. What...
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How many of you feel like parenting a tween or teen is hard? The day-to-day can feel exhausting. Sometimes this season of parenting feels like it will never end. That feeling – like the drama and chaos will never let up - can be so disheartening. This...
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If I were to ask you, "How much do you feel appreciated on a scale of 1 to 10 by your kids, husband, partner, friends, family, or work?" What would you say? I have talked to plenty of moms who feel they were appreciated at...
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All moms experience weariness. The reason is that we are fighting the good fight for our family. We give and give and give. And often, we don't spend the necessary time replenishing all that we pour out onto those we care about. Often, this is...
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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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Every mom wants to see her teen make 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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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 time. ...
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Exercise is a necessity for all teens, not just the superstars. This is foundational for their physical and emotional health. There are many benefits to exercise, which go far beyond the quest for the perfect body. Better school performance. Exercise not only strengthens our muscles, but it also...
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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 red buds were out, and some...
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Defining success is tricky, especially when it comes to your teenager. Would you say your teen is successful? Would you say your teen was successful? These are uncomfortable questions for both you and your teen. Here's why. This culture defines success in terms of ranking from the highest to...
Read MoreI 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 also...
Read MoreYou are going to love this episode. Today we are going to dive into a teenager's emotional life. I think what makes parenting teens so challenging is dealing with their intense emotions. Sometimes you're the target of their emotional storms and sometimes they turn their...
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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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