Can your son or 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 a happy, healthy, and productive...
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I remember when I was 8 months pregnant when an acquaintance came up to me and said, Is this your first? I said, "YES" in a happy voice. With a smirky grin, she said, "You just wait!!!!!!!!" Several years ago someone asked me how old my daughter was...
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I know there are moms who have been counting the days till their teen moves out of the house and goes to college. And may even feel giddy with excitement till they can push their teens out the door. But actually, it is rare that moms...
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Have you ever wondered if your teen was depressed? If you have, you're not alone. New York Times released this in February of 2023, "Nearly three in five teenage girls felt persistent sadness in 2021, double the rate of boys, and one in three girls seriously...
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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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I live in Texas. Everyone in Texas rides a horse, right? (Well, maybe not in Houston.) One weekend I was visiting my sister in Austin. We went to see some friends who lived outside of Austin and had four horses on several acres of land. Her...
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We call it multi-tasking. 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...
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It 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...
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I feel like I had the best dad in the world. I knew he wasn't perfect but he never pretended to be. He gave me so many gifts growing up and was my rock through my turbulent teenage years. The most invaluable gift he gave me...
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On May 23, 2023, the Surgeon General Issued New Advisory About the Effects Social Media Use has on Youth Mental Health. (This article is worth your read https://bit.ly/3oVocsN) The advisory states, "Recent research shows that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social...
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When 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, the reality is a bit different. That disconnect can lead to family drama, which is no one's idea...
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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 teen thought that summer would never come, and the finals and projects would never stop. She'd daydream about going...
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Do you think it’s possible to parent teens without anger? Our guest today thinks so. Renée Mill is a senior clinical psychologist, author, and corporate speaker who is passionate about helping people overcome anxiety and stress. With over 20 years of experience, she has become a...
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Last week Sara came in to see me at 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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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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Take the 12-day challenge! I want you to feel good for Mother's Day. This is my gift to you. ...
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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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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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