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… You have no patience, especially with your kids. You feel like you are going to implode if you see one...
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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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What should you expect this holiday season? What can you expect? Much is written about expectations. Don't set your expectations too high. Don't set your expectations too low. Set realistic expectations. I think there is value in each of those statements. And I have something to add. Your expectations...
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Recently a mom told me, "I'm so sick of hearing the song, It's the most wonderful time of the year, everywhere I go. Really . . . the most wonderful time of the year??? The problem is I have a teenaged daughter." Here's the deal. The...
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Get prepared for the Holidays. The shopping malls have been ready since October with decorations of shiny tinsel, red bows, gigantic wreaths, and white lights. Thanksgiving is almost here and then the busy season hits. If you are not intentional you will be swept away in the...
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I love the ocean. I enjoy the smell of the ocean, the song of the seagulls and the sound of waves crashing upon the shore. Nothing feeds my...
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Every mom wants to know that she's doing a good job. It's natural for moms to look for validation. We compare ourselves to other moms and other daughters, or we look to our daughter's behaviour for confirmation. This is a big trap for moms and is...
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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 and God knows what...
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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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Remember Cyndi Lauper's song from the 80's, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. You might remember singing that song at the top of your lungs driving to the lake with your friends when you were in high school or college. But that was along time ago...
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Your daughter is going to get upset. The question is how will you handle it? This is a hard one for moms. We hate to see our daughters unhappy, so we jump in and try to fix it, but we make it worse. Your daughter needs what...
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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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Is your happiness dependent on your daughter'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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How would you answer this question? Why is parenting your teenage daughter so challenging? Is it your daughter's attitude, defiance, rebellion, mood swings, and rude behavior? Is it her not obeying you or procrastinating? Is it her walling off in her room and not communicating? Yes, all of these things...
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If so, how do you want this year to be different? The problem is we don't give ourselves time to ask ourselves this question or come up with the answers. Most of us never take the next step, which is developing a strategy. So what do most...
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A thriving home environment is key to having a happy, healthy, and productive home. ...
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Summer is starting to fade away, and the reality hits us. Another school year is upon us. For many mothers the first day of school is a happy day. You get your time and space back. You can relax because you know your daughter is back...
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You know that your daughter needs a good night's sleep, but it's hard to implement. You tell her to go to bed, and she tells you that she has to finish her English paper. And what do you do? You cave. ...
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All moms experience weariness. The reason being 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...
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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 who had four horses on several acres of land. Her...
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