I wrote this article 3 years ago while I was a resident mom for a 3 week international summer dance intensive in Pittsburgh. My daughter who was 15 years old at the time was too young to stay in the dorm by herself. The only...
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Do you believe in a mother's intuition? If you do believe in this intuition, do you act on it? 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...
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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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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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Have you ever complained, "My husband won't stop and ask for directions." Then you go on to say, "We wasted an hour driving all over town. If we had stopped--it would have taken us 5 minutes and we'd been there on time." But moms, we're guilty...
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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 to talk...
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It can get really complicated parenting a teenage girl. That's why parenting techniques often feel insufficient and ineffective. It was definitely easier to discipline when she was little. If your little princess didn't want to clean her room you could give her a choice. "Sweetie, I'm...
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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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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...
Read MoreMy 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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"I am going to make straight A's this year". "This year I am going to get in shape and lose 20 pounds." "I am going to finish my book this year." "This year things are going to change with my husband." "I am going to quit my job and...
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What do you do when you have had 'one of those weeks'? You know the kind of week I am talking about. It's the kind of week where you thought you had it figured out. You thought you were ahead of the game. It was...
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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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Shelly is an active mom and has one daughter in middle school. Shelly came to my office extremely upset. She had just gotten her phone bill. Her 7th grade daughter had sent three thousand texts in the past month and most of them were from midnight...
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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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(What the hec does that mean?) My family loves to tell stories. One of these stories is about my sister when she was 13. My dad, sister and I were down at Memorial Park in Houston. We had hiked down to Buffalo Bayou. The bayou is...
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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....
Read MoreSometimes 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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