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...
Read More
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...
Read MoreToday is a continuation of last week's article "Sometimes a Manicure Won't Cut It: What Mothers Need to Feel Good." It's extremely challenging for mothers to pay attention to their needs. Here is what we tell ourself. It's selfish to focus on yourself Family comes first but your...
Read More
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...
Read MoreI 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...
Read More
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...
Read More
Are you and your partner on the same page concerning your daughter? Do you back each other up? Are you a united front? Do you have each other's back? ...
Read More
"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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
"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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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...
Read More