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 soul like the ocean. Last week it was still warm so I went to the beach. I watched one...
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I just got back from an amazing vacation with my family in Kauai. And one thing about having a 27-year-old daughter is that she will keep you honest and point out things that you have been ignoring. What I have been ignoring is my bathing suit....
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Can your 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 a key to having a happy, healthy, and productive home. What...
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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 and...
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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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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 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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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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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...
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"How do I get my daughter 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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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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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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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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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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Every mom wants to see her teen making 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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There are physiological reasons why exercise decreases drama. I know when I exercise consistently I am more patient and pleasant to be around. The same is true for your teenager. Consistent exercise, especially cardio, decreases stress and therefore will decrease drama. The Problem is current trends...
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When I was a teen there were no smartphones; we only had landlines. This meant that if I was going to talk to my boyfriend, I had to s t r e t c h the telephone cord as far as I could to get...
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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 redbuds were out and some of...
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