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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It's that time of year again. You pull out the Christmas and holiday decorations. You start planning and coordinating with your family about the holidays. They decide Christmas or Hanukkah should be at your house this year. You make sure that your yard and your...
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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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You want the best for your teen. You want her in the best school, taking the best classes. You want her involved and developing her abilities and skills. You want her to be challenged and all this is important for her brain development. But there is...
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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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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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What did you appreciate about your dad when you were in high school? The reason I ask you this question is to give you perspective on how dads impact our teens by looking at how your dad impacted you in high school. Its sometimes hard to...
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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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[caption id="attachment_5294" align="alignright" width="425"] mother and daughter at home playing with jack russel[/caption] As you start a new semester, I want to encourage you--What You're Doing Matters! It's easy to feel like what you're doing does NOT matter, because it can feel like a thankless job, you're...
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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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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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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 key to having a happy, healthy, and productive home. What is...
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A thriving home environment is key to having a happy, healthy, and productive home. What is a thriving home environment? A thriving home environment is all the circumstances, conditions, or factors that enable and encourage your family to thrive. Your daughter can be fabulous, but if she...
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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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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
"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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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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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 in...
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What is a thriving home environment? A thriving home environment is all the circumstances, conditions, or factors that enable and encourage your family to thrive. Your daughter can be fabulous, but if she is planted in stressful or negative soil she is not going to thrive. I...
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