Often moms are told to "not take things personally," which could be said by a well-meaning spouse. Sometimes those words are said to shut down the conversation that mom desperately needs to have. Well, that's not helpful. However in this episode we are going to...
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Do you ever wake up and wonder, "How good can the teenage years get?" or do you think, "How am I going to survive the teenage years?" Many moms just wonder how they are going to survive the teenage years. And that's no surprise since this...
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[caption id="attachment_4660" align="alignright" width="849"] Angry woman behind excited teen on mobile phone[/caption] Does your teen stress you out? If you have a normal teenager then the answer should be yes and the reason for that is where they are developmentally and I talk about the science...
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The new school year is starting soon or may have already started. Before the year takes off at full time speed, I want to discuss why intentional downtime is a big deal. With our busy schedules downtime is not going to happen naturally, you have...
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Has your teen ever said anything like, "Mom you are the only one who won't let me . . ." or "Everyone else is doing it so why can't I . . .?" If they have, congratulations you have a normal teenager. Teens from...
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Whenever I speak to moms I tell them, "This is one of the most challenging times to raise a teen." A huge reason for this is navigating through the treacherous waters of cell phones, social media, and internet with teenagers. Most parents are blind sided...
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I think what's challenging and perplexing about parenting is that your child/ teen can feel like a moving target---or you could say a growing target. You feel like you finally have mastered one stage and then your teen grows out of it and you are...
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[caption id="attachment_4443" align="alignright" width="425"] Teenage girl consoling her sad upset friend[/caption] I hear parents second guess themselves saying things like, "I wasn't hard enough on him," or " I was too soft on her." And what they are really talking about is their parenting approach in...
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[caption id="attachment_4438" align="alignright" width="400"] OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA[/caption] How do you foster your child/teen's creativity? Expressing your creativity through art, dance, writing, film and music is an excellent way to develop the teenage brain. The brain is having a major growth spurt during the teenage years. It...
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[caption id="attachment_4410" align="alignright" width="286"] Isolated portrait of beautiful black teenage girl pouting[/caption] My friend sent me a post that said, "Check on your friends with strong willed daughters. We are not ok." I laughed but what really struck me is how many thousands of moms had...
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[caption id="attachment_4406" align="alignright" width="425"] Teens having fun on the beach.[/caption] You need to be prepared when your teen has their first big break up. Parents see the worst version of their teen after a breakup. This makes it hard for you to help your teen and...
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In this episode I interview my friend and colleague Angela Caughlin, MA. Angela is an expert on how journaling can help you find your inner parenting wisdom. She has lived her message. When recently widowed she had to raise three children by herself. Angela has authored...
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Do you feel like you worry about your teen 24/7? Does your son and daughter seem to always be stressed? Ready to dial down the worry and the stress! In this episode I interview Jodi Aman, who has been a psychotherapist for over 20 years. Jodi is also...
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Has your daughter ever eaten a big bag of Cheetos and then fifteen minutes later run out of the room and screamed, "I'm so fat." Monitoring teenage girls and their food choices can be tough for moms. You can tell your daughter is struggling with her...
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Why do you need a long-term perspective when parenting a teenager? The answer comes from the final Chapter in my book, Dial Down the Drama: Reducing Conflict and Reconnecting with Your Teenage Daughter. It's important to remember that we were once teenagers and we did a...
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"How to be your daughter's (or son's) dream maker" is a complicated question. Your daughter or son may not know what they want to be when they grow up. Your son is set to get a scholarship for baseball in college but he decides his senior year...
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How Good Moms Become Drama Mamas is the title of Chapter 8 in my book Dial Down the Drama: Reducing Conflict and Reconnecting with Your Teenage Daughter. In the previous podcast (which comes from Chapter 7) I discuss why teens are hardwired for drama. However,...
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[caption id="attachment_3010" align="alignnone" width="851"] The month of May can be a stressful month for both moms and teens. What do you do when your teenage son or daughter lies on the sofa playing on their phone when they should be studying?. What is your role...
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Today's episode in my Dial Down the Drama series comes from the fifth chapter in my upcoming book that will be released this November 2015. It takes a lot of energy to protect, nurture, and guide your teenager. And this is only one facet of your...
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This episode in my Dial Down the Drama series comes from the fourth chapter in my upcoming book that will be released this November 2015. Today we are going to discuss why your clarity matters. Your clarity is huge. Without it you can't parent effectively or...
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