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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Every mom wants to see her daughter 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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[caption id="attachment_4923" align="alignright" width="425"] mother and daughter at home playing with jack russel[/caption] I have spent a lot of time listening to what frustrates moms. At the top of the list is not being able to communicate to their teens. When I dig down and ask...
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[caption id="attachment_4920" align="alignright" width="432"] Middle aged lady with two small puppies on a walk through the bluebells by the side of the Potamac rive[/caption] Moms have no problem being hard on themselves, but often have a hard time being kind to themselves. Moms don’t do this intentionally....
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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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It seems so simple. In your head, it's super clear. All you need her to do is clean her room. That's not asking too much. It's the least she can do. You are having guests over and you are cleaning the rest of the house, plus...
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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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The sky was deep blue, with 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...
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One of our core needs as moms is to feel appreciated. And when we don't get the appreciation from our kids or even our partners day after day after day, it affects us deeply. We can lose our motivation, our energy, our worth, and definitely...
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What do you worry about? If you haven't worried about anything this past week, then don't read this article. But I'm guessing you have. :) Even the most enlightened and spiritual will find themselves in a state of worry. We worry about different things. We worry about...
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I love being around teenagers. They have an energy and joy that's contagious. When you can get past the drama, you can see the teenager's wonderful attributes and qualities, many of which we have lost as adults. Yes, teens can be emotionally reactive but they can...
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My 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...
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Moms typically make the same mistakes. How do I know this? I am a mom and I've definitely done all three of these. I know that these mistakes created a whole new set of problems for me, and it didn't serve my daughter in any...
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If your daughter tends to be negative, don't worry; you're not the only one. Cheryl was taking my Power Your Parenting Program. On one of our calls she said, "Most of the drama happens because my daughter Abby is so negative." I asked her to give...
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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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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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What is Mother Fog? Mother Fog is when there are so many things going on at one time that you can't think clearly. This happens all the time with mothers. It's like your mind is covered with a thick, soupy, dense fog, and your thoughts, feelings, decisions,...
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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. I am...
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Your daughter is going to get upset. The question is how will you handle it? This is a hard one for moms. We hate to see our daughters unhappy, so we jump in and try to fix it, but we make it worse. Your daughter needs what...
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