Power Your Parenting: Moms With Teens

Moms have no problem being hard on themselves, but often have a hard time being kind to themselves. Moms don’t do this intentionally. It happens by default, because we are taking care of everyone else's needs we forget and don't take the time to care for our own needs. This is not very kind. My last episode was on expectations. Because we live in a culture of perfectionism we are often striving af...

This episode focuses on expectations and parenting. To be human is to have expectations. Our expectations can help us feel hopeful. They can help us get through hard times and transitions. But they can also cause parents a lot of pain and be the impetus for drama. Recently, one mom told me, "I have been so much happier lately. Since I have adjusted my expectations, things have been so much better ...

This episode is about, Gratitude: Are You Feeling It? Even though Thanksgiving is just a few days away, this podcast is about (way) more than just Thanksgiving, this info is relevant 365 days a year. In this episode we will talk about why gratitude is good for us. It’s the gateway to true joy and even miracles. We’ll explore why being grateful is challenging at times and definitely not our natural...

In this episode I discuss How to Keep Your Teens Safe Online. with Diana Graber. Snapchat, Instagram, Fortnite, cyberbullying, sexting, and technology addiction are some of the digital concerns that keep today’s parents up at night.  Moms toss and turn, worry, second guess themselves about their rules and boundaries about all things digital. This is why I brought in an expert in the field to addre...

Today we are going to look at parenting, through the lens of experience. There are many lenses in which we can examine parenting, like mindset. Today we will focus on the lens of experience. The goal of this podcast is to dial up thriving positive experiences with your family and dial down the negative ones by becoming aware of several X-factors that rob you of enjoying the teenage years. This is...

In my work I talk a lot about how to prevent and dial down the drama. A crucial part of this is how to repair the relationship after the conflict or the big blow up. And the good news is that you can repair the relationship. The first step is to give a sincere apology. And this can be challenging for teens. Have you ever asked your teen for an apology and got, "SORRY" or "SORRY you think I’m an id...

Today we are going to talk about how to help your teen figure out what's next after High School. Are there any moms out there that have teens who have no idea what they want to do after High School? I'm sure a lot of you do. Have you noticed how much drama comes from questioning or talking with your teen about the future? I frequently see these big decisions, like, what am I going to do after high...

Okay, in this podcast we are going to get real. Is it possible to be happy and be a mom of a preteen or teenager? And when I say happy, I mean are you truly happy? One definition of happy says, "feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation." Do you feel pleasure and enjoyment in your life? Do you feel pleasure and enjoyment from being a mom? Many moms don't, and it is a source of...

It's hard to say "no" to an angry, upset, or demanding teen. Moms often feel pushed in the corner and begrudgingly say "yes." But when we do that it's not in the best interest of your teen or you. How do you feel when you say "yes" to your teen when you really wanted to say "no." I know from personal experience and from listening to thousands of moms that it doesn't feel good. You second guess you...

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 explore "it’s not personal." My intention is not to minimize mom's experience, it is to help protect mom's heart and energy. "Taking t...

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 is one of the most challenging times to parent teens.  The problem is, human beings have a propensity to remember only the negative. We can forget that we have...

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 behind that in the podcast.  So yes your teen will stress you out. The better question is how often does your teen stress you out and to what degree? In other words whats the intensity of the stress you feel. In this episo...

Today we are going to talk about the "4 Steps to Creating the Routine You Want". This is crucial to establish routines that work for you and your family this new school year.  It's easy to think that you are starting your year off with a blank slate, but it is never a blank slate. Here’s why. The truth is that the same issues and struggles that drove your crazy last year are going to reappear this...

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 to be intentional. Downtime is a pressure-free zone. It's non-productive time. There is no competition or comparing yourself to others . There is no press...

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 all over the planet use tactics like these to try to manipulate you to get their way. In this episode will look at the  many different tactics that teen use. These teenage tactics only wor...

In this episode we'll discuss why curiosity makes you a better human being and parent. You’ll learn how healthy curiosity dials down the drama, and improves your relationship with your teen.  Healthy curiosity is the secret ingredient to a well-lived life. Curiosity makes us feel alive, leads to more happiness, boosts achievement and creativity, expands our empathy and strengthens our relationship...

I hope that Mothers' Day was all that you hoped it would be. But if you ended up  disappointed, you are definitely not the only one. Heres the problem with Mother's day. I think you come to that day with huge expectations that your kids and partner will somehow make up for everything that was not right in the past year. Realistically on Mother's Day you are still dealing with teen issues and are i...

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 with their teens about all thing digital because we didn’t go through this when we were teens. It feels like the iPhone has been around forever b...

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 up against the next stage. This new phase  has new dynamics to figure out and its own set of perils. Every time you turn a corner, there is new terrain t...

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 regards to discipline. The challenge about parenting is "one approach doesn't fit all." I have seen parents come into my private practice baffled because the first two kids sailed through the teenage years with...

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 is a season where you use it or lose it, meaning that neurons that are not used wither away. Neurons that are used wire into the teenage brain. It is the easies...

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 shared it. Obviously it struck a chord.  A strong willed daughter has an upside and then the shadow or dark side. Think of it as different sides of the same coin.  Really we want a strong willed daughter. Strong: Having great...

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 console them. They are angry and shut down. They can lash out at you. They are edgy and negative. They lose their motivation. They don't want to pick up their room, do their chores, or their homework.    Helping your son...

Why is it that you can be a CEO of a company and feel on top of the world and yet a sassy teenager can bring you to your knees. Why is it that moms of middle school and high school teens rarely wake up and think, "Wow, I am a successful mom. I'm rocking it with these teens." What is a successful mom? The important question is who or what is answering the question. There is a cultural definition of...

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 four books on different aspects of journaling.  Angela is an Integrative Coach, which means she uses a holistic approach that int...