For the holidays, my 17-year-old son asked for over -the-ear headphones. Knowing they were expensive, he asked us to splurge and make it his only gift. We obliged, getting a good deal on the headphones on Black Friday. He unwrapped the gift with a huge smile and immediately put them on. Now just two weeks later, I am regretting giving him this holiday gift. Last…
How my life with teens will be different in 2019
As we say goodbye to 2018, I am swearing off the behaviors that made my life and the relationships with my teens more stressful. I have had days where messy rooms launched me into a tirade and moody shoulder shrugging triggered a full out lecture. So, I am waving hello to 2019 with actions that will improve my sanity and my parent/ teen relationships. I…
What I learned as a mother this holiday season.
Well, it is Christmas, and the kids have opened all their gifts. Olivia is taking a nap before she has to get ready to go over her gramma’s house. Matthew is on the computer, and hubby is napping watching his favorite Christmas movie, DIEHARD. I have straightened up the gifts and put the house back in some sense of order and soon will be getting…
Last Minute Holiday Gifts for Teens
Okay, so there are some of us who are procrastinators and right about now are scrambling to get our holiday shopping done. Then, there are others who just want to add a gift or two to the pile. So, here are some last minute ideas for those of you trying to figure out what to get your teen for the holidays. Let’s look at a…
Is Instagram giving teenagers anxiety?
From looking at a friend’s Instagram account, I thought her daughter was having the best high school experience. Yesterday, my friend told me her daughter hates high school. The conversation made me think about the “picture perfect” lives teenagers portray on Instagram and the stress it causes. “Teenagers think everyone has a better life than they do,” my friend said to me. “It gives them…
5 Ways for parents to help their teens cope with stress
If there’s one thing we continue to hear from our readers is that we are living in the age of anxiety. We are stressed, and our teens are stressed, and as parents we want ways to help our teenagers cope with the feeling of overwhelm. Today’s guest blogger, writer Harsha Goel, weighs in with advice on how to help your teenager handle the stress of…
Is it okay to let your teen go to the Homecoming Afterparty?
High school homecoming has been the topic of major conversation, in my home lately. Actually it’s not the homecoming event itself that has become the center of dinner debate, but rather the after party. The whole idea of the after party has me crazy! Let’s start with the invite…. My son changes his mind every day about whether he is going to invite…
Teenage risk taking: How to help as a parent
Today our guest blogger John O’Leary has a lot to share with parents about teenage risk taking. With the Internet, teens are participating in all kinds of risky challenges so they can put the footage up on social media. We think John has some great tips that could help even some of us who don’t realize it. John is the author of the #1 national bestselling…
Tracking Your Teen: the controversy rages on
I track my 17-year-old son on his phone. Yes, I am one of those parents. When my son drives to school, to parties, to concerts, to friend’s home, I often look at the tracking app on my phone to know where he is or see if he is on his way home. I am grateful for these apps because by tracking him, I don’t have…
5 Fun Things to Do With Your Teenager This Weekend
As a parent, the weekends seem to fly by and I wonder what I could have done to enjoy more time with my teenager. Sometimes, I feel like I am in competition with my teenagers’ friends for their time. I am always on the hunt for fun weekend activities that my teens will want to do with me. I figured you may feel the same…