Brianna Barrett

As the year dwindles, I’m holding tightly to the moments in the car on the way to and from school each day. This is the last semester I will be driving him to school, not only will I not get to spend that added time with him, but I’m going to miss the talks we have in the car. When my teen gets in the car, he starts talking—not one-word answers or incomprehensible sounds, but full-on talking until we get home. We’ve worked on our relationship together to be able to communicate better. As a mom, there are times I want to fix all his problems, but I’ve found that most of the time he just wants a sounding board. He wants

When I was growing up, the family joke was that my parents would be able to identify me by my palm (because as a teen I would ask for money with my hand open). Now, we can say we can identify our children by the tops of their heads bent over their phones. Have you ever been talking to someone and noticed they are only half paying attention to you and are staring intently at their phones? If you have a teenager, I’m sure you’ve experienced it. The person is focused on their device while ignoring you—a person in close contact with them. Welcome to the season of phubbing. Phubbing is defined as “the act of ignoring someone you are with and

Motherhood at any stage is a joyful experience, yet with each stage comes its own challenges. We’ve moved from diapers to building blocks to car keys in the blink of an eye. Parenting a teen is similar to dancing: the music changes often, and we can either change with the music or sit it out. I have found joy in choosing to adapt to the music, and meeting my son right where he is, in that moment. Meeting My Teenage Son Where He’s At Even though life seems to rush at us with so much to do, I love being able to share it with my son. Meeting him where he is has allowed me into his world. He shares his hurts

This morning, during our 12-mile ride to school, my son shared with me some disturbing behavior that he witnessed at school. I let my son talk freely. One of my favorite times of the day is when we are in the car going to and from school. We have had the best conversations during those times, discussing situations and circumstances that we face. I treasure that time together; it’s a safe place to share and be an active listener. As a parent, it is sometimes hard to just listen. During that time, I strive to allow him to speak and share what he is wrestling with and things that are going on in his life and his friends’ lives. It’s been a