Teenagers

Middle school is one of the most emotionally-charged seasons in every human’s life. Bringing up this rite of passage, from elementary age to high school, is always a good way to create lively conversation between adults. Although it’s a season of life that most of us are glad to leave behind, there’s just something about sharing those vivid, awkward memories of middle school anxiety that make us both laugh and cringe at the same time. However, the mother of a child in the midst of middle school anxiety needs every little bit of help available when she sends her “just yesterday they started school” child out the door…knowing full well that today might possibly be the day that her sweet baby is

Moms, are you dreading those teen years? You’ve gone from 2 to 6 to 10 years old at lightning speed, which makes you know  those terrifying years in a child’s life will be on you before you finish fixing dinner. There are books on handling this age and podcasts that help parents navigate this season, and while those are helpful, the best way to deal with your teenager is what you do before they get there. What you’ve instilled before that season and the relationship you’ve built will see you through these wonderful, albeit challenging, years. Before I step into the list of things you must do now, I want to assure every parent of this: While ages 13-18 create many unique

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

You don’t have to be a cool mom. How freeing is that statement? I think that somewhere in the midst of childrearing we forget that our goal is not to be our kid’s best friend, or to be cool. My mom was cool. However, I would not have said that when I was an adolescent. I specifically remember being mortified when she dropped me off at school in our minivan with wooden paneling on the side that I was sure everyone noticed. She also sent me to school with a reusable lunchbox when all the cool kids had brown paper bags. I remember hiding my lunchbox while walking into the cafeteria because I knew everyone was looking at it. She also had rules. I had to be

When my daughter hit puberty she moved straight into her room. It seemed dramatic and overnight, not a gradual release. One day I can’t get a minute alone and the next I hardly know she lives here—except for all the half-filled cups she leaves all over the house. One day she drones on and on about horses, YouTubers, recess, and pizza in the cafeteria, and the next she answers with as few syllables as possible. I do my best to lure her out from her room with the promise of her favorite foods or movies, but mostly she retreats. Some days I hear music, and other days I hear power tools from behind her closed door. She rearranges. She paints her nails.