As you may already know, communicating with teenagers is not always easy. Their conversations can be filled with one-word responses and plenty of eye-rolling. So, what’s a parent to do if they want to have a strong relationship with the teen in their life? Try to engage your teenager in activities that may naturally create bonds and spark interesting conversation:
Read moreResearch shows that teenagers with involved parents are more likely to make better decisions, stay out of trouble, and develop into successful, independent adults. However, it can be difficult for a parent to know how to be involved. When your child was young, you worked to meet all of their needs. As teens take over that responsibility, you may not
Read moreHow are you feeling about this year’s holidays? The majority of us feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Everyone, including teens, are eager to have pleasant, memorable holidays, but somehow stress and family conflict can creep in and take the joy out of the season. If one of the reasons for your holiday anxiety is because you dread the
Read moreYou might have heard that families should eat dinner together. Research indicates there are many benefits to teens whose families regularly enjoy meals together, including: Meals tend to be healthier when families sit together, so teens are less likely to be overweight and are more likely to eat healthy food. Teens who enjoy regular family meals have better grades and
Read moreYou may want your marriage to be over, but when that marriage shares children, you and your ex will inevitably be connected for a very long time. Regardless of how you feel about your ex, your role as parents require each of you to ensure that the divorce is as painless as possible for your children and to prioritize spending
Read moreWe often have great expectations for the holidays. We imagine gathering by a fire with all of our extended family, laughing and sharing special moments. Unfortunately, as we all know, that doesn’t always happen. Families can often bring stress instead. Here are some quotes from frazzled parents about family relations at the holidays: “I feel like I’m trying to take
Read moreParenting is one of the only jobs where the job description constantly changes. In the beginning years of your child’s life, parents are in charge all of the time. But as your child matures, more and more responsibility must shift from the parent to the child. By the time your child is a teenager, a parent’s job is more of
Read moreMeetings might seem like something for employees in a corporation, but experts say that holding a weekly family meeting helps families stay connected, improve communication and self-esteem, and increase problem solving. Regular family meetings, which should only last 20 to 30 minutes, can promote family harmony. There are many benefits to holding regular family meetings, such as: Improves communication (keeps
Read moreTrust is a fundamental building block of the parent-child relationship. Therefore, it can feel devastating when that trust is broken. When expectations have been established, it hurts when a parent or child acts in a way that doesn’t value those expectations. Parents can just as easily break their child’s trust as vice versa, but in this blog, we are going
Read moreParents of teens often wish that they could stop the inevitable fights. No one particularly likes conflict, and teens can be particularly infuriating. However, disagreements are a natural part of any relationship, and two people are never going to agree about everything. Conflict is simply a part of life, and children need to know how to handle it in a
Read moreSummer is rapidly approaching, and you would love the chance to take a vacation, but you’re just not sure you want to spend it with the eye-rolling, attitude-copping teen you fondly call your son or daughter. Don’t bail yet! Traveling with your teen can be a great experience, if you just follow a few guidelines: Let your teen have input
Read moreEveryone wants to feel they belong. All humans desire a connection with someone who cares and to feel they are part of something bigger than themselves. Teens are no exception; in fact, since adolescence is such a radical time of change, the need may be even more prevalent. If young people do not have their need for belonging met in
Read moreManipulation is learned by children at a young age. Toddlers realize they can control their parent’s behavior by screaming loudly, and it progresses from there. Manipulation can provide children with a sense of power because it gives them the exciting reward of causing another person to perform a desired behavior. As we develop into adults, we become more aware of
Read moreMany of us want our holidays to be something like “Miracle on 34th Street,” but somewhere along the way, it becomes more like “Nightmare on Elm Street.” Instead of experiencing the joy of giving, we find ourselves in debt. Instead of roasting chestnuts by the fire, we find ourselves too busy and stressed out to sit down. Instead of being
Read moreParents want to do the best for their children, but sometimes life gets in the way. Either we don’t know enough, or we feel exhausted and overwhelmed, or we forget our ultimate goal. The key is to always remember that a parent’s job is to raise a teen to become a responsible adult. So, that means that you can’t always
Read morePower struggles almost seem to be a way of life when a teen lives with you. Teens are in the stage of development that is designed to resist limits. Meanwhile, adults are committed to enforcing limits. It’s a natural conflict that leads to battles of control. However, it’s important to realize that the only power struggles you truly win are
Read moreWhen parents talk about their new baby, their audience will “ooh” and “aah” and smile. When parents talk about their soon-to-be adolescent, their audience will roll their eyes and groan. Teens get a bad rap. The adolescent years are a time filled with rapid change, mood swings, and growing independence, but it does not have to be a time of
Read moreEye-rolling, snide comments, laughing at your suggestions, slamming doors, discounting everything you say – sound familiar? Any parent with a teen in their house has experienced this behavior at the hands of their once sweet child. This is a very difficult time for parents, but part of adolescence is finding their identity, separating from their parents, and riding a roller
Read moreResearch consistently shows that teens with involved parents are more likely to do better in school and less likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as drugs, crime and sex. That sounds great, but anyone who has ever had a teenager (or preteen) in their household knows that “staying involved” with them is no easy task. Clearly building open and
Read moreThe holiday season has somehow changed from the spirit of giving to the spirit of excessive spending. During this period of recession and financial uncertainty, it is not a good time to increase debt or spend beyond our means. Although creating a meaningful holiday without spending too much may feel impossible, there are ways to make the people in your
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