‘I don’t need your help’
How often do you do this with your teen? You see them doing something that logically you know they could get hurt, emotionally, physically, whatever. You go to reach out to them with help, and they don’t want it. In that moment, you feel hurt and rejected, and maybe you internalize it, or maybe you […]
‘I know you better than you know yourself’
STOP! You will never know what your child is thinking or feeling because you’re not them. I know you love your teen and you want the very best for them. And it’s really hard to watch them struggle. Here’s the thing. When you constantly tell them that you know them better than they know themselves, […]
2020 – The Gift in Sandpaper
I hope you and your family enjoyed Christmas together, making the most of our current situation. Thankfully we’ve just passed the shortest day in the longest year in history, so we’re on our way to brighter days. Read to the end and I’ll share my secret for putting Christmas gifts away! But first, here’s a […]
Traditions Are What You Make Them
It’s the turkey factor. Christmas isn’t Christmas without turkey dinner, right? Truth be told I’ve never made a turkey dinner and using an oven for that many dishes that all need to be ready at the same time boggles my brain. It’s not even my favourite meal. You want a Thai coconut curry veggie dish, […]
Supporting Your Teen Through Mental Health Challenges
For heaven’s sake, toughen up. If your teen had been with you when you were young, they’d never survive! Bullying and name calling were leadership skills (on and off the school grounds) and no one was coming running if you felt offended or triggered. You survived so much worse…minus social media and a global pandemic. […]
Top 5 Apps and Tips to Reduce Stress and Anxiety in the dumpster fire of 2020
This pandemic isn’t your average day-to-day exhaustion. Getting your teen out of bed for online school they hate or the constant nagging to complete homework assignments they don’t seem to care about is wearing you down. Add in protocols making everyday tasks feel epic, working from home with constant interruption and financial stresses, and your […]
7 Ways to Survive a Christmas Quarantine
Family – people who bring familiarity and comfort, while pushing all your buttons at the same time. Travelling on winter roads or formerly packed airplanes was never actually fun anyway. Even a few days with your parents in their ‘82 degree sweat lodge’ on the blow-up mattress in the den that sprung a slow leak […]
The Mental Health diagnosis – our journey with anxiety
Until they were VERY different. My son had an obsessive level of focus by 18 months old. He wasn’t playing with his toys, he was watching how they worked – the way the wheels turned and how those wheels contacted various surfaces. He would use his toys to do the same 3-4 repetitive movements….for 2 […]
Do you parent fairly or equally?
A few years in, I realized that experiment was a terrible choice. I had two very different children that required different parenting. By treating them equally, I wasn’t giving them what they needed most from me. Different isn’t better or worse. It simply means different. For example, my oldest was very quiet, compliant, thoughtful, and […]
Why Disciplining Your Teen Isn’t Working
When your teen makes a mistake, it may have more serious consequences than a few years earlier. As a parent, you feel like you’re losing your mind, stranded between the role of friend and dictator, and frustrated by the ineffectiveness of both. Why does this feel so complicated?! When your default ways don’t work and […]