Break Free From Holiday Shame: Healthy Parenting Tips for a Peaceful Season
If you’re like me, your family holidays are a mix of cherished traditions—matching pajamas, decorating the tree, binge-watching classic movies—and the unspoken expectations that turn festive gatherings into emotional minefields. One of the biggest sources of conflict? Outdated parenting methods that once felt “normal” but now leave you fuming when extended family direct them at […]
Boundaries vs. Expectations: How to Motivate Your Teen and Reduce School Stress
Struggling with your teen’s school challenges can feel like a never-ending battle. They don’t finish their homework, avoid responsibilities, and push back against every rule you set. You’re trying your best to guide them, but nothing seems to stick. Here’s a question that could transform your approach: Are you setting boundaries or imposing expectations? It’s […]
Learning and Mental Health Assessments: What Parents Need to Know
Advocating for your teen with learning or behavior challenges is no small feat. If your child struggles with mental health issues, neurodiversity, or both, you’ve probably felt the emotional weight of explaining their needs, over and over, to teachers, administrators, or even family members. Starting the process to get an assessment may feel like the […]
ADHD Medication Battles: Why Teens Refuse and How Parents Can Help
When your teen refuses to take their ADHD medication, it often feels like it’s you and the doctor against them, battling over what’s best. You’re seeing firsthand how the lack of medication affects their sleep, motivation, impulsivity, and emotional regulation, while they complain about being constantly tired, anxious, and unable to focus. Yet, when it […]
Sacrificing Authenticity for Safety at Home: Why Emotional Safety Matters
Few things in life are more complicated, more emotionally charged, than family, especially during holidays or milestones. This past Thanksgiving, I realized something major: I finally let go of who I thought I had to be and embraced who I am. Using a sports analogy, here’s what I mean… Imagine I come from generations of […]
The Grades Are In—Why Your Teen Still Isn’t Motivated (And What to Do About It)
The school year is underway, test results are posted, and here you are again…, …bracing for a report card that’s not what you’d hoped for. The same patterns are showing up— 👎🏻your teen is still struggling to get up on time 👎🏻assignments are missing 👎🏻 and the emails from teachers about poor attendance and grades […]
Parenting Through ADHD and Autism: My Son’s Inspiring Graduation Journey
Last Friday, I thought I’d wake up excited, ready to celebrate. Instead, I found myself sobbing uncontrollably before breakfast. It felt like I was standing at the finish line of an emotional marathon, trying to process everything it took to get there. My son, now 23, was graduating from post-secondary school with a diploma in […]
Transform Teen Outbursts into Calm, Productive Conversations
If you’ve ever tried to reason with your teen during an argument, you’ve probably noticed it doesn’t go as planned. Instead of calming down or listening to your wisdom and logic, they get more frustrated, or shut down. It feels like you’re speaking two different languages—and in a way, you are. Here’s the thing: the […]
Why Your Encouragement Isn’t Motivating Your Teen—and What to Do Instead
If you’ve been sharing “motivational” hints with your teen, only to watch them do less—and pull away more—you’re not alone. You’re trying to help, offering support, yet your teen seems unmotivated. They’re letting important tasks, like school, go unnoticed. Why does your encouragement lead to less effort, more frustration, and a sense of helplessness for […]
End the Morning Battle: Help Your Teen Wake Up On Time
Is every morning a struggle to get your teen out of bed? You’re already tired because your brain decided to rethink your life at 3:30am, again, then you burn through your remaining capacity by 8am because your teen’s a lazy sloth! What if your teen took responsibility for getting up, you saved your mental capacity […]