You might be surprised at this last part of my blog series, “10 Ways to Push Your Teen Away.” We are going to wrap it all up with a pretty bow called affection. I think the reason some might be surprised is because it has never crossed their mind the importance of showing affection to your teen. In fact, for some parents it might actually feel very uncomfortable. And then for other parents, they get the sense that their teen doesn’t want affection. In fact, you might be outright rejected when you attempt to give a hug. But don’t let … Continue reading →

Teens are…. well, teenagers. One minute they can be on top of the world, impressing you and making you proud. The next minute they are rebelling, and shaming themselves and even you. They mess up. Sometimes they mess up big. We have to remember however, that we all mess up, and they are just a reflection of us. As their parents, it is our job to get them through their issues without minimal long-term damage. In dealing the dirtier, grittier, messier parts of raising teens, we have to remember to not take their mis-steps personal. When we internalize their mistakes, … Continue reading →

She’s 13 years old. She ignores me when her friends are around. She doesn’t laugh at my jokes, and has officially informed me that I am tone-deaf. Still she is the most important girl in my life. She is my daughter. We bonded immediately after she was born; probably even before that. We have always spent as much time together as possible, but as she get’s older, I find that I need to be more creative in finding reasons to bond. Fortunately, I think she is being creative too. For Christmas, my daughter purchased a manicure set and allowed me … Continue reading →

We had to wash dishes by hand. They have dishwashers that they won’t even load without a fight. We typed our term papers by hand and used white out. They use laptops and can create flawless papers with a little effort. We had to work with teachers after school if we didn’t understand a concept. They can use Google and Wikipedia as their tutors. We carried nickels and dimes so we could call home in case of an emergency, if we could find a payphone. They can connect to us and their friends instantly with their cell phones. We had … Continue reading →