Raising resilient teens is something so many parents and teachers care about, yet it isn’t always clear how to help. Teens often aren’t sure how to handle big emotions, let alone the everyday stress of school, friendships, and growing up. Resilience is a must, and the good news is that there are real steps you…
Racing thoughts can make life feel busy, out of hand, and overwhelming, even when nothing around you is actually wrong. Many people struggle with recurring thoughts of worry and stress that get in the way of sleep, school, work, and relationships. For others, it’s extreme fear, panic, and even anxiety attacks. Many feel like they…
What if we told you that exercise for anxiety could help your mind and your body at the same time? Anxiety does not only live in your thoughts. It can also show up in your body as aches and pains, stiff muscles, tension headaches, and exhaustion. The good news is there is a way to…
People pleasing can look a lot like kindness from the outside. Do you find yourself saying yes every time someone asks for your time, a favor, or even money? Do you find it hard to say no, and feel guilty when you finally do? In an article for Psychology Today, Amy Morin describes how people…
Poor grades can turn a peaceful home into a daily battleground. The pressure to bring home good grades often leads to constant tension and frustration for both the parent and the teen. You want your teen to succeed and feel confident about their future. Most of the time, though, teens under this kind of pressure…
Teen mistakes can feel enormous, both to the teens making them and to the parents watching. It helps to remember the bigger picture: life is this incredible, beautiful process of figuring out who we are, what we want, and the people we want in our lives. We may search our entire lives to find out…
Teen dating can feel like something everyone else is doing, especially when you have those friends who always seem to be in a relationship. When you’re the only single friend, it can be hard to be around couples who seem so blissfully happy. If you’re constantly surrounded by couples, it’s easy to slip into the…
Connecting with your teen often starts with a story. By nature, we are all storytellers, and we all have memories we love to share. We share the moments that helped make us who we are, hoping they will help us connect. Teens, though, often tune out these conversations, especially if they have heard the story…
If you are searching for parenting tips for teens, you have probably heard this one before: “They said it would get easier. They said it would be fun.” I don’t know who “they” are, but parenting teens in this generation isn’t close to being easy. The reality is that teens can be draining. As they…
If you have been searching for how to motivate your teen, chances are you have already tried pushing. Many of us believe that if we push hard enough, motivation will follow. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Pushing can leave teens feeling broken down and unsure of their own voice. Encouragement tends to do…
Teen acceptance is something every young person is looking for, whether it comes from friends, teachers, coaches, or you. As parents, it is hard to know how to support our kids as they begin to really embrace more independence. Sometimes we want to point out to our teenagers that what they are doing is not…
