I put a lot of thought into what we'd do differently this year, given the high level of teenage anxiety, attitude, and ADHD we live with. Our system isn't perfect, but so far it seems to be working. Here are …
Author: LuAnn Kern
When Your Teenager’s Mess is Part of the Magic
My two daughters are having what will surely end up being a summer long “sleep over” in our basement where it’s cool and dark, perfect for their adolescent sleep patterns. After 5 years of trial and error, not knowing what …
Let’s Stop Sabotaging Our Conversations with Our Teens, Part 3: No Repeats
Last Tuesday, Daughter #1 informed me that she had two competing offers to babysit on Friday. I was happy for her because as a babysitter, she’s quite the catch and I was glad that others were learning that, too. I …
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Let’s Stop Sabotaging Our Conversations with our Teens, Part 2: Are You A Conversational Narcissist?
In yesterday’s post I shared some of the insights I gleaned from Celeste Headlee’s book, We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter and her corresponding TED talk. Her insight and advice is dead on and has helped me …
Let’s Stop Sabotaging Our Conversations with Our Teenagers
I’ve done it countless times. When it comes to talking with my teenage daughters, you can bet money I’ll say the wrong thing, ask the wrong question, and inadvertently cut short the promise of a satisfying conversation. Apparently I’m not the …
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Is it Bedtime Yet? How to Survive Your Teen’s Sleep Schedule
I ran into a friend the other day and we got to talking about family. I asked how the school year was going, now that her kids were in middle and high school. After the expected “all’s good” report, my …
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When your Thanksgiving doesn’t look like a Norman Rockwell painting – and that’s OK
In 1943, Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms paintings appeared in the Saturday Evening Post. Out of it came perhaps his most well-known and beloved painting, Freedom from Want. Since then, one could argue and advertisers and social media would agree, it …
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Why Our Adopted Teens Are So Stressed Out, Part 2
In Monday’s post I shared how scientists, led by Dr. Daniel P Keating, have discovered that prolonged periods of stress on a pregnant woman can affect the fetus resulting in babies that are literally born anxious. The gene that regulates …
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Why Our Adopted Teens Are So Stressed Out, Part 1
If you’re looking for it, it’s all over the news. Even if you’re not, you’ve probably seen a headline or two. Here’s the jist: Adopted teens are over-represented in mental health treatment and facilities and adoptive families are struggling to …
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What to Tell Yourself When Your Teens Aren’t Filling Your Bucket
Daughter #1: I had a good dream last night. Dad: Oh? What about? D1: I dreamt I got a puppy. A German Shepherd puppy. And I named it Timbit. Dad: Ah. That sounds like a nice dream. D1: And then …
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