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 …
Category: Adolescent Development
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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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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What’s the Cost of Listening to Your Teenager?
Three weeks. Three weeks of averting my eyes as I walked past them every day. Three weeks of watering the pots that sat on the mulch and rocks, just inches away from the bed that would eventually be their home. …
The Ripples You Need for Parenting Your Adopted Teen
“Do you need the girls to sleep over so that you two can have some time alone?” my friend asked. It wasn’t the first time she’d offered. Or the first time I’d accepted. Like any house with teenagers, hers has …
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Learning the Hug Language of Your Adopted Teen
He held his arms wide and motioned for me to step inside. My husband knew I needed a hug. I gladly accepted and moved into his embrace, exhaling. It had been a hard day, physically and emotionally, and it was …