Parenting Teens: Don’t Forget Their Strengths

It’s so very easy to focus on all the challenges of parenting teenagers. Even the research shows that teens are often moody, impulsive, and have poor judgment and planning. We all know that those teenage years are stressful and awkward beyond belief for both teens and parents. Teens often get a bad rap. After recently writing a post about how to cope if […]

How to Cope if your Teenager is Arrested

Parenting Teens: How to Cope if your Teenager is Arrested First let me say that I am not an attorney. And, therefore, this article does not provide legal advice. If you need an attorney, please consult one in your area. I am a psychotherapist. I have spent 20 years working with teenagers and families in various capacities – homeless and […]

Parenting Teens: Pick Your Battles

Parenting Teens: Pick your Battles Having high expectations for your child is great. Expecting perfection is not. Parents: getting on your kid’s case about everything is a waste of your time, and more importantly, going to make your child feel bad (incompetent, ugly, ashamed). How would you feel if your husband rolled his eyes when he saw your new outfit? How […]

Why Does My Teenager Make Such Bad Decisions?

Are you wondering why your teenager makes such bad decisions? Well, you aren’t alone! Teenagers are not known for their good decision making skills. Let’s face it, most of us did some pretty stupid stuff when we were teens, too. There are many things that work against teens when it comes to decision making: Lack of life experience Belief they are invincible […]