Teenagers know what pressure is! Just try it, it will be fun. Are you really going to wear that? Hey, did you hear that Joe's parents are out of town Saturday. OMG! We have to do that again! Do it, or I'll tell everyone what a poser you are! You can't say things like that if you are … Continue reading The Pressure of Being a Teenager
How would you complete the sentence, "Parenthood is......"? http://www.hulu.com/watch/130059/parenthood-parenthood-is?c=0:165 It is pretty amazing, isn't it? Becoming a parent immediately changes you. From that moment forward, you put your child's needs ahead of your own. Parenting is one of the few things that can make you strive to be the best person you can be. Sometimes, it … Continue reading The Practice of “Still Lake” in Parenting Your Teen
It is just another Monday. A mom takes her kids to school, does a few hours of work, runs an errand, and then heads back to the school to pick her kids up at the end of the day. She arrives at the junior high and her daughter is about 20 minutes late. Then, she … Continue reading Hearing Is Not the Same as Listening to Your Teen
Recently, I shared some bad news with a good friend of mine and she sent me this video. The video served two purposes: (1) She wanted me to know that she would stand by me through the hard times and (2) she wanted to communicate how important it was for me to stand by others. … Continue reading Stand By Teens When They Make Mistakes
Identity development is one of the most fundamental tasks teens face. It is during this time that they are most likely to try on different aspects of their personality as they work to figure out who they are and who they want to become. Your teen will grow and develop. Some characteristics will stay the … Continue reading The Search for Identity: Who Am I? What Am I Committed To? What Am I Afraid Of?
Consider this scene After many moves and years of hanging onto "keepsakes", the Smiths are cleaning the basement in preparation for a garage sale. The two kids have been told that they can keep part of the profits if they help with both the preparation and sale of the items. The day before the garage … Continue reading Raising a Teen Can Feel Like Being in an Arena with a Matador
Years ago I attended a Tony Robbins conference. It was a pretty intense three days and over the years, one of the biggest things that stuck with me was the idea that fear is crippling. Imagine walking into a room with about 350 other people, and hearing someone say, “You are going to walk on … Continue reading Parenting From Fear Can Be Crippling
Picture this dialogue…. Daughter: “Mom, I can’t go to school today!” (Stomping down the stairs) Mom: Hugging her, mom says, “Why? Are you feeling ok?” Daughter: “Are you kidding? Look at my hair....I can’t go to school looking like this! Can you imagine what my friends will think when I walk in looking like this!” … Continue reading Understanding & Motivating the Middle School Student
Shelly D Mahon, Ph.D. 