Are you dealing with a teen who’s slamming doors and having big emotional outbursts, who’s angry or endlessly scrolling their phone? Or a child who is indecisive, even about basic decisions? These are common behaviors for an anxious teenager. If you are parenting an anxious child, you are far from alone. You are part of a very big and growing club! If you feel guilty because you did things[...]
Parents often talk about behavior problems or strained relationships with their teenager. While there are many potential contributing factors for those issues, if your teen is stressed, tired, or worn out then anything they are struggling with will be exacerbated. If you are stressed, tired, or worn out then it can strain your relationship with your child. On the Mighty Parenting podcast, Sandy [...]
Everything is going along fine then our kids hit middle school and girl drama happens. Now there’s a daily report on who said what to whom. The big news of the day is who is mad, who is their friend, and who they sat with at lunch. While relationships are always important, the teen years are a time when girls’ friendships are essential and yet they seem to be a battleground. When teen drama [...]
Are you living with a surly teenager? An unmotivated teenager? Feeling guilty because you don’t want to spend more time with your family? Months of living with the stress of a Covid lifestyle has taken a toll on families. Parents are frustrated, simply d-o-n-e and facing parental burnout. Even when we take the time to use our stress-relief strategies, it's often not enough. And the beginning of [...]
When there’s conflict in the home, parents tend to say it’s because they have a difficult teenager. Arguments, eye rolling, tears, and the statements like, “You just don’t understand” or “You never listen” are frustrating. Parents feel like they’re walking on egg shells or always living with tension. They don’t know how to resolve the conflict. But what if you didn’t have to [...]
Teens do many things that baffle parents. We shake our heads and wonder why they do the things they do. But when they engage in risky behavior it scares us. When parents are scared we can over react or take a stance that makes things worse. Find out why our teenagers engage in risky behavior. Learn methods of dealing with those situations as well as the anxiety that is plaguing teens today. Mighty[...]
When asked what we want for our children, most parents say we want them to be happy. However, we also want them to be good, kind, responsible people. That's the premise behind Kara Kinney Cartwright's new book Just Don't Be An Assh*le: A Surprisingly Necessary Guide to Being a Good Guy. It's a straight-to-the-point conversation with our teenage sons about the unspoken rules of life. Kara brings [...]
Parenting teenagers is challenging. Pushback, arguments, silence and distancing are some of the hallmarks of this stage. One of the more challenging situations for parents comes from your teen pushing your buttons. It's like we're wearing a shirt with big pictures of buttons saying, "Push here!" They are masters at knowing what to say or do that sends our emotions into overdrive. Hunter [...]
As our boys grow up life can get strange. That little boy who loved being with you can suddenly disappear behind closed doors. We lose communication and our relationship with them suffers. Understanding boys and the changes they go through as they approach and live through puberty can help. Parents can keep a better line of communication and foster a stronger relationship with their sons. They can[...]
Ever feel like all you're doing is fighting with your teenager? Whether it's an eye roll, the exasperated tone, push back, or an actual argument, it's exhausting. Parents get frustrated and end up feeling guilty. But Laurie Warren has a different view of the situation which she's sharing with Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler. They discuss the truth about fighting and how parents can [...]