Worry Right?  Somewhere along the way I got the idea that worrying about my kids made me a good mom. Because only neglectful parents walk around blissfully

The Essential Secret to a Happier Family (It’s Easier Than You Think!) Nothing says family quite like a middle-of-the-night, cruel words, wrestling your brother to

You are worth the time Confession: I’m always telling my coaching clients they need to believe they are worth the time the energy and the

All relationships take work, but your communications with your teenager can be lifesaving. The largest problems can be solved when you have a good relationship, but even the smallest problems can cause disaster when your interactions are filled with tension.

Emotional Sainthood Seriously. Have you ever responded to bad behavior with bad behavior? I certainly have.  The other day my friend called me and said,

Become a Better Parent to Your Teen Overnight Let’s be honest. It’s hard to be a teenager. It’s hard to be the parent of a

better questions Sometimes, when there’s a problem, we ask the wrong questions. We ask: Why me? How could this be happening? What is going wrong

go at your own pace One of our favorite traditions is climbing Mount Timpanogus every summer. And when Mary was 10 we decided it was

talking to teens We need to teach our teens how to talk to adults, but adults also need to be considerate when talking to teens.

the superbloom No good effort as a parent is ever wasted. Have you seen photos of the #californiasuperbloom? These are just a few photos I took

Worry OK, don’t tell my kids about this post. • This photo shows a really happy morning in San Diego, but mornings can be so

grateful One of my favorite sounds in the world is the soft rumble of the washing machine, the dryer, and the dishwasher all running at

sleep CALLING ALL PARENTS: Sure, we all love the extra hour of sleep on Sunday due to the switch to Daylight Saving Time, but did

compassion Have you noticed that we simultaneously expect too much from teens and then treat them like they are little kids? • If you think

“I hope you know I love you.” A hot June day, someone else’s kitchen, making dinner for someone else’s kids.  The two little girls crawled

talk to me My friend Taylor tells an amazing story: A son came to his father and confessed that he’d been looking at pornography. His dad gave

parenting When my oldest became a teenager I expected far too much from him, overreacted to small problems and didn’t have a clear plan for

Ski Day What do you do when you have a jampacked day and your son asks you to go skiing with him for a couple

Throwing it all in the lake The year I turned 15, my family went on vacation to Lake Powell. You’ve seen some of my photos

The Best Project You are SO worth it. And when you take better care of yourself you can take better care of the people you

so many failures, so much beauty You know about my obsession with David Austin roses, but the story of David Austin himself might be the

5 Hidden Happiness Boosts For Parents of Teens It should have been simple: grocery shopping, carpool pickup, home. The shopping went quickly and I pulled

Prove em right or prove em wrong What if Tom Brady had given up after being picked 199th in the NFL draft? This video shows

The Perks of Coaching Can I tell you a secret? Pinky promise you won’t tell? As a life coach, my main goal is to help

Treat Yourself Right You’ve worked hard, you should treat yourself, right?  Do you find it funny that it feels wise to treat yourself with a handful

What Were Your Best Surprises of 2019? It’s the end of the year, the end of a decade, and all around us we’re seeing recaps

The Happy Meal On Thursday, Mary, was doing math homework with her friend Cambell during lunch when Cambell complained she was starving and had forgotten

Ask any of my kids their top school advice and they’ll respond, “Be kind. Be kind. Be kind.” Our schools are full of overstressed, overscheduled, lonely kids who shiver for a compliment or sympathetic word. Say ‘hello’ to people in the halls, seek out lonely students at lunch, take time to talk to friends who’ve had a bad day. A stack of awards and scholarships don’t mean a thing if you haven’t made your school a happier place.

Parents are constantly told all the things they SHOULDN’T DO for their teen — deliver forgotten homework, set alarms, fold laundry. But with so much emphasis on responsibility, are we forgetting compassion?

Losing My Temper: Mother of the Year Confesses All When I refused to read my little daughter the most boring book on her shelf last