Teenagers
A Casino in Their Pockets
I’ve been a psychotherapist long enough to watch technology change the way our kids grow up. First MySpace and Facebook. Then smartphones, Instagram, and TikTok. Somewhere along the way, the internet stopped being something our kids logged onto. It became something...
The Door That Kept the Years
There is a door in my house that desperately needs to be repainted. But I refuse. It’s the door in my middle son’s old bedroom. It is dingy, marked up, and definitely not something you’d find in a home décor magazine. But for years, it was where my kids measured...
When College Doesn’t Feel Like Home Yet
It’s almost October, which means it’s about that time. Time for college kids to get homesick. This week, a freshman client told me point blank: “I’m so homesick.” I asked what she missed most. “Honestly? Not my parents. We talk all the time. I miss my bed, my...
Be The Porch Light
I went to visit my oldest last weekend. I was a guest in his cozy home. Talk about a role reversal. It was one of those moments that quietly reminded me how much has changed—and how much I’m still learning about this new stage of motherhood. The stage where we step...
The People Who Make The Drive
My oldest son coached his first game in his new role as the offensive line coach for a college football team. It’s a big step for him. He’s worked hard for this moment. The crazy hours as a graduate assistant, the missed events, and all the unglamorous parts of...
Gratitude With Nowhere to Go
Last week, I loaded up the car and drove my daughter eight hours away to begin graduate school. She’s been my buddy this summer. My sidekick, my partner in crime, the person who is almost always up for whatever I’m doing. When I pulled into the driveway after work,...
Is Your Kid a Leo
Is your kid a Leo? Not because they were born in August, but because they may be a late bloomer. One of my favorite children’s books, and one I believe every parent should revisit, is Leo the Late Bloomer. Leo is a young tiger who has not yet learned to read, write,...
Her Gut Is Data
One of the most important things we can teach our daughters is this: Her gut is data. Not drama. Not overreacting. Not being "too sensitive". Not making a big deal out of nothing. Data. That uncomfortable feeling in her stomach when someone’s words don’t match their...
It’s Not About Being Young, It’s About Being Open
I turned 58 this weekend and the day before my birthday, I went to a music festival with my daughter. My first one. Not exactly where I pictured myself spending the final day of 57. It was loud. Crowded. Colorful. A little crazy. And wonderfully different from my...
Know When to Be Their Person
There’s a subtle shift that happens when your child becomes a teenager. It often follows them well into adulthood. The relationship changes. The rules are no longer as clear. Parenting, which once felt more straightforward, begins to require more restraint, more...
