I remember discussing this “philosophical” question when I was a teenager. And some things don’t change, I frequently hear teens raise the question if strict parents raise sneaky teens. Luckily, some researchers were curious about how parenting influences teen’s behaviors and here’s what they found. 

If you are raising a teenage daughter, I imagine you have seen the impact of gossip and rumors. It’s easy for teens, and adults, to get confused when something is venting and something is gossip. But knowing the difference is important. As a society, we tend to believe venting is appropriate and gossiping is inappropriate. But when does one cross over into the other? Let’s take a look at the difference. 

Your daughter is a freshman in high school. She is creative and expressive. She is joyful and bubbly, often attracting friends from all walks of life. It seems like her phone is always blowing up with some group chat. She is emotionally intelligent and introspective, making her a considerate friend. Here’s what she doesn’t want you to know. 

Adolescence is a time full of growth, change, and racing towards adulthood. In is this sandwich period between childhood and adulthood. This means that teens tend to be faced with adult-level risk, but navigating it with a child mind. Here’s how you can help prepare for your teen to manage peer pressure.

Giving your kid access to social media can be overwhelming. You are torn because you want your kid to be able to connect with their friends, but you also know there are significant risks. If you are looking for some guidelines on how to keep your kid safe on social media, you found the right place.

Social media is a hot topic with parenting. This can be a battle in many households and a concern for many parents. My hope is to shed some light on what social media means to youth today by breaking down the good parts and the bad parts. 

As kids grow up, they increasingly seek independence and privacy from their parents. I often hear parents looking through their kids' phones to get a sense of what’s going on in their world. Feeling boxed out by their kid and using it to gain some insight. Here I’ll explore how to provide digital oversight and help keep your teen safe.

You have a high school daughter, she is goal-directed and constantly pushing herself to be better. She excels in school, taking AP and IB courses, involved in Model United Nations, and on varsity sports. She has her sights set on top universities and is studying for the ACT / SAT. With all this on her plate, she somehow manages to have good friends and be socially adept with adults. Here’s what she doesn’t want you to know.

Now, I categorize burnout into three phases. Phase 1 - maintenance mode or burnout prevention; Phase 2 - the crash out; Phase 3 - recovery mode. 

It’s graduation time - a moment to celebrate all the years your child has spent in elementary school. As exciting as this milestone is, many kids have mixed feelings about moving on to middle school - and that’s OK!  Let’s break down some tips for middle school and how to support your kid as they adjust.

Well the countdown is on and summer is right around the corner! With all this excitement, the transition from the school year to summer break can be a stressful shift for families too. As parents, it’s helpful to set clear expectations with kids about what summer break will look like. Here are a few thoughts and family discussion points to ease the transition.  

Both kids and adults will often try to shift blame onto others rather than owning their actions. My guess is, you know these lines well, “It’s not my fault,” “they made me do it,” “I didn’t mean to,” - and fill in the rest! Here I break down how to help your child own their actions and take responsibility.

Tips for Test Taking Anxiety - Our mindset can have a huge impact on performance. Here are some strategies to help manage nervousness and feel confident!

We’ve discussed previously that sports are a great way for kids to develop character - on and off the court. As guiding adults, sports offer valuable opportunities for teaching important life lessons to the kids in our lives. They learn about teamwork, conflict resolution, goal setting, perseverance, emotion regulation, and so much more. And remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Triangle breathing is a simple and effective technique for kids to practice mindfulness. Breathing techniques are useful to help children manage big emotions, increase their sense of control, return to the present moment, and build emotional resiliency.

Heart breathing is a simple, yet powerful mindfulness technique to slow down and get in touch with yourself. This tool is great for kids and adults to manage big emotions. Try it out for yourself!

Sportsmanship signifies virtues uplifted by society - fairness, self-control, courage, persistence, respect, morality, goal-directed behavior, and more. Additionally, research suggests a correlated relationship between sportsmanship and happiness (Özsari, et al., 2023). So what does sportsmanship look like?  

Five finger breathing is a simple mindfulness activity used to help reduce stress, ease anxiety, and calm big emotions.

Cupcake breathing is a simple tool you can use with your child to help them calm down. This is a great technique to practice when your kiddo is feeling angry, upset, or nervous!