Tag Archives: alcoholism

They Might Need to Hear it From Someone Else (Too)

No matter how wise and forthcoming I think I am with my children, they are never as keen on my advice and wisdom as I imagine they should be—in fact, they are often downright resentful! Over the years, I have learned that often times it is not the advice that is sour—they just need to hear it from someone else. I do not know why this is the case, but I definitely have witnessed it as my children have scoffed at my advice or suggestions and then heeded the exact same advice when it came from someone else. I do … Continue reading →

Stress: Always Look for the Bigger Picture

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It’s a strange fact, yet I encounter it over and over again. The people who have relatively minor worries in their lives often stress more than those who have genuine life-threatening or life-destroying illnesses. Now this doesn’t seem to make sense. Yet, as stressed as many of my clients are, in general, they worry a lot less than those who live more seemingly carefree lives. As a psychologist, I have over the years heard some terrible stories of extreme hardship, and yes, these people are often chronically depressed and anxious. And yet, the majority of the so-called “normal” and “healthy” … Continue reading →

“Leave me Alone!—Don’t Leave Me!”

Parents of young children complain about separation anxiety, and then parents of older children may complain that their child is eager to have them leave and doesn’t seem to notice when they are gone. The parent of a teenager, however, experiences the most confusing phase of all—the teen who grumbles to be left alone and then turns around minutes later and complains of being abandoned! I have been quite open in sharing some of the trials and joys of preparing to send two older teen daughters off to college. It is an exciting time, yes, but it is also stressful, … Continue reading →

Visiting Orlando with Teens

Mention Orlando, Florida and most travelers instantly think mouse ears, roller coasters, and Shamu. All are wonderful assets to the area, but when you are traveling to the area with teens you might want to have more on your to-do list than just meeting Mickey and Minnie (if that even makes the list in the first place). If you live with adventurous adolescents who enjoy exploring the great outdoors and soaking in the local scene as much as they do taking in the thrills and chills of major amusement parks then consider visiting the following Orlando-area attractions: Gatorland This 110-acre … Continue reading →

Privacy, Teens and Parents—Part Three

In my first two articles about privacy and the adolescent years, I wrote about how we parents can and should respect a certain amount of privacy for our teens. By the time our children are 18 years old, after all, they should be approaching adulthood and independence. Of course, we may not treat a 13 year-old and an 18 year-old the same way, but we can work on the process of privacy and respect during the teen years. I also want to talk about how we can set an example and set our expectations about privacy by expecting our children … Continue reading →

Privacy, Teens and Parents—Part Two

Earlier this morning I introduced the important topic of privacy as it pertains to adolescents and parents. While I wrote about WHY I think how we negotiate privacy issues can be such a big deal in the teen years, I also wanted to talk about the areas where I think we need to figure out how we will handle privacy issues with our teens. Some of the biggies when it comes to teens and privacy are their rooms, their possessions and things like book bags, journals, e-mail messages, etc. I think that a general rule of thumb can be that … Continue reading →

Privacy, Teens and Parents—Part One

Privacy is a big deal with adolescents. As a matter of fact, I think that for parents, negotiating around privacy issues can be a make or break situation that sets the stage for the adolescent years overall. I know this might seem like I am being overly melodramatic, but I really do think that when it comes to privacy and boundaries, how parents handle this with a teenager can have a big impact. While I do not think there is one way to go about this business of parenting (as I have stated before), I think as parents we need … Continue reading →

Chasing Them Out of the Nest

I feel myself shifting gears—without really making a conscious attempt, I find that I am changing from being the protective, nurturing parent of dependent children to nudging and pushing them as they prepare to leave the nest. I never would have imagined that I would be both ready and understanding of my children’s inevitable departure, but it seems almost biological. I feel like one of those animal mothers who, when the time comes, runs her children out of the next so that they can begin to live life on their own. My kids and I have started to joke about … Continue reading →

When Work gets Depressing

We try to stay motivated and chipper and focused on our home businesses–building them up and ironing out the wrinkles. No matter how chipper and encouraged we might be some of the time, there are going to be times when trying to work at our home businesses can be downright depressing. What should we do when work gets hard and depression sets in? Should we take it as a sign and give up? Should we forge on through? What does it mean when work at our home businesses gets depressing? I do not care how much you love your work … Continue reading →

Growing from Sadness, Sorrow and Depression

Before I continue with this blog, I want to state I am not writing about clinical and diagnosed depression (or any mental health concern where you really need to seek professional help), I am talking about those times that all of us go through where we experience sadness, sorrow, grief and depression. Far from being the end of the world, these times can be very creative, healing, and growing times for us. Many of us come out on the other side of sadness and grief feeling stronger and more “ourselves.” We can look at these inevitable times as an opportunity … Continue reading →