A true gift!

Most of us spend the day with our inner thoughts beating ourselves up with thoughts of:

I wish I was….. I should be…..

Our inner critic is mighty but we have to learn to lower the voice of these unhelpful thoughts.

These thoughts spill out into our day and we start to believe they are true.

Leaving us unmotivated and uninspired. Our days start to look the same and the mundane sets in. We forgot why we are here and start to question our purpose and if we are making an impact.

We tend to do the same with our teens. We start to pick apart what they are not doing well and provide unhelpful commentary that continues to de-motivate instead of inspire.

I hear parents say…..I wish my teen would be motivated, I wish my teen would put more effort into math, I wish my teen took school more seriously, I wish my teen would just clean their room, I wish my teen would see I am only trying to help, I wish my teen understood how lucky they are, etc.

Our brains love looking for what is not working. I challenge you to see 3 things that your teen is doing well (each day)! And inspire them to keep at it!

Let us Show versus Tell our teens!

Instead of teaching our teens by telling them what to do, how about mirroring how you want them to show up in this world!

I believe the best way our teens learn is by watching how you live your life.

Ask yourself:

How are you showing up in this world?

Are you taking risks?

Are you playing small?

Do you dislike your career?

What type of friends are you keeping?

What is your relationship like with your partner?

How are you caring for yourself?

Do you make yourself a priority?

Are you an example of what is possible?

Are you a negative nelly?

Are you numbing your emotions with food, alcohol, or social media?

Your teen is watching and I can guarantee they tuned you out after the 30th time you said the same thing you are trying to get across to them.

I am sure you heard: LEAD BY EXAMPLE but how many times do we actually do this.

I encourage you to take steps in ways you never did before.

Allow your teen to see you strive to be the best version of yourself.

Let them see you start something new and fail thousands of times and still keep at it until you reach your goal!

The New Year brings on a fresh start! A newness! A re-creation of sorts.

It gives us an opportunity to reflect and discover where we are and where we want to go!

THE TIME IS NOW!

I carve out one evening, grab my journal, cozy up to the fire, with my cup of tea, and reflect on the past year and how I envision the upcoming year. I do it from the lens of me as the hero of my story. We are the heroes of our story but we tend to pick out the parts that did not go so well and I take this time to concentrate on all the things that did. And since I am the co-creator of my life it allows me to write the story as the hero of my journey.

With my clients, we start this process together. We begin by brainstorming all the accomplishments that occurred in the last year. Big and small!

The Best Gift you can give your teen is the gift of presence.  More than anything, they want to be seen and heard by YOU!

Oh yes……. your teen wants the newest phone, the newest gaming system, and of course the list goes on and on but we know that material things provide short term happiness.  What your teen really wants is to feel your unconditional love.  They crave your loving attention. 

They would rather you forgo the obligatory holiday party to watch a holiday movie and sip on some hot coco. Or any other holiday excursion your family loves to experience together! 

Your teen wants to create memories with YOU! 

I Love Thanksgiving....BRING IT ON!

Not for the turkey or the stuffing but for the reminder that it is so much more than the turkey, stuffing and pies. For me, it reminds me to have a deep sense of gratitude.

Thanksgiving is not just a holiday celebration once a year. It is an attitude that produces JOY! This is something to be practiced often, not just at Thanksgiving time. That is if you are in the market of experiencing more JOY in your life!

I practice gratitude each morning and before I go to bed. This time of year helps me go deeper and be more mindful of what I am thankful for while I sweat over the stove making all the must have traditions I do not like cooking, not one bit but I do love how I can take the time (while I wait for the water to boil for my potatoes) and make a conscious effort with my thoughts. It is a perfect time for me to fill up my bucket of Thankfulness and let it overflow! As I do this, the joy in me rises!

You can use this same exercise to experience more joy with your TEEN!

This is hard for me to believe but my oldest is officially an adult!

I had an opportunity to go up to his school this weekend and celebrate with him.

I was intentional about being present and enjoying my time with him and of course, watch him play some hockey!

While watching my teen in his environment it reminded me of what I want to make a priority in my own life.

My Big Takeaways From My Trip:

ONE: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GOOD PEOPLE

TWO: TAKE ACTION

THREE: BUILD YOUR TEAM

Most parents (me included) tend to share our knowledge and advice with our teens CONSTANTLY, so they will become well adjusted contributors to society. “Do this. Don’t do that. Don’t forget this. Why are you doing it that way?” What if we stopped talking and started listening to our teen? What if, instead of lecturing them, we interacted with them? Sounds easy. It’s definitely not easy to change our ways, but it is definitely possible.

We NEED Community! 

We need to feel connected. It's what makes us human. 

While chaperoning a student retreat with hundreds of teenagers, peer leaders, and faculty members I realized something very important: 

COMMUNITY IS THE FOUNDATION OF WELLBEING.

 WE ALL NEED LOVING SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES

We need people that nudge us forward. People who check in with us. Nothing crazy….a simple, “What’s up?”

Think about this:

Who do you call in an emergency, or vent about your day, or when you need a helping hand?

Who do you call when you need a laugh, who has your back no matter what? 

Now, what about your teen? Who do they call?

CONNECTION = SENSE OF BELONGING

We have all lost many connections over the last couple of years and it’s time to re-emerge and reconnect.  

And once you make one connection, others will follow!!!

The best way to find your community is to start with re-discovering who you are.  Once you and your teen re-learn and discover what lights you up, you start to naturally attract a community that are like-

If you want MORE CONNECTION with your Teen….. I have a program for YOU!!

I am excited to offer my new program called The Connected Parent. This program is my labor of love that I know Parents of Teens are in desperate NEED of!

It’s time to stop bickering and nagging and start having MORE unique, special moments and connections with your teen.

Your teen wants it, you want it! It is time to gain the support to help you create this for the both of you!

Even though your teen would rather be left alone, on their phone more often than not, and appears to be ignoring you every time you try to communicate to them………deep down they want to be seen and heard by YOU.

I am here to help you gain a relationship with your teen like you never experienced before.

This is for parents that desperately want to reconnect with their teen. If you feel you are consistently talking AT THEM and not talking with them and you feel more frustrated and annoyed with your teen rather than being able to enjoy your teen……then take action now!

If you are craving a relationship with your teen…I am here to tell you that not only is it possible, but it is so worth it. Enjoying the human you raised is the best feeling in the world.

The Connected Parent Program is designed to support your parenting journey for ONE WHOLE YEAR!

I have been wanting to jump start this program for some time now and I am so happy to finally get to share it with my fellow teen parents!

If you are struggling to communicate with your teen,

feel you are being tuned out,

worry they are getting their wisdom from TikTok instead of you,

then this program is for you.

It’s time to stop bickering and nagging and start having MORE unique, special moments and connections with your teen.

If you are craving a relationship with your teen…I am here to tell you that not only is it possible, but it is so worth it. Enjoying the human you raised is the best feeling in the world.

More information coming soon about the program! Get excited! You are not going to miss out on this opportunity.

If you want to join my program waitlist, DM me now! You will be the first to gain insight on the program details!