How much has family life has changed since today’s parents of teens were teenagers ourselves? Ummmm…TONS! One of the huge changes I’ve really been noticing lately in my own family is how many different digital calendars and virtual spaces are represented by just the three people in my house – Read more…
As we get ready to start another school year with our families, I want to share a personal and professional encouragement with you on something that can really revolutionize your family life: exercising regularly with your teen. My son started running on the cross country team at his school two Read more…
As we begin looking at how cultivating a life of service to others guards our teens against the allure of addiction, let me tell you why I chose this image to illustrate the point: Facebook reminded me yesterday that this is what happened two years ago. My family and I Read more…
Addiction. We seem to hear more about it all the time. New forms of addiction. New addiction treatment options. Someone famous has been crushed by an addiction. This is what addiction is costing society. And on and on and on. Addiction is a serious issue that devastates countless lives. And Read more…
If you have not yet heard about vaping or “juuling,” you haven’t been paying close attention to what’s happening with teens and pre-teens today. Yes, I said pre-teens. Vaping (sometimes referred to by its most popular device brand: “Juul”) refers to using an electronic device to vaporize a special liquid Read more…
1. Specific correction of where they are off-track. Giving them generalized or vague feedback about how they are “screwing up,” “disappointing you,” “missing the mark,” etc. is not helpful to your daughter or son. It is unclear, and may even further discourage your teen. Instead, be very clear about where Read more…
My own teenage son is currently 14 and getting closer to looking eye to eye with me every day. (Seems like he’s grown a foot since we took this pic six or seven months ago.) My wife and I both have warm, affectionate personalities. So it has always been natural Read more…
As parents who love our kids, our aim is to raise them to become fully capable and responsible adults who will strive to make a positive impact on the world around them. Right? And that sort of theoretical statement sounds all great and wonderful when our kids are little. But Read more…
“Evan Almighty” has been one of my family’s favorite movies for quite a while. If you’ve never seen this heartwarming family film about God (Morgan Freeman) choosing a modern day Noah named Evan Baxter (Steve Carell), you really should watch it. Through a wild adventure with God, his wife and Read more…
Tired of feeling like you’re talking to a brick wall when you try to communicate with your teen? Ranging from fun to fundamental, here are six different ways to shake up the old routine that isn’t working, and help begin a new era of listening and connection at home. 1. Read more…