Teens, Tantrums and Threats.  These are three “T’s” that can cause a lot of stress, frustration and sadness for parents, especially when everyone is home together all the time.  Have you had situations where you feel like your teenager bursts into a fit of rage or tears without warning while you are left trying to figure out what provoked such a strong emotional reaction?  You are not alone. 

As I often discuss, teens have a lot going on internally at any given moment.  Raging hormones, insecurity, wanting independence but being terrified of it at the same time, academic pressure, peer pressure and general confusion about where they fit into the world are probably just the tip of the iceberg. All of this “stuff” sits inside them brewing and brewing until one thing, however small, causes them to boil over.

This can result in tantrums and threats.  Tantrums can involve crying, screaming, yelling, door slamming, stomping...

Here we go…week #4 of social distancing. When they first announced that schools would close and that everyone who could, should be working at home, did you think we would be going into a week #4, wearing masks when buying groceries, having 6.6 million Americans apply for unemployment in a single week and still not knowing when this will end?  Me neither!

Are your kids asking you questions you cannot answer? Are they cycling through the stages of grief or cycling in and out of anxiety, fear and boredom?  If so, that is normal.  We are navigating uncharted territory and most of us have not ever lived with this level of uncertainty. What do you do when it is week 4 and we know there will be at least 2 more weeks (very likely longer) to follow? What do you do when we don’t know what this being “done” looks like and what our new normal will be following all of this?  What do you do when your kids keep asking for answers that you don’t...