As parents, we are advised to have open and honest conversations with our teenagers about a variety of topics, including sex.

Even those of us with large families can feel as though no one understands that sense of being alone, in spite of being surrounded by relatives.   

I see you, trying your best to make them laugh, to be there for them, to know where your place is with any and all parts of parenting.  

Today, I can wake up and go to sleep knowing there is a community I can rely on. I can handle whatever is thrown my way because I can think clearly about solutions, not how to escape.

Recently, I’ve had to lay down some hard-to-swallow boundaries with my kids. As a recovering people-pleaser, I have a rough time setting boundaries because I want my kids (and others) to like me. 

This is the first year in over a decade I won’t be doing back-to-school shopping and I’m conflicted.  

I’ll be honest… I’ve been going through a rough time with my teens. I’m in the middle of the storm and it’s very unsettling.  

As parents, we mark milestones. We record our children’s transitions from crawling to walking, from elementary to middle to high school, to getting a driver's license, and onward into adulthood. 

While sex is a natural part of life and sex education is important, most parents don't know how to raise the topic, nor do they want to. They feel awkward and anxious about when and how to discuss sex with their kids.  

I sent a text on the night of July 11th, 2020 that changed my life forever. It read: “Hey, I think I have a problem and I need help.” 

I am a mother, a sister, a friend, and a daughter. I have my own business and look successful from the outside. I seem to have it all together.  

Our internal world shapes how we view the outer world. This is not a new concept and I’ve heard it in many variations through multiple sources. And I get it. The way I perceive the happenings around me has a direct correlation to how I’m feeling inside.  

I can’t be the only one who struggles to keep up with a clean home. With work, kids work/social schedule, and taking time for self, busy is an understatement. I don’t know about you, but cleaning after all the adulting responsibilities is the last thing I want to do.   The pandemic has kept us homebound most of the past year so ...

I had always admired those women who have led the sober movement. As of today, I’ve officially surpassed a year sober. Yea, a FULL year. Wow. When I wrote that piece in August 2020, I have to be honest: I didn’t think I was going to make it. I had a lot of doubts and emotions and getting to 34 ...

There were some days over this past year and a half where the teens seemed scarier than this global pandemic.