Confession: It is sometimes hard for me to allow Lane to express himself through his appearance, whether it’s coloring his hair, wearing goofy earrings, or sagging his pants. However, I realize if I stifle this important teen outlet of creativity, the risk of rebelling increases exponentially. I have no research or data to back this up. It’s just my opinion.

Included in this episode:

*summer activities for a 15 year old

*executive functioning skills class for teens

*his first day camp experience at 2 and 1/2 and what I realized

*Lane's questionable attire on day one of this week's day camp

*I love boobies! belt

*his love for wearing fancy clothes when he was little

*our car's google tells us a joke and sings to us every day

*Tesla's on the road- blegh!

SHOW NOTES:

Keep A Breast Foundation

Example of a rockabilly kids’ shirt

Example of a guayabera

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Thanks for listening, Beloveds. Please take care of yourselves; if you don’t do it, who will? Keep advocating for your child. And, most importantly, stay tenacious!

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION:

The TBRI Podcast

QUICK VIDEOS TO WATCH:

Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting Strategies and Solutions by Sarah Naish

Resources on suicide prevention:

Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

- Call or text 988
- Chat at 988lifeline.org

Connect with a trained crisis cou...

Confession: I secretly judge parents and caregivers who do not expect their child or teen to help out around the house with regular chores. I don’t know how many of them are out there, but I certainly know a few personally. I don’t typically judge others, however, I’m gonna get on my soapbox about this one.

Also included in this episode:

*my shift in perspective from the dreaded teen years to parenting a teen is fun!

*Lane's spot on application of a classic quote from the movie Elf

*Lane's household chores over the years

*allowance for chores?

*how I have motivated him through the years to help out around the house

*why chores are a good thing for kids and teens and why I'm secretly judging those who have no expectation for their children

*two things I said (and sang) to put a stop to whining, complaining, and begging when he was younger

SHOWNOTES:

Chores and Children

Love and Logic

Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J Siegel

Talk to me! Click here to provide feedback

Thanks for listening, Beloveds. Please take care of yourselves; if you don’t do it, who will? Keep advocating for your child. And, most importantly, stay tenacious!

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION:

The TBRI Podcast

QUICK VIDEOS TO WATCH:

Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting Strategies and Solutions by Sarah Naish

Resources on suicide prevention:

Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

- Call or text 988
- Chat at 988lifeline.org

Connect with a trained crisis cou...

Confession: I recently learned in a family therapy session that one cannot be angry and twerk at the same time. Fun fact!

Also included in this episode:

*more valuable content from Daniel Siegel's book Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain

*the handy model of the brain

*why the ages of 12-24 are the most dangerous of our lives

*the importance of keeping open lines of communication with your teen and how to work toward it

*how Siegel recommends healing from a disorganized attachment model

*why Lane and I love the movie Instant Family

*another funny Lane story

SHOW NOTES:

Dr. Dan Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain

Instant Family Trailer

Talk to me! Click here to provide feedback

Thanks for listening, Beloveds. Please take care of yourselves; if you don’t do it, who will? Keep advocating for your child. And, most importantly, stay tenacious!

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION:

The TBRI Podcast

QUICK VIDEOS TO WATCH:

Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting Strategies and Solutions by Sarah Naish

Resources on suicide prevention:

Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

- Call or text 988
- Chat at 988lifeline.org

Connect with a trained crisis cou...

Confession: I have started referring to myself as Lane’s bumpers on a bowling lane. I can guide and provide for him, keeping him out of the gutters in adolescence, while at the same time understanding he has free will. I need to trust in his ability to make good choices in the teen years. Lane needs to trust that I will be there for him, even when he doesn’t.

Also included in this episode:

*the sad reality of school lockdown drills

*school tours and how Lane chose his new school for 10th grade

*more about Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J. Siegel

*the importance of keeping the lines of communication open between you and your teen

*examples of showing no emotional reaction when my then-stepsons and Lane shared surprising things

*why I try to ask, "Do you want to be heard, hugged, or helped?" when Lane discloses things

*how I worked with Lane to understand why he was ditching school in 8th grade and what finally cured him of the bad habit

SHOW NOTES:

Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J Seigel

Talk to me! Click here to provide feedback

Thanks for listening, Beloveds. Please take care of yourselves; if you don’t do it, who will? Keep advocating for your child. And, most importantly, stay tenacious!

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION:

The TBRI Podcast

QUICK VIDEOS TO WATCH:

Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting Strategies and Solutions by Sarah Naish

Resources on suicide prevention:

Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

- Call or text 988
- Chat at 988lifeline.org

Connect with a trained crisis cou...

Confession: I used to think that the teenage years were something I had to suffer through before Lane grew up to be an adult. But I just found a book that changed all that. I now understand the massive changes the teen brain is undergoing and I look forward to helping Lane harness the power of his powerful new brain so he can thrive in his adolescence.

Included in this episode:

*my Mother's Day surprise!

*Overview of the book Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J Seigel

*two common symptoms questionnaires administered for mental health services

*funny Lane stories involving our favorite movie Nacho Libre

SHOW NOTES:

Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain by Daniel J Seigel

Talk to me! Click here to provide feedback

Thanks for listening, Beloveds. Please take care of yourselves; if you don’t do it, who will? Keep advocating for your child. And, most importantly, stay tenacious!

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION:

The TBRI Podcast

QUICK VIDEOS TO WATCH:

Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting Strategies and Solutions by Sarah Naish

Resources on suicide prevention:

Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

- Call or text 988
- Chat at 988lifeline.org

Connect with a trained crisis cou...

Confession: I have to let go of what I thought high school would be like for Lane and accept the fact that he needs more specialized and individualized attention that simply is not available in a traditional high school. Luckily, there are lots of options out there for kids like mine. The trick is figuring out which one will be the best for Lane.

SHOWNOTES:

What We Carry: A Memoir By Maya Shanbhag Lang

The Sixteenth of June By Maya Shanbhag Lang

Talk to me! Click here to provide feedback

Thanks for listening, Beloveds. Please take care of yourselves; if you don’t do it, who will? Keep advocating for your child. And, most importantly, stay tenacious!

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION:

The TBRI Podcast

QUICK VIDEOS TO WATCH:

Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting Strategies and Solutions by Sarah Naish

Resources on suicide prevention:

Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

- Call or text 988
- Chat at 988lifeline.org

Connect with a trained crisis cou...

Confession: My best friend of over 30 years ghosted me two years ago. Believe it or not, she shut me out of her life not once, not twice, but a total of three times over the course of our friendship.

Also included:

*how and when we met

*how we stayed close, despite the 1000s of miles between us

*our roadtrip to attend the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta

*a helpful article that helped me understand

*details about the first two times she dumped me

*my reflection on why I kept letting her back in, but this time I won't

SHOW NOTES:

My BFF Ghosted Me When I Needed Her Most By Aileen Weintraub

Talk to me! Click here to provide feedback

Thanks for listening, Beloveds. Please take care of yourselves; if you don’t do it, who will? Keep advocating for your child. And, most importantly, stay tenacious!

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION:

The TBRI Podcast

QUICK VIDEOS TO WATCH:

Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting Strategies and Solutions by Sarah Naish

Resources on suicide prevention:

Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

- Call or text 988
- Chat at 988lifeline.org

Connect with a trained crisis cou...

Confession: I am constantly reminded that the more I learn, the less I know. This week that lesson came in the form of videos on vestibular and proprioceptive systems. What I learned in these videos was super informative and I wish I had learned about it when Lane was young. I also reflect on the the joys and frustrations of my motherhood journey.

Included in this episode:

*a sweet read aloud from Lane's adoption day

*Lane reading books to our dog

*what about the 99 out of 100 kids without a mother like me?

*videos on vestibular and proprioceptive systems

*what I wish more teachers knew about kids who need to move in order to pay attention and learn

SHOW NOTES:

I Love You So… By Marianne Richmond

Brain Highways: The Vestibular System

Brain Highways: The Proprioceptive System

Dear Teacher: Heartfelt Advice For Teachers From Students

Talk to me! Click here to provide feedback

Thanks for listening, Beloveds. Please take care of yourselves; if you don’t do it, who will? Keep advocating for your child. And, most importantly, stay tenacious!

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION:

The TBRI Podcast

QUICK VIDEOS TO WATCH:

Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

The A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting Strategies and Solutions by Sarah Naish

Resources on suicide prevention:

Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

- Call or text 988
- Chat at 988lifeline.org

Connect with a trained crisis cou...