One of the most important jobs for a parent is to teach their children how the world works. One of the most important lessons about how the world works is this: you have to play by the rules, or you’ll get in trouble. At home, you get in trouble with your parents. At school, you get in trouble with teachers and principals. And at work, you get in trouble with
If your teen’s birthday is coming up, they’re probably feeling a mixture of emotions right now. They’re excited for their birthday, but they may already feel let down about the party. Or by the fact it’s not happening – at least not the way they wanted it to. COVID-19 social distancing requirements don’t really allow for the party your teen might have wanted, and may have already planned. So how
The coronavirus pandemic creates challenges in almost every aspect of life. Teenagers in recovery from an alcohol or substance use disorder face obstacles that many other teens do not. They’re trying to stay sober when their previous support options, such as in-person therapy, group counseling, or regular meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), are no longer available. Teens currently enrolled in addiction treatment programs can participate via
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. At the beginning of 2020, no one could have predicted where we are now: in the middle of a worldwide health crisis, the coronavirus pandemic. Our physical health and wellbeing are front and center in everyone’s mind, which is critical for getting the pandemic under control. Everyone is doing their best to mitigate the impact of the virus while following shelter-in-place orders and social
Parents of teens who live with alcohol or substance use disorders face an additional challenge during the coronavirus pandemic. On top of everything new happening, such as telework, virtual school, shelter-in-place orders, and all the details related to COVID-19 that now make up part of their lives, they’re concerned how recovery is going for their teen. Before things changed, parents of teens in recovery knew their teen could get support
Your friends are posting pictures of the flowers, cards, and presents they got from their kids. Or the brunch they’re enjoying with their smiling teens. At home, of course. It’s a COVID Mother’s Day, after all. Or some sweet photo of them embracing their daughter or son. You feel pangs of emotion. Self-pity. Jealousy. Guilt. The same thing happens when you walk past the Hallmark aisle at the drugstore. Those
COVID-19 has many parents of teens confused. Especially parents of teens with mental health issues. If you’re a parent in that category, you might have thought living under the same roof as your adolescent would decrease the severity of their emotional, behavioral, or substance use issues. After all, you wake up together, eat together, and spend practically all day in the same house. You check in more often on them
Here we are. Late spring, 2020, and the year isn’t going at all the way anyone planned. If you’re not in a state with strict stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines, you’re in a state wondering if and when the orders and guidelines will arrive – if ever. If you’re approaching week five or six of stay-at-home orders, then you’re like millions of other people across the country. You’re trying
Life under shelter-in-place orders is something new for us all. It’s not a staycation, it’s not a break from real life, and it’s not a holiday. But what is it? It’s our new normal, for now. During this new normal, families across the country spend far more time at home with one another than they have in years. Parents fortunate enough to have jobs that enable them to work from
It’s COVID-19 lockdown time. Okay, maybe not complete lockdown. But you’re at home like millions of other people around the country. You and your spouse work from home, your kids go to school online, and you spend your days doing your best to keep everyone healthy and happy. Let’s say you have a big family with a mix of school age kids and teenagers. Your younger ones are totally on
