Hi. I have stumbled on this website and hoping to find through this unpredictable and embarrassing mess. My 17yr old has some anger issues and is lashing out verbally at the whole family except her father who doesn’t live here and has had little to do with her until recent times. Today was the worst day yet with my daughter punching a photo frame and smashing glass into her hand while I was at work. I called to check in after a blow up yesterday and then having her stay at a friends place o’nite. She was in tears and said she had a meltdown bi called my mum who went over to sit with her and help as best she could. I don’t know what to do but have booked another Dr appointment to ask for more help. Her anger and lashing out is straining the whole family. Mostly it’s just the two of us at home. My partner doesn’t live with us and retreats to his place when things get tough - he finds it hard not to be angry in response. ... View more

Hi @nohairleft, I am so sorry to hear of everything you have dealt with in the last few years. That must have been so challenging for you and I can only imagine the amount of heart break and stress that you feel. Your love and compassion towards your children is obvious and feeling helpless is such a difficult emotion to sit with, especially when you want to so desperately take the burden away from your children. You mentioned that you don't see your son - have you been able to video chat or talk on the telephone with him? It is great to hear that your friends are apart of your support network. Would you consider talking to a mental health professional? It is not uncommon for parents to need support as raising children is diffcult, especially if issues with mental health arise. They can help you navigate this situation and to process what is going on for you as a parent. We are here to listen ... View more

I love this exercise, so good to think about what we're lucky for in life! I'm trying to introduce some basic mindfulness and gratitude to my daughter. She's still a preschooler but I find using mindfulness colouring sheets is the perfect way to chill her out before bedtime. ... View more

Loved reading these posts about what people are reading! That Claire Bowditch book looks great @ceskia22, I might have to check it out.   One of the best parent - related books I've ever read was "Confessions of a Domestic Failure" by Bunmi Laditan. I am in a book club with some family members and when it was my month to pick I chose that one and I really loved it. It also led to some beautiful discussions about motherhood and its identity, and the expectations on women to parent in specific ways that are unrealistic - the book is also HILARIOUS!    We're currently reading "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" by Ocean Vuong. Its written quite beautifully and is about family, written from the perspective of a son to his mother about relationships and Vietnamese culture. I am not too far in yet, but so far so good!  ... View more

I know the family in this story. It had been a great journey for them to get to this point. Open communication is the key to maintaining good relationships with youth. ... View more

I'd love to hear from these parents over at this thread:   Tips for raising a generation of 'Digital Natives'.   And to hear how things are now. ... View more

Excellent..you have done a great job Mitzi.. ... View more

@StHubbins So did you get a swimming pool? I'd be interested to know how you dealt with that, and even how you began the probing that made that discovery! It sounds challenging. ... View more

Hi @tenacious_dad, how is your son going? Did your discussion on warning signs help with his new relationship? ... View more

Thanks so much @Sbaussie for updating us, and all your thoughtful ideas on the topic. As @Mitzi explained so well - this is an uncomfortable topic but so important, and common! Cheers guys :) ... View more

"I binge-cleaned my house." HAH! Brilliant @Mitzi. ... View more

Hi @Murgatroyd.  I'm definitely a nightowl as well.     i think the main thing is knowing how much sleep he is getting, rather than the hours in which he gets that sleep. If he's getting somewhere between 7 & 10 hours a night, I would think that's fairly normal for a teenager.  If he's sleeping more than that, it's worth starting to look at possible other symptoms of depression - lack of motivation, feelings of helplessness, appetite or weight change, loss of interest in things.   I suspect though that he is just staying up really late becuase he can!  But do try to rule out depression. ... View more

Thanks for sharing Mitzi. Both funny and insightful. When I've talked with other mums of teenage boys, we've all agreed that if you hang in there, they do emerge out the other side as wonderful young men. ... View more

Good on you to be able to volunteer and provide help to others! ... View more

Sounds like you should keep on with the things that are working @Ollie-Finches.... Like waking him up at 9am, and speaking calmly yet sternly. Good luck challenging your parenting style to give him more responsibility and do less for him! I can relate, it's hard ... View more

How have things been this weekend @CareBear? ... View more

You get a Mothers Day & Fathers Day card every year!   ... View more

You could be right Xena that she doesn't notice. I like that idea of being on stand-by. thanks ... View more