I hope she has returned home by now.  It's one of my biggest fears that my girl will just take off because she's not happy about the house rules that we make to keep her safe.  You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.  God bless you .. stay strong and keep us posted. ... View more

sorry I've been away from this page ... it's a balance between work, my daughter, house work and downtime just to chill.  The newest part of the journey with my daughter is she does not like me yelling ... so I have promised her I will not yell (6 days in and I've kept my word) .. however I said there will be consequences for bad behavioiur or not doing chores and I laid these out for her ... no pocket money, no phone, no internet (not all at the same time but incremental if she reoffends and continues not to do chores).  It's been a very quiet week and I have stepped back from doing the things I used to do for her.  I actually think she feels she got the raw end of the deal but she did have options to respond in terms of what she felt was fair and at the conversation she was amiable and agreeable.  I have had to learn to relax and step back and let her take the reigns of her life and more importantly realise there are consequences for every action both good and bad.  Hard lesson for me but a good one and a very mature lesson for her. ... View more

Hi thanks for your reply.  I have a fridge full of fruit and lots of muesli bars, cheese and crackers, trail mix and pretzels cause she absolutely hates taking sandwiches and they always come home uneaten and squished from being in her bag.  I've tried getting her to come to supermarket to choose what she wants but she doesn't want to.  Sigh ...  ... View more

Thanks Jess .. ... View more

An awesome job A place to rest my head and have a lovely hot shower A car that doesn't break down And ...... airconditioning .... ... View more

You could also try have 'dates'.  One where you pick the activity and place and one where your teen picks the activity and place.   ... View more

Hi Nikkita .. gosh you've got a lot going on.  God bless you.  I am wondering if you have thought of the big brother programme?  I'm not sure how it works but I am sure there are adult males who will fulfill the role in a small way of having a male influence in your boys life.   It might help.  I'm sorry I don't have any contact details but if you google I am sure something will come up.  You are a brave Mama.. never stop telling your boy you love him and for every situation look at the glass half full, not half empty approach.  Cheers. ... View more

Hi again Caroline I am goinig to start a new thread called "Let's Talk" so if you want to hop onto it . all good.   Cheers WhaeaM ... View more

Hi Caroline Your 18 year old sounds like my 13 year old in some sense!!  Good for you finding your way here.  Parenting is an unpredictable journey and we are very brave for being parents.  Love yourself today.  Cheers WhaeaM ... View more

HI there I have a 13 year old girl and I am scared for her also. She relies on her computer and phone for entertainment. relaxation and friendship and so I do my best to get her out and make her join teams so she becomes more social in the 'real world' . It certainly has its challenges. ... View more

Hi there I have a 13 year old and I can relate to what you are saying. My girl has just started college and we are going through some wild times and its only been a week. She is also worried about her weight and how she looks. Glad to see your post on here. We are not alone. :) ... View more

1. I am Mum to a wonderful 13 year old girl.   2. When discussion gets too overwhelming for the both of us .. we go for a walk along the parade and we usually feel a lot better after. 3. We are having some heavy anxiety episodes with her starting college ... I gooogled and found this site. 4. Parent tip for parents who have kids becoming teenagers .. "Never assume their teenage years are going to be like yours were and don't expect them to react to situations the same way you did." 5. Weekends ... a time to just breathe and do some things you really enjoy ... ... View more