Hey, maybe you need to hear this today…

You handled that tough thing with your teenager yesterday SO beautifully.

Really. Good job.

I know you’re replaying it in your mind. You didn’t sleep well from worry. And you’re worn out.

I know.

Parenting teenagers can be hard. And lonely.

Unfortunately, your teen is never going to turn to you after one of those talks and say, “Thanks, Mom. That’s just what I needed to hear. I feel so much better now. You’re a really great mom.”

That’s not how it goes.

And you probably didn’t ‘fix’ the problem.

There will be another tough thing next week. (Plus, that one problem from school. And probably a lie here or there. Then some other stumble and fall. Or another one of life’s great disappointments.)

A hard situation is waiting for you right around the corner. And you’re wondering…did last night’s talk even count???

I know you question whether you’re doing it right. Are you saying the right thing? Stepping in enough? Backing off just enough to let your teen handle it alone and reap some natural consequences?

There are so many questions. And I know you feel like you’re the only one.

It seems like everyone else is posting pictures of their teenagers holding trophies. Or heading off to winter formal in tuxedos. Or hopping behind the wheel with a new driver’s license and a wide smile.

Everyone else is boasting about their kid’s new job or basketball team or gymnastics competition or ‘act of service’ with captions like, “What an amazing young woman she is becoming!”

Everyone else’s teenager appears to be thriving.

But the truth is, we’re all out here struggling along. We celebrate those successes because the hard stuff is just SO HARD. And nobody has it all figured out. Nobody.

Turns out, we’re all in this together!

So, if you need a little encouragement today (and you mostly get eye rolls and exasperated sighs from your teen).

Trust me. You’re doing great! You are an amazing parent! Just keep showing up.

Because your teenager???

Your teenager KNOWS your love.

And that’s what counts.

I’d love to share my new book with you! Everything I Wish I Could Tell You: A Woman’s Guide to Health in the Body You Actually Have