Teenagers are expensive to keep. They have bottomless pits to fill and limbs that never seem to stop growing to clothe. They want to go out with their friends, eat junk food, and keep up with popular culture. And as much as we love our teenagers, they can be a bit of a financial drain. […]
We are all created as unique individuals who approach problems in different ways. Sometimes this wonderful uniqueness can be problematic, especially when it comes to parenting our teens. You and your partner may not always be on the same parenting page, but the good news is, that you don’t always need to be. Psychologist Dr […]
In our house, we tend to celebrate good times and triumphs with food. To be honest, I don’t want to be eating as many takeaways as I do, but if it brings the family together for some fun and connection then I’m going to take one for the team. Just last night I celebrated by […]
I don’t like the term teenage angst. It conjures up negative images of apathetic brooding teenagers who hate themselves and the world they live in. A kinder way to look at angst is recognising that our teens are going through huge hormonal changes which make them feel insecure, anxious, overwhelmed and sometimes unwanted. Depression and […]
I was sitting in my silent car in a McDonald’s car park waiting for one of my kids who was at an appointment. The warmth of the sun slowly turned my car into a very relaxed and comfy space. The time between blinks slowed right down so I decided to recline my driver’s seat and […]
You may have heard the expression, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.” The same can be said about our teenagers. No matter how much we want to help or be let into our teenager’s world, we can’t make them open up and talk to us if they don’t […]
Most teenagers have a number of acquaintances but authentic friendships can be a bit harder to find. Belonging and connection are basic human needs and there is no better feeling than when you know that you truly belong with your friends and whānau. Teenagers feel this powerful instinct of belonging so strongly that it will […]
He was gliding down the hill on his green and black Ben 10 BMX on a quiet suburban street, chewing a big wad of strawberry Hubba Bubba bubblegum. As my husband and I soaked in the carefree vibes of our boy we coined the phrase, “It’s good to be 8.” We think back on that […]
This morning I was bewildered to discover that my last blog post was written over 9 months ago. It seems the pandemic had engulfed my life and whipped away that time without my knowledge. I had made the choice during the Auckland lockdown not to write. I was drowning in a sea of excess information, […]
It was going to be about a 40-minute trip and we appeared to be on track to leave a little early, if not on time. I was getting ready to drive my son to an appointment. But somehow those extra minutes just seemed to disappear without my knowledge and all of a sudden we […]
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Hi I'm Robayne, a freelance writer and mum of two delightful teenagers. Parenting teens is quite the journey so I have created this space as a way to share stories and connect with others who are walking the same path. I have studied freelance journalism at the NZ Writers College and I create content over at Magnusson & Co. If you enjoy my blog and want to know when I post something new please subscribe to my newsletter.
