The conversations among mothers, including myself, often revolve around the perceived loss of our pre-parenthood identity. Yet, I'm starting to see that my creativity is resurfacing in my parenting journey. And motherhood has brought out parts of myself that I never knew existed, ones that have become a central part of who I am.

In those first therapy sessions with clients, I always start with a simple question: “Tell me about yourself.” But here's the twist – this seemingly straightforward question unravels a whole world of complexity.

"I can't clean up my toys right now! You're not listening to me!" Those were the fiery words of my 4-year-old after I had insistently asked her to tidy up her toys. Frustration got the best of me, and I responded with a firm, "I'm the parent, YOU listen to ME!" The result? A full-scale meltdown, with flailing arms and sobs. That's when it struck me - my approach wasn't effective at all.

As a psychologist working closely with teen girls, I’ve had the privilege of joining them on their journey through the beautiful and chaotic stage of adolescence. From friendship breakups and snap chat drama to that first kiss and time when moms’ words lifted spirits or landed like an emotional punch—I get to witness it all.  

So, there I was, on my couch at 9 pm on a Saturday night beginning Season 1 Episode 7: Kiss and Tell 💋
Let’s just say I’m starting to realize why so many people love this show. It’s SO relatable and a good laugh for both moms and daughters because, let’s be honest, both Rory and Lorelai make a lot of mistakes and say a lot of silly things that we’ve all probably said and done 🤭

Our role as mothers can be summed up in one word: guide. We are a set of experienced eyes for our daughters who have younger eyes. As a result of these different perspectives, we naturally see things differently. But… there are times when our teenage daughters are smarter than us🤷‍♀️