Oct / Nov 2021

By the time our kids reach their teens, many of them will be ready—or almost ready—to fire us as their decision makers and take control of their own lives. And we should be willing to step aside.
The key is to involve ’tweens and teens more in creating the rules and then let them make their own decisions. That doesn’t mean we become permissive, indulgent, or disengaged, but it does mean that the quality—if not the quantity—of our support shifts. We need to ask questions and provide emotional support.
To that end, we hope this issue helps you strike a balance between your roles as chief of staff and life coach. You’ll find articles on topics ranging from six simple strategies to help you handle stress, the challenges of mixing neurodiverse with neurotypical family and friends, and pandemic burnout, to positive body image, the importance of equipping our kids with financial know-how, and the top 5 activities for a family weekend away in Whistler.
Check out our special section, ’Tweens & Teens, starting on page 17. In this 8-page pull-out, you’ll find articles on topics ranging from asking questions without interrogating, helping our youth increase their ‘body literacy,’ and accepting and supporting our child’s gender identity, to the importance of work experience, and ways social media affects teen sleep.
No matter what stage of parenting you’re at—a chief of staff with toddlers or a life coach with ’tweens and teens—may you enjoy this stage to its fullest and find balance between hanging on and letting go.

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