The self-esteem of a 14-year-old girl is always in flux , and usually in a bad way. It's around the age when you start developing insecurities about what you look like since your body is changing and the attention you get is changing along with it. You become more aware of your clothing choices, the way you wear your hair, and how others perceive you. And those insecurities can be very hard to shake, even into adulthood. What happens to us as children can shape who we become as adults, and if t…

Every household has its own way of dividing the housework among family members. Some parents view housework as an important lesson for their kids, so they make sure their kids are just as involved in house chores as they are, making it easier for the kids when they go off and live independently. Other parents don't mind if their kids do not take part in chores and allow them to learn their ways when they are older and live on their own, which they argue is also a way of preparing them for the r…

Living in my head 'rent free

If you had to live through what Cinderella went through with her stepmother and step-sisters, how do you think you would've handled the situation? Would you have stood up to them when they tried to bully you into doing all the house chores, or would you have done what Cinderella did, basically sticking it out until a prince came to rescue her? Out in the real world, I am sure there are plenty of ‘real Cinderella stories’, about people who have to deal with mean step-parents or step-siblings, an…

It ain't easy

Step-parents have a difficult job to do . They have to strike a balance between being supportive of the kids and keeping their distance. Every relationship is different, of course, but it's usually better to meet the kid where they're at instead of forcing a certain dynamic onto them. This is especially true when their biological parent is deceased. Any gesture that makes it seem like you're trying to ‘replace’ them will not be met well, and you'll probably lose them forever. This is true when…

That might backfire

How could she forgive him for this?

It's an unfortunate reality

One of the worst things about parenting is having to make small talk with other parents. Just because our kids are the same age doesn't mean we have much in common, and there's only so much runway I get with talking about the kids' developmental phases, school, activities, etc. before I run out of stuff to say. And then you're just left talking about regular adult stuff with people who are more boring than you. This is why you need your designated parent friend. You need a person you've identif…

She deserves much better

Too scary

Hard to be both a beggar and a chooser

Different strokes...

That's a bit much

There's no universal rulebook for being a parent