Does parenting get easier?

Hey everyone! We are still recovering from our December to Remember show this past weekend (take a look at these pics and that won’t be a surprise). Toronto, you were a dream! We have the best, wildest, most fun community. Can we run it back again this weekend?

Does Parenting Ever Get Easier?

Raise your hand if this was you. A decade ago, when your toddler was on their 47th meltdown of the morning, you said to yourself “it’ll be so much easier when they’re older.”

But now that they are older…we’re not so sure anything is actually easier. Parenting teens is tough. Sure, they’re more self-sufficient and we’re done with diapers. But teenagers are emotional in new and more challenging ways. They’re forming their own adult personalities. The stakes feel high.

But we’re all doing our best and learning as we go. That’s why we loved this parent’s take on the lessons they’ve learned parenting teens. A few faves:

• Getting A+ grades across the board or looking like the people they see on IG isn’t what matters—it’s that teens, just like their parents, are doing their best.

• Teenagers’ brains aren’t fully developed yet…they still need a little grace, just like we gave them when they were toddlers.

• As parents, we get to either build them up or tear them down. We know which option we choose.

And most importantly: Just like the toddler days, the teen years are going to pass quickly. Embrace ’em.

Encouraging Gratitude During the Holidays

The holiday season is great…it’s also a lot. We don’t just mean the plans and the parties and the holiday cards that never turn out quite right. The holidays are centered around material items, especially for kids.

Don’t get us wrong, gifts are great! Nothing beats watching your child open a present they’ve been talking about all year. But it’s up to us as parents to remind our kids of what’s really important. 

So: We discussed a few ways to encourage our kids to practice gratitude in our Common Parent community this week. From volunteer work to getting our kids involved in picking out presents for teachers, we can show our kids that giving gifts can feel just as good (and sometimes even better!) than receiving them.

Conflict Resolution Tips for Teens

These go for parents too! The only way our kids will learn to resolve conflict is by example, so it’s important we all demonstrate these skills to our kids:

• Give people space. Sometimes when things get heated, everyone needs some time to cool off. Taking time to gather your thoughts makes a productive conversation a lot more likely.

• Compromise. Show your teen that both parties won’t always walk away with exactly what they wanted. But that’s life.

• Practice active listening. It’s important that we show our teens that listening isn’t simply waiting for the other person to stop talking. It’s about really hearing someone and taking in what they’re saying.

How do you help your kids learn to resolve conflict in a healthy way? Hit reply, we’d love to hear more about your approach. 

‘Tis the season for cozy Christmas movies. And if you’ve officially reached your limit of Love Actually re-watches, here are some of our more recent favorites:

• Our Little Secret (Netflix). Two exes are forced to spend Christmas under the same roof and chaos ensues in this (pretty flirty) holiday movie. Plus! Lindsay Lohan is back! What more could you want?

• Merry Happy Whatever (Netflix). A young woman introduces her new boyfriend to her eccentric family over the holidays. This sitcom is hilarious and (mostly) family-friendly.

• The Merry Gentlemen (Netflix). We’ll be honest, we don’t totally remember what this one was about but we do know that it features a shirtless Chad Michael Murray doing his best Magic Mike. We rest our case.