There’s part of you that doesn’t want summer to end – because you know full well the mundane lunch making will soon be upon you. And (!) there’s a part of you that could really do with a little (maybe a lot of) structure. You have also noticed some days you feel a little guilty or maybe disengaged. You’re not feeling as present as you’d like.

Maintaining consistent and healthy communication between the adults of the family can be difficult with constantly changing internal and external factors. Read on to know about strengthening your familial ties by communicating better.

You can probably imagine that since my grandfather’s passing, Father’s Day hasn’t really felt the same for me. Even though I have found ways to honour him including taking a nature walk and lighting my grief candle, this day can feel more difficult than others without him. However, in this post, I wanted to extend a massive thank you to my Dad.

Taking some time to reflect on the fathers in my life

The struggle and numbness that can come with the new quiet in your home and having more time on your hands than you know what to do with can sometimes be overwhelming. Especially if it was unexpected.

Relationships are such interesting things! You need them! You need those individuals you call “your people” or “your tribe”. You have likely shared some of your best wet-your-pants laughter with them. You’ve also probably shared some darker times. Maybe your people are the ones you always go to first. Yet, they may say things or do things at times that make you react in ways that even you find hard to understand about yourself!

There are many reasons why parents find balancing out the summer schedule and responsibilities stressful, such as finances, not having “fun” options in the community or not being able to afford to travel because of the increase in gas prices. Perhaps you are a single parent and have other problems to face. These are all valid challenges and you may also have your own personal battles such as managing anxiety or depression, a recent break up/separation, and just not having the motivation to occupy your children for the entire summer.

The teen years can be such a challenging stage in your child’s (and your) life! Body changes, friend choices, academics, athletics, social media and technology stress, mental health…the list could go on forever! Teens are at such a formative age. Their brains have years to go until they’re fully ready for adulthood. Yet, they are trying to figure out their identity NOW!

How do you connect with our teen when they are navigating all of this?

Are you someone that carries feelings of sadness, rage or even pain when you think about your relationship with your dad? Are you looking for a better relationship with your dad?

All relationships have flaws and many people do not have the ideal relationship with their father. There are many factors that can strain the relationship between father and son/daughter such as divorce, absence, rejection and disappointment just to name a few. Then there is the perfect father, the father everyone looks up to, the over-involved father, the father you could never impress or maybe you never felt good enough.

Why does this matter? Because the first important man in your life and the impact they had on you will follow you and play a huge part in your life.

It feels as though it's almost impossible these days to get kids off their phones and out of the house to enjoy the outdoors. The rise of social media, the convenience of indoor play gyms as well as overscheduled days make it seem impossible even for adults to be getting outside, let alone our kids.