Your brain bounces between your day at work, what time you need to get each kid to practice, your teen’s missing school assignments, that you haven’t called your mom lately, the load of the laundry to be switched, “What’s for dinner?” and “Why are 3 of my brain-tabs frozen?”
You are raising tweens and teens – the unique parenting phase where everything gets easier…and harder.
We’re finally believing all those “they grow so fast” comments. This is your last hurray with kids in your home and you want to love it.
You’re taking a second look at your career, your hobbies, how to share your gifts and talents.
Parenting grows your faith and then makes you wonder where your faith is.
You long for friendships and deep relationships, but you’re just so busy.
You’d love a quick place to connect and feel encouraged.
Join the hundreds of other women who’ve signed up for Empowered Moms and Kid’s inspirational monthly emails. You’ll look forward to opening them. (Plus, it’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time.)
I’m Cheryl and I’m walking through this parenting tweens/teens stage with you. I have three boys ages 15, 13, and 10. (Picture is 2 years old, see updated pictures here.) Then, as if raising my own tweens/teens isn’t enough, I go every day to work to spend time with – ready for this? – more teens.
I teach high school and love it! I’ve taught since I was 22 years old. Here’s my quick working-with-teens resume…
- Master’s degree in Educational Leadership
- Math teacher: Alg II, Alg I, Alg 1 Concepts, Basic Math, ACT Prep, Geometry, and Calculus
- Academic & Career Mentor for our E3 STEM program (Mentoring/counseling students)
- Working with businesses/colleges to create career exploration and opportunities for our students
- NCDA Career Counseling Certificate
Then, I started having babies, and oh-wow-spinning-world how that changes your perspective. I wanted to stay home, so after my second son was born, I took a leave of absence from my job. For 6-years. But even during my SAHM season, I still craved teaching. I ran a tutoring center from my home working with teens and parents and education from a different angle.
Education is my thing.
Lessons pop out at me and I can’t even help but shape them to share. It’s like a reflex. It’s weird…but useful. And that’s why I love working on this website.
Through stories, inspiration, and resources, I have two goals with this online magazine for both myself and my fellow moms raising tweens and teens. I want us all to…
1. Be Empowered Moms
In raising older kids, we’ve figured out that the perfect mom doesn’t exist, our dreams and goals are important, self-care matters, we need to ask for help, and that there are all kinds of big soul emotions that come with seeing our big kids grow so fast. This season is a great time to strengthen ourselves through…
Personal growth
- EMandK’s gives you great resources like podcasts to inspire and fill you up.
- Help you walk through mom-life issues like finding courage, dealing with difficult people, and building a strong community of moms.
- Encouragement for the mom going back to work after being a SAHM. Also, thoughts on getting the most out of working-mom life.
- Cheer you on! (Momma, you’re not just exhausted – you are beautifully exhausted!)
Building strong relationships with your family in the daily routine
- How to get your quiet tween/teenage son to open up to you
- How to get your family to help keep the house clean through humor and a checklist
- Help get those happy endorphins flowing through family exercises.
- Crash together on the couch after a long week with popcorn and a great list of movies.
- Figure out how to navigate the middle school years and for the mom of a high school freshman.
Grow your faith through motherhood
- Nudge you to see God and build your faith through motherhood.
- Give you tools to find direction and peace in the chaos.
- Recommend 60+ encouraging and inspirational best books for mothers.
2. Raise Empowered Kids
And I don’t mean raise kids who don’t make mistakes. Learning to walk through failures and struggles and life’s flaws are essential parts of a tween/teens’ growth and maturity process. Instead, in daily life, we want to see our kids strengthened in these ways…
Help your tweens/teens in their personal growth
- Raise kids with character and raise kind kids and use transformational phrases that will help shape your kids into leaders.
- Help your kids thrive in school through asking these 4 questions, this heartfelt explanation (it’s good!), this story of what I did when my kid was struggling in school, and this motivational tool.
- Promote creativity (especially in the summer),
- Teach your kids to be intentional with their time (summer planning activity)
- Best podcast for teenage boys.
- Booklists your kids will love: for high school students and middle school students.
Help your tweens/teens build strong family relationships in the routine
- Create family connection and get your tween/teenage son to open up and share with you.
- Get to know your kids’ hearts through family prayer.
- Find meaningful gifts for teen boys to put under the tree, next to the cake, just because.
Help your tweens/teens grow in their faith
- Raise faith-filled kids
- Free gratitude journal.
- Family devotionals that will bring your people closer.
- And more…
I’d love to stay connected with you. Join the email list and follow Empowered Moms and Kids on Facebook – let’s do this mom-life-thing together!
Thanks for being here,
Cheryl
sinceibecameamom at gmail.com
PS – I write in the spirit of encouragement. I never mean to offend or upset you. If something I wrote did – know that it wasn’t intentional.
Affiliate Links and Disclaimer and Privacy
This website contains affiliate links: Empowered Moms and Kids has affiliate links throughout the website. Also, EMandK is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. EMandK’s receives a small commission at no additional cost to you. (Disclosed in compliance with FTC Regulations.)
Disclaimer: This website is intended for educational purposes only and does not know the specific details of your unique situation so cannot make decisions for you. EMandK’s encourages seeking professional help when necessary. Read the full disclosure here.
Privacy: This website values online security and strives only to work with companies (in regards to this blog) that also value privacy. You can read more in the privacy policy here. In general, if you are concerned about your privacy, as always, research and take measures to protect yourself online. If you question anything about your privacy related to this site, please stop using the site.
Publications
Empowered Moms & Kids was formerly called Since I Became a Mom.
The Huffington Post:
18 Hours Later and I Felt Braver (For Moms)
To the Mother of All Boys
Why Alone Time for You Is Good for Your Kids
5 Lies We Tell Ourselves
Today Parenting:
(Don’t forget to click “vote up” on the upper left side of my Today Parenting articles.)
Everything’s Been Canceled – but, love hasn’t…
5 Reasons Why A Miscarriage is so Emotionally Painful
Momma, You’re Not Just Exhausted – You’re BEAUTIFULLY EXHAUSTED…
To the Working Mom
Helicopter Parenting {The Good Kind}
Young Mommas, Your Babies Will Grow But Don’t Be Sad
Her View From Home:
Sometimes Late Bloomer Just Need Time
Dear Kids, You Nailed Distance Learning and We’re So Proud of You
Parenting Teens and Tweens:
It’s Hard to Stop When Raising Teens and See The Great Kid in Front of You
International Publications:
Buzzit.No (Norway): To the Mother of All Boys
Mamamia Women’s Network (Australia): To Every Mother of Boys: You Can Count Yourselves Lucky.
The Huffington Post (Germany): To the Mother of All Boys
The Huffington Post (Italy): To the Mother of All Boys
Psychologies (Russia): To the Mother of All Boys
The Huffington Post (United Kingdom): To the Mother of All Boys
Published on Faithit.com
Sometimes I Do My Best Parenting at Starbucks
To the Mother of All Boys
Guest Blogger on:
Made to Mother: To the Mother of All Boys
Inspire Me Mama: Let Your Faith Be Bigger Than Your Fear
Moms Magazine: You are Inspirational
Published in Print:
MomSense Magazine May/June 2009: I Need Friends!
MomSense Magazine March/Apri 2010: Creative Exercise
*MomSense Magazine is a publication of MOPS International. The name has changed and the magazine is now called Hello Darling.
Blog Featured on:
parenting.com – check it out here.
Equipping Godly Women – check it out here.
Beautiful Ashes – check it out here.
Skipping Sideways – check it out here.
The Evil Mommy – Best Advice to Help Parents of Teens During a Pandemic
Our bathroom remodel was featured here on the amazing Remodelaholic blog.
