Dial Down the Drama: Reducing Conflict and Reconnecting with Your Teenage Daughter--A Guide for Mothers Everywhere - Softcover

O'Grady, Colleen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0814436552 ISBN 13: 9780814436554

Publisher: AMACOM, 2015

Synopsis

Congratulations! You’re the mother of a teenage daughter! Welcome to the world of door slams, boy craziness, glass-shattering screams, and eye rolls bigger than the earth’s rotation around the sun. The truth is, as you should remember yourself, being a teenage girl is one long emotional roller coaster. And if mom responds in kind, she’s just adding fuel to the fire and eroding the relationship. More than at any other time in their life, teen girls need their mom to be a stable anchor.In Dial Down the Drama, family therapist and mom Colleen O’Grady shares what she learned firsthand during her own daughter’s teenage years about how best to calmly de-escalate even the most stressful scenes and parent intentionally even when your teen is pushing you away. She wants every other mom to learn how to:· Regain perspective· Break the cycle of conflict· Tune into her daughter without drowning in the drama· Foster spontaneous conversations· Replace worrying and overreacting with effective communication and action· And much more!As Colleen has said, you don’t dial down the drama in order to survive the teenage years; you do so because you actually can enjoy them! This empowering guide gives you the tools you need to do just that.

About this title

Book Description

“The teenage years don't have to be defined by conflict. Dial Down the Drama gives moms practical solutions grounded in neuroscience that transform the eye rolls and one-word answers into healthy relationships with their daughters. I highly recommend it.” —Jack Canfield, Co-Author, Chicken Soup for the Mother & Daughter Soul ®

One moment your daughter is fun-loving and energetic—a pleasure to be around. The next she’s sulking in silence, or worse, screaming and slamming the door. Congratulations, you’re the mother of a teenage girl.

Your daughter is on an emotional roller coaster. Responding in kind just adds fuel to the fire and erodes your relationship. Teens need a stable anchor—a mom who calmly de-escalates scenes and parents intentionally, even when her child is pushing away.

Written by a popular family therapist, Dial Down the Drama reveals how to reclaim your center and reconnect with your teen. It helps you:

Regain perspective · Break the cycle of conflict · Tune in to your daughter without drowning in her drama · Foster spontaneous conversations · Understand the developing adolescent brain and how it influences behavior · Appreciate her for who she is now—a wonderful, work in progress · Replace worrying and overreacting with effective communication and action · Forge a healthy and lasting bond together

Moodiness, anger, and defiance can stress the best of us. This empowering guide gives you the tools you need to defuse the drama—and dial up the joy.

From the Back Cover

Are you done with the drama in your house? Tired of conflict defining your life? Do you miss the close relationship you once had with your daughter?

Millions of mothers are at wit’s end. They not only struggle with their volatile teens, but most also are unprepared for the tangle of emotions it triggers. . . .

You love your daughter.

You resent her bad attitude.

You worry about her choices.

You get hurt that she’s pushing you away.

You feel overwhelmed trying to juggle it all.

You just can’t stand one more eye roll or slammed door.

No wonder moms lash out when teens push their buttons! But overreacting—or freezing up—doesn’t feel good. And it doesn’t solve problems or build the relationship you want.

Dial Down the Drama gives you a fresh set of tools for not just surviving the years ahead, but enjoying the ride. Written by a family therapist who has repaired thousands of mother–daughter relationships, the book reveals her proven methods for de-escalating scenes, establishing a calm center, and reconnecting with your teen. Anyone can do it, no matter how anxious or frazzled you may feel now. You’ll learn how to:

Break the cycle of conflict once and for all · Tune in to your daughter without drowning in her drama · Foster spontaneous conversations · Understand the adolescent brain and how it influences behavior · Appreciate her for who she is now—a wonderful work in progress · Replace fear and overreacting with effective communication and action · Forge a healthy, lasting bond together.

Teenage moodiness and defiance can stress the best of us. But this empowering guide will help you defuse the drama—and dial up the joy.

Colleen O’Grady is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a thriving private practice, as well as mother of a teenage daughter.

Connect with Colleen at:

@poweryourparent

/poweryourparenting

www.colleenogrady.com

Edition details

• Publisher: AMACOM
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0814436552
• ISBN 13: 9780814436554
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256