No, really… how are you?
Because somehow, we have reached the final week of July.
I know. I am not entirely sure how that happened either.
One minute, summer felt wide open. There were long evenings, fewer alarms, and the hopeful belief that everyone would finally slow down. The next minute, school supplies are appearing in stores, calendars are filling up, and parents are beginning to feel that familiar little buzz of anxiety.
School is coming.
And for many families, the last week of July is when the questions begin.
How are we going to get back into a routine?
Will this year be different?
Will my teen stay on top of their work?
Will they make friends?
Will they feel confident walking onto campus?
Will we make it through the first month without every conversation turning into an argument about homework, sleep, phones, or missing assignments?
You know, the relaxing little thoughts that help parents drift peacefully off to sleep.
This is also the time of year when many parents reach out to me because they want to help their teen begin the school year with more intention.
When I work with teens, we do more than talk about wanting a “better year.” We figure out what better actually means.
We set goals for the school year. Then we break those goals into realistic action steps. We look at the habits, routines, and structures that will help those plans hold up once life gets busy.
Because “I am going to be more organized this year” is a lovely idea.
But, it is not yet a plan.
We work on what the teen will do when assignments begin piling up, when motivation disappears, when their schedule becomes overwhelming, or when they realize they have once again placed an important piece of paper in a location known only to the universe.
We build systems before the panic starts.
For some teens, this school year is also a fresh beginning.
Maybe they are entering high school for the first time. Maybe they are beginning at a new school, moving to a new area, or returning with the hope that this year will feel different from the last one.
Sometimes the change is less visible. They may be entering the same building with a new awareness of themselves, a new social group, a different level of responsibility, or a stronger desire to feel like they belong.
Those transitions can be exciting.
They can also turn the volume all the way up on anxious, dramatic, and slightly unhinged thoughts.
What if no one talks to me?
What if I do not know where to go?
What if everyone already has friends?
What if I embarrass myself?
What if I cannot keep up?
What if this year is exactly like last year?
When teens have tools to make and maintain friendships, understand their anxious thoughts, manage overwhelm, and respond to themselves with more perspective, they walk into the school year differently.
They may still feel nervous. The goal is not to transform them into a person who floats onto campus radiating serene confidence while inspirational music plays in the background.
The goal is to help them trust that they can handle what comes next.
If you are interested in helping your teen begin the school year with clear goals, stronger habits, practical tools, and a plan that actually belongs to them, now is the time to get started.
You can learn more about my teen and young adult coaching packages here:
And let’s not place the entire responsibility for a successful school year on our kids.
Parents need support too.
You may be wondering how to motivate your teen without nagging them into another dimension. You may be trying to have conversations that do not immediately shut them down. You may want them to trust you, open up to you, and let you support them without experiencing every question as an interrogation.
This is where I help parents shift from manager to coach.
Together, we can look at how you communicate, how you set expectations, how you respond when your teen struggles, and how you support independence without stepping away entirely.
You do not have to choose between controlling everything and hoping for the best.
There is a place in between.
It is calm. It is connected. It is strategic. And yes, it still includes boundaries.
You can learn more about parent coaching here:
The beginning of a school year can feel like a reset button, but a reset does not happen simply because the calendar changes.
It happens when we pause, name what did not work, recognize what did, and build something more intentional from there.
So, enjoy this final week of July.
Let your teen sleep a little later. Let yourself pretend for a few more days that the school calendar is merely a suggestion.
And then, when you are ready, let’s help your family begin this next season with a little more clarity, confidence, and support.
Have a wonderful Sunday,
Ashley
There is a difference between helping a teen take responsibility for a poor choice and making them feel as though the choice reveals who they are.
In this recent article, I share a moment from my own adolescence that stayed with me far longer than the punishment ever did. I also explore how easily loving parents can slip from addressing behavior into moralizing it—turning you made a harmful choice into you are a harmful person.
Accountability matters. Consequences matter. But shame can cause teens to pull away from the very relationship that could help them reflect, repair, and grow.
This article is about separating the person from the behavior, breaking some of the parenting patterns we inherited, and finding a better way to say, “This choice matters, and I still believe in who you are becoming.”
Read “I’m So Disappointed in You” 👇
“For once, can I not be made to feel like I am the worst parent in the world?” - Mom
Parenting teens can feel challenging enough without the added barrier of language. If you—or someone in your community—would prefer to read resources in Spanish, I want to make sure you have access to trusted, research-based information that supports connection, calm, and confidence at home.
Below you’ll find an incredible collection of Spanish-language parenting tools from the Center for Parent and Teen Communication—a respected organization dedicated to helping families thrive through the teen years.
Sabemos que la crianza de adolescentes puede ser un viaje lleno de amor, desafíos y muchas preguntas. Por eso, quiero compartir un recurso valioso para las familias que prefieren leer en español.
El Centro para la Comunicación entre Padres y Adolescentes (Center for Parent and Teen Communication) ofrece una colección de artículos y herramientas en español que apoyan la conexión, la comunicación y el entendimiento mutuo entre padres e hijos.
📚 Encuentra temas como:
Cómo mantener la calma en momentos difíciles
Estrategias para fortalecer la confianza con tu hijo o hija
Consejos basados en la ciencia del desarrollo adolescente
Puedes acceder a todos los recursos aquí:
👉 Recursos para Padres y Adolescentes en Español
💛 Criar adolescentes no es fácil, pero no tienes que hacerlo sola ni solo. Cada herramienta, cada conversación y cada pequeño paso hacia la conexión cuenta
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