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A fractured parent-child relationship DOES NOT necessarily mean that love has disappeared. More often, it means that frustration, disappointment, unresolved conflict, hurt feelings, unmet needs, or repeated misunderstandings have accumulated to the point that connection has become difficult.

One of the most important messages we can teach boys is deceptively simple: You don't guess whether someone wants sexual contact. You communicate. Consent means that BOTH people FREELY and VOLUNTARILY agree to the sexual activity taking place. It needs to be CLEAR, ongoing, and capable of being withdrawn AT ANY POINT.

There are moments when I look at my teenage daughter and think: "Who is this person, and what happened to the sweet little girl who used to think I was the funniest person on Earth?" There are days when she is thoughtful, funny, affectionate and genuinely wonderful to be around....And then there are other days. Days when I ask a completely reasonable question and receive a look that suggests I have committed a serious international crime.

A quick story...A boy I work with recently shared with me that his girlfriend broke up with him because her friends believed he was "toxic" (he's not) and that they would ditch her as a friend if she stayed with him. This girl unfortunately has a history of a previous partner cheating on her along with familial stressors and severe anxiety. The boy was confused, angry and sad. Couldn't she just tell her friends to trust and support her?