One day my 15-year-old had this tearful confession. She said, “I got something to tell you.” I’m thinking, “She’s doing drugs, she’s pregnant.” I’m just trying to stay calm. She said, “Remember when I was supposed to go to water polo practice? I skipped it and I went to watch a video instead!” And then she cried. On the outside, I stayed serious: “Wow, that’s pretty serious. We’re not going to have any consequences right now, but ...” On the inside, I was laughing hysterically, thinking, “Oh, my God, I have nothing to worry about!”

As those crazy teens say, LOL!

My teens are so busy (or they claim to be) that we hardly ever sit down for dinner anymore. Is this normal?

You need to make the time. Demand the time with them. Even if you have to eat late or early, spend the time with them. So many studies show the positive effects of having your teen sit down and eat with you.

Every teen and every family is busy. But at least the majority of nights in the week - 4 nights - you should have dinner together. Sunday is a no-brainer. Fridays are tough, but sometimes it's a great night to take your kids out to dinner. Same with Saturdays. You can find four days to sit down with your kids, and them with you.