Blizzards, Boundaries & A Reminder to Not Bail on Yourself!

Feb 26

Hi friends —

I hope everyone in my area made it through the blizzard in one piece and even managed to enjoy the extended February vacation. Maybe some family fun, board games, hopefully electricity… and most importantly — USA! USA! USA!

I have always loved watching the Olympics. It never ceases to amaze me. The stories, the grit, the years of sacrifice. Chills. Every. Single. Time.

I’m a hockey aunt (not a hockey mom), but watching the women and then the men take gold? UNREAL! Add in the players skating around with Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey and bringing his kids out on the ice- I was a puddle.

As a high school and youth coach, and a mom of athletes, I don’t skate past the odds of being on one of these teams. The number of kids who grow up playing USA Hockey dreaming of that level — and then for talent, timing, and life to all align with the Olympic window? Incredible.

But this blog isn’t actually about the Olympics, I just needed to glaze the athletes for a minute!

It’s a shout out to an amazing speaker and a reminder to myself that I am comfortable doing things by myself- even though I prefer doing things with my friends.

Don’t Bail on Yourself

I live just outside of Boston, and yes — we did get that blizzard.

A few weeks ago, a friend told me about a parenting speaker coming to town. He’s a psychotherapist from Ireland, and I’d followed him on social media for a while. I listened to clips from his podcast. I knew I wanted to go.

I invited a few friends — but you know how it is. Travel plans. Kids. Activities. Life.

Then the snow started. And my brain did what brains do:

Do I really want to drive in this?

Do I want to go solo?

A fire and a glass of wine would be perfect…

Excuse. Excuse. Excuse.

But I really wanted to go.

So I went.

And I’m so glad I did.

I knew no one there. But I did it anyway.

It was such a good reminder:

We don’t need our friends to do something we want to do. It’s nice — but if something matters to you, go.

And honestly? I’m modeling that for my kids.

I want them to invite friends. I want them to build their community. But I also want them to know they can stand on their own and pursue what they’re passionate about — even if they’re riding solo!.

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Meet Dr. Richard Hogan

The speaker was Dr. Richard Hogan.

He’s written Home Is Where the Start Is and Parenting the Screenager. He’s also CEO of the Parenting and Technology Institute in Ireland

He co-hosts the podcast They F**k You Up with Ciara Kelly — it dives into how childhood and teen experiences shape adult behaviors, insecurities, and mental health.

Relatable? Just a little.

I went in feeling pretty up to date on his content. As an educator, I like staying current. I like being challenged. I also like reassurance that I’m not completely off base.

He did both.

Yes, he had the data. Yes, he had the expertise.

But what made him exceptional? He is a storyteller.

No preaching. No scolding. Parents raised their hands with questions and he welcomed it. He didn’t just drop depressing statistics — he gave perspective and solutions.

Also? There was a cash bar.

So let’s be honest — it was a night out for moms (and one dad), and even though I went solo, I didn’t feel alone. We were bonded in parenting and in the shared reality that this job is both beautiful and exhausting.

I love a good analogy

The seminar was called Parenting the Screenager, and yes — he covered technology and the very real challenges it presents.

He shared data. But more importantly, he empowered us.

Here is my favorite analogy of the night:

“When you get in a rollercoaster and they push the bar down and you instinctively push it back up, you aren’t hoping it flies up, you are praying it doesn’t budge!”

That’s what kids are doing when they push our boundaries.

They push back to make sure they are safe.

Mic. Drop.

He talked a lot about boundaries — how they move as kids grow. How they look different for each child. How kids don’t just need boundaries… They actually like them.

A mom asked what to do if she hadn’t set strong boundaries early on and now had a teenager.

His answer? No judgment. No shame.

“Start with one.”

You could feel her exhale.

Don’t bring in a full rulebook overnight. Pick the most important boundary right now. Focus on that. Then layer in more over time.

That’s doable.

That’s practical.

That’s something you can start tomorrow.

Why This Matters to Me

When he talked about the dangers of tech, it reignited my “why.”

Why did I start Teen Connections?

Because I realized how much parents simply don’t know.

Not because they’re uninvolved. Not because they don’t care.

But because they work in completely different fields. They aren’t with teenagers all day. They aren’t teaching health and wellness and watching trends unfold in real time.

I forget sometimes that not everyone sees what I see every day.

Parents are relying on their own childhood experiences to guide them — but the world our kids are growing up in looks nothing like the one we did.

Parenting is hard.

Being a teen is hard.

My job — and my heart — is to bridge that gap.

To take the overwhelming flood of information and chunk it down into digestible pieces.

Because you never know which small nugget will be the one you needed most.

One More Voice in Your Corner

Huge thank you to Dr. Richard Hogan for making the trip to Boston!

If he’s not coming back soon, I highly recommend following him on Instagram, checking out his books, or adding his podcast to your lineup.

Parenting was never meant to be done in isolation.

The more thoughtful voices we surround ourselves with, the steadier we become.