How to reduce stress when you face challenges in parenting - What getting lost in a whiteout reminded me

Everything was white and I was spinning…

At the top of a mountain.

On the edge of a black run.

With no idea how to find my way down.

I was skiing in Japan recently and got caught in a whiteout.

Three times.

Turns out perfect powder comes with lack of vision.

Who would have thought?

My husband and I were trying to get from one part of the mountain to the other.

At the top of this mountain, we had never skied before, we hit a whiteout.

I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me and had no idea which way was up or down.

My head started to spin.

Like when you have spun around too much as a kid and make yourself dizzy for fun.

I was literally lost in space.

And it was not fun.

I told myself not to panic and to breath.

But it made no difference.

My husband pulled out his phone to look at a map…

But we still didn’t know which way to turn.

He was spinning too.

It was not good.

Then something changed that immediately stopped the spinning.

We saw a group of other skiers on the mountain.

The best kind to find in a situation like this.

A group of young learner skiers…

with

…a ski instructor…

…who knew which way to go… without landing us on a black run or the edge of a cliff.

Immediately the spinning stopped, and we found our way down.

Nothing beats human contact when navigating a challenge.

No amount of mindful breathing, apps or other calming techniques was going to help me down that mountain.

It’s the same with other challenges we and our teens face.

Teens have never faced the level of mental health challenges that this generation is facing.

Parents of teens have never had to juggle so much and navigate so many new challenges as we do now.

For our teens and for us it can feel like a whiteout at times.

Your teen needs you…

AND…

At times you will also need help.

A guide to support you as you navigate the challenges and frustrations.

Human contact and support are so important.

It is for this reason that I personally write these articles for parents (not AI).

I want you to know that you are not alone. There is a human out there who really cares.

I’m here with you in the blizzard and can guide you through using what I learned from the many times I have walked through the teenage years with the families I have worked with over the past 20 years.

There are pitfalls that can be avoided.

Here to help.

If you want direct support from me you can check out my Calm Connection Program here