Relational aggression

Every time I speak to women who remind me of myself when I was in an abusive relationship, I tell them things that I wish I had been able to tell myself.

When parents allow themselves to get distracted by surface misbehavior, they push their children away at just the time that the young person needs to be held most closely. In the heat of the moment, don't take anything your child says personally but do remember how desperately she needs your love and support at this time in her life.