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This time of year is all about the kids and making memories that the whole family will treasure for years and years. But setting aside special bonding time with my seventeen-year-old daughter has gotten trickier this year as she navigates her senior year of high school and prepares for college. I brainstormed for fun ways to spend quality time with her and found to my delight that several ideas came to mind simply by thinking of her likes. Read on to see if my ideas will help you too.

1. Do what your teen likes with them:

One of the easiest ways to spend quality time with your teen is to do what they like with them. My daughter loves being outdoors. Whether it’s going for a jog or a walk, helping with yard work, or taking photos, she is always happy to put on her shoes and head out. Going for a walk around our property is a special time for me, and I hope for her as well. Sometimes we walk in companionable silence and other times we talk over the birds. 

2. Let your teen take point on activities:

We decorate for Christmas together every year and no decking the halls will be done without Christmas carols at our house, so I asked my oldest to pick our tree-trimming music, which she was only too happy to do.  Then she and I hung the garland together while singing and chatting to kick off our night of holiday decorating.  By suggesting my oldest take point on a couple of our holiday traditions, I’m showing her a little extra TLC which helps keep our teens engaged and in the moment. Notice there aren't any phones in this photo which is a total win! 

3. Show your teen some extra TLC:

My next fun idea presented itself when I overheard my daughter state that she wanted to do her nails before school the next day, but wondered if she should get a jump on homework instead. Knowing that her schedule has been so full, I offered to give her a manicure, saying I’d love to spend more time with her. 

Sometimes our almost adult children need us to take the lead and allow them to revisit activities that were fun for them when they were younger. I always loved doing my daughter’s nails, but as soon as she got old enough to do them herself, I stopped to allow her to grow independent. Doing her nails for her is a love gift that we both enjoyed.  

Being a teenager on the cusp of graduating high school is an exciting, wonderful, and yes, stressful time for my older daughter, so the last thing I want her to fret about is menstrual pain. Sure, she’s almost an adult and could push on through, but thankfully, there’s a new product I found at Walmart. Advil® Menstrual Pain can help her stay on her regular, busy routine and even add in some more fun activities, so she’ll be saying, “What monthly pain?”When used as directed, Advil ® Menstrual Pain can alleviate aches, pains and headaches she may have during this time. 

I can feel confident about her taking this product because Advil ® Menstrual Pain is caffeine-free, antihistamine-free and easy to swallow. Many other menstrual pain relievers contain caffeine, which can make it difficult for our daughter’s to fall asleep if taken at night, or antihistamines which can make them drowsy during the day.

Finding Advil® Menstrual Pain at Walmart is easy. Just head over to the pain relief section and look for Advil. My store had the menstrual pain tablets on the bottom shelf. My daughter was thankful I found them and that we got to spend quality time together. I think she enjoyed the extra TLC as much as I enjoyed giving it.  I plan on continuing to find ways to bond with my teen daughters and will share this product with my younger daughter too. 

Please share in comments: Do you have a teen daughter? How do you like to spend quality time with her? 

My daughters are 14 and 10 years of age. They are both smack dab in the middle of a fashion crisis not of their own making.  The crisis? Shorts. Yep. Shorts!

We have been shopping for cool, fun, in style jean shorts on and offline for days now.  We aren’t being picky. Well, not on purpose.  We all just want affordable, classy, not trashy “bootie” shortie shorts. 

Repeat: I will not have shortie shorts in my house or on my girls!

You know the kind. The ones where the pockets hang out in front? The ones where the inseam is the size of my pinky nail? These shorts come complete with whiskers, strategically placed rips, some even have words! All meant to show as much leg and skin as possible. There are even shorter ones than those pictured above.  Older teens and 20 somethings might pull this off, but not my 14 year old.

The shorts for my 10 year old aren’t any better. She loves Justice brand clothing. Here is what I’m met with there. Not so bad in a picture or on a mannequin, but put them on a 10 yr. old playing at the park and you will soon see what I'm talking about. 

What about us Moms and kids who want something in between shortie shorts and Bermudas that don’t cost 25 bucks a pair? Surely we can’t be the only ones out here searching for nice, ladylike shorts.

Am I the only Mom that still says ladylike? I hope not, but if the leftover shorts at my local stores are any indication, I am in the minority. Have the other Moms just given in and said,”Okay, buy the shortie shorts, if they are in your size! And please make it snappy, because this is our 5^th store today!”?  That’s what we keep running into, no nice shorts in their sizes.

I’m not judging, I’m asking. Do you care how much skin your daughter is showing? It’s the last day of May and I’ve already inadvertently seen way too many not properly covered behinds to last me well into July! And don’t even get me started on the less than ladylike way in which some teens are forever picking and pulling trying to get those shorts out of uncomfortable spots! Trust me when I say, I'm not purposely trying to see these actions...but they are everywhere!

There I go, being all ladylike again.  And I’ll make no apologies for it. I’m a classy lady doing my best to raise classy daughters in a world bent on making them anything but. 

Sigh.

We did find these perfect shorts at Macy's, but they are on sale for 27.99 a pair!

Sigh again.

I’ll take my daughters shopping again today because I know 2 local stores got in new shipments yesterday. I pray they will both find at least one pair of jean shorts that are cool, fun and in style.

I might even pay more than normal for them! Wish me good luck.

How do you deal with the less is more trend in teen and tween clothing?