When My Teen Asks for Help, He’s Really Asking For Love

“Mama, you’re so pretty, you could be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.” My six-year-old son and I were nestled together on the couch, watching snow fall from mid-December’s sky and our favorite football team vie for a win. With his sweet adoration and heartfelt expression of love, he won my heart and gifted me all I could want for Christmas, too.

In stark contrast, these days I mostly just get grunted at by the teenage version of my son. My questions are typically answered with one-word sentence...