I take my teen daughter out on monthly dates with me. It saved our relationship.

Courtesy of the author

• As a mom of three, I'm often overwhelmed.
• It was hard to connect with my teenage daughter at home, and we both ended up frustrated.
• Now we got on "mommy and me" dates just the two of us so we can connect without interruptions.

As a mom of three, juggling work, a chronic illness, and housework, most days, I feel overwhelmed and overstimulated.

On those days, when my teen daughter tries to talk, one of us ends up frustrated, or my daughter storms off to her room.