Raising teens is NOT for the faint of heart that's for sure! If you are recovering from the emotional whiplash from teens after having "moments of intense warmth and intimacy" only for them to go back to being cold and distant, you are not alone. 

According to teen parenting expert / psychologist / author Lisa Damour, "teens become more autonomous as they age, but not all at once, and not on a linear trajectory. My swimming pool metaphor is one that I come back to over and over. Read more in my @NYTimes article." See link below:

The Emotional Whiplash of Raising a Teenager

If you aren't already following Dr. Lisa Damour or reading her book Untangled, we highly recommend doing so! Damour has thoroughly studied teenagers and provides such sound wisdom to anyone caring for teens. Untangled might as well be THE guide to raising tween and teen girls IMO! She also has a podcast called AskLisaPodcast.