In the Driver’s Seat  

Illustrations: Karen Keet

When Chavi’s kids were young, answering their questions was easy: “How do birds stay up in the air?” “Why is candy bad for our teeth?” She could swing that.

But once her oldest daughter Shevy became a teen, she floundered. When Shevy complained about her school’s technology rules, or challenged her with questions on tzniyus, Chavi felt inadequate and helpless.

Rina’s teenage daughter Sari didn’t have an easy time academically, and the high school social scene was challenging for her as well. Some days were good, but other times Sari came home in a terrible mood.

When this happened, Rina would immediately try to find solutions to the problems. But Sari would be in no mood for such a conversation, and invariably the communication would end in disaster — with both of them feeling bad about Sari’s difficult day.