First if all, do your kids actually need everything they own? Are you still hoarding clothes and shoes they have grown out of or toys that are now far to young for them to play with? Be ruthless - pass them onto someone else, dump them at charity shop or throw them out. It is not use trying to tidy around things which have outgrown their usefulness.

If any of your kids’ rooms are particularly bad (drawers full of small pieces of rubbish, sweet wrappers, broken Lego, pens without tops etc, try ‘mining’ technique. Take draw (crate, box or bag) and tip everything out onto some large sheets of newspaper. Then ‘mine’ all useful items and put them in a container. Everything that is left stays on newspaper. This is then wrapped up and put straight into bin.

Is there usually dirty washing in your kid’s rooms? Are they loath to use wash bin to put their soiled clothing in? If so, why not have a different coloured laundry bin for each child, or put a logo of their favourite character or pastime on front. This might encourage them to place their dirty clothes where they belong.

Attach pegs or hooks behind each child’s door. This is where they can hang their school uniform for next day as I think that trying to get them to fold their uniforms neatly and place them in a drawer till next day would be a triumph of hope over experience! This way, when they come home at night, when they change they can simply place all items on hooks and forget about them till next morning.

You may find yourself struggling with many dichotomies. For instance, while you are aware of and respect your teen's growing demands for privacy, you may have concerns about his or her friends and interests. Or you may want to establish strong boundaries, and yet at same time you want to help your teen become independent.

So while your teenager is facing a profound transition in life, you as a parent are as well. Now is time to evaluate issues not only with your children, but also with yourself. What are your boundaries? Are you a secure and trusting person? Are you someone with whom your teen can and wants to communicate?

If you feel you need guidance with some of these issues, there are many great books on market about raising teens. Establish a support system with other parents in your community. You can also find wonderful support systems via online parenting communities and chat rooms.

Meanwhile, use of aromatherapy on a daily basis will help you stay balanced, gain more insight, open yourself to trust your teen, and communicate your feelings and life perspective in a compassionate and calm manner. Below are several aromatherapy recipes to help you survive teen years!

Each recipe below should be prepared in a 10ml bottle. Pour essential oils first and then add organic vegetable oil to fill.

******** Blend for Tranquility ******** This blend will help you to remain balanced. It will calm your mind and emotions when you experience symptoms of stress and nervous tension.

-6 drops Sandalwood -7 drops Lavender -5 drops Marjoram -2 drops Rose otto