Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens Into Adulthood

Adolescents who feel a sense of purpose in life report overall higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. What are parents to do with such information? Particularly, how does this relate to Christian parents? We cover this and other implications of such research results plus you get to listen whether Dr. Ken and Ashley were right to gang up on Jessica's desire for her children to be &#3...

Is there ever a time when parents should send their teenager to a psychiatric facility? (Please don't call them "mental hospitals") Today we discuss the situations that require parents to consider having their adolescent evaluated for psychiatric hospitalization. We also cover when parents might need to consider long-term, residential treatment as well as the negative effects of NOT co...

This week Dr. Ken gets honest with Jessica and Ashley's husbands, Charlie and Brett. Dad's have a different take on parenting and we dive into that as well as what it's like to have wives who already "know all this stuff." Brett and Charlie get honest about what they like and DON'T like about Feeding The Mouth That Bites You. This is only a taste of the full interview where...

We've already talked about sibling rivalry (see episode 24) but today we talk about teenagers' relationships with siblings in general. How can parents cultivate good relationships between their children? What are ways that parents inadvertently discourage mature relationships between siblings? And, as always, what are some particular aspects of the adolescent phase of development that make...

What do you do when you implement Planned Emancipation but things don't seem to be getting any better? It's not uncommon that we hear from parents who feel that Feeding The Mouth parenting isn't making the kind of difference they were expecting. To address this, Dr. Ken clarifies what kind of expectations are realistic for Feeding The Mouth parenting. Also, we focus on the intangibles...

In the 1950s, British pediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott introduced the concept of "good enough" parenting and Dr. Ken thinks it's time we brought it back! Parents worry so much about doing parenting "right" and put a lot of pressure on themselves. Even worse, there's this idea that maybe there's some book that you haven't read that tells you how to rai...

Today we take on the sometimes scary topic of sleepovers with teenagers. Strangely, many parents are less concerned about sleepovers when their kids are younger only to "shut it down" when they become teenagers. What kind of boundaries are reasonable for teenagers wanting to spend the night with friends? Although it's becoming more common, is it ever ok to allow boys and girls to spend...

How Does Feeding The Mouth parenting work in different cultures? Today we talk about the expectations that immigrant parents bring with them to a new culture and how that impacts parenting. Also, we discuss taking Feeding The Mouth parenting with you into a different culture from your own. How can parents maintain impact on their teenagers when the culture around them is changing so fast? Join us...

Parents often have questions about the effectiveness of therapy for teenagers. Many will ask, "How can a therapist tell when a teenager is just lying to them?" Turns out, that's not as common a problem as you might think. Today we take on this issue and other aspects of therapy for adolescents and adults for that matter! Join us on Patreon for bonus content and more: https://www.patreo...

Just in time for the holidays. Let's review some of the main things to remember when your adolescents are out for the holidays or even when your graduates come home from college or wherever. How can parents involve their teens in holiday family activities without compromising their sense of autonomy? What do we do with our kid's "plus one?" We cover these and other holiday topics j...

The goal of Feeding The Mouth parenting is for your kids to leave your home and start their own. But what about getting your life ready for life without kids around? Today we talk about preparing for empty nesting. When should parents start getting ready for this? What steps should we take in getting ready? Is it bad for my kids to see me almost happy that they are leaving? We answer these and oth...

What do you do when you find out your teenager has sent or received nude photos of themselves or others? Is the issue of nude photos the same problem if you have a daughter or a son? Nude photos shared among teenagers can be one of the scariest issues parents can think of. Is my kid gonna end up in jail for sending child pornography? What if it's just "normal" sexting while dating? As...

Today we focus on the best way to parent when your kids are young so they will be most prepared for planned emancipation when they reach adolescence. Dr. Ken is concerned about a kind of parenting that reverses the healthy pattern of teaching and disciplining young children followed by conscious releasing control in adolescence. "Reverse parenting" is the temptation many parents follow to...

Today we keep plowing through our listener questions. We take on issues surrounding giving school freedoms when your teen is home-schooled. How should a parent handle when your kid is dating someone who's parent isn't following planned emancipation and is bad-mouthing your parenting?! Do you handle school freedoms differently if your kid has a learning difference and is even failing some o...

It's been awhile since we've answered listener questions so we dive in for two episodes! Today we discuss important issues like, should teenagers EVER be given the freedom to skip school? How should parents handle boundaries such as sleep-overs if their teenager has expressed that they are gay? How do you manage limits on screen time when your kid needs to be on the computer for school? We...

Today we focus on the advanced communication skill of advice- giving. Dr Ken refers to this often but many parents aren't sure all the implications of this method of giving information to their teen in ways that actually have impact in their lives. We discuss that how's and when's of advice-giving as well as the importance of listening to your teenager... especially when they are sayin...

What basic skills do you require of your teenager? Do they make their own doctor's appointments? Can they change a tire? This week we discuss the sometimes alarming lack of basic life skills that parents require of their teenagers and why it's so hard to teach them. Whether you just don't live on a farm or you're hanging on to those "little extras" you can do for your kid w...

Trauma is another term we hear very often these days. How does trauma effect teenagers? How do we know when our teens have been traumatized? What are the effects of overusing terms like "trauma?" This week we talk about trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and its relationship to teenagers. HEADS UP: We do get specific about issues of violence and sexual abuse. Join us on Patreon for...

What is the teenagers role in Feeding The Mouth That Bites You? This week Dr. Ken talks about the message he (and other therapists) give teens about their responsibility to manage themselves while their parents are seeking to let go of their control. What do therapists say in counseling sessions with teenagers? Does everything they say have to stay confidential? Does a therapist just agree when te...

Listeners often worry that they've come across Feeding The Mouth late in their teenager's development. Is it ever too late to start Planned Emancipation? What's the best way to implement these principles if my teenager is already in middle or even late adolescence? Dr. Ken assures all of us that it's NEVER too late to start Planned Emancipation and reminds us that parenting teenage...

With so many new listeners we thought we'd clearly outline the ideal way to start planned emancipation. What's the right age? Should you do some sort of ceremony? Does it matter if both parents aren't on board with this? This is the first of a three part series. Next we cover starting late with planned emancipation. Lastly we talk about the teenager's part in all this. What does Dr...

Ever get so mad at your teenager that you threaten to kick them out? Most of the time you don't really mean it or your kid is too young to even legally do that. But are there circumstances when parents actually can or even should kick their teenager out? Today we discuss circumstances that may lead to forcing a teen to live elsewhere. We also review an article on a "homeless" teen that...

What about circumstances when your kid is still living at home after high school? Is this always a "failure to launch?" How should parents handle conflicts that may emerge with adult children at home? Today we discuss this and other questions related to kids who still live with their parents after high school. Got questions or feedback? We want to hear from you! podcast@feedingthemouth.com...

What should parents do when their teenagers are listening to music that promotes depressing themes or even violence? Does music cause depression in teenagers? Today we take on the often distressing issue of watching our teenagers consume music that really can't be good for them. What are effective ways to intervene? Aren't there exceptions to this whole "giving freedom" in music ch...

When should parents start doing planned emancipation? It's hard when you feel like you're the only parent doing it. What about kids that aren't yet thirteen but seem to be very responsible? Should you start emancipation early with that kid? What about older kids who aren't yet thirteen but push back so hard on your efforts to control that you just want to give up? We cover these an...