IMPACT: Parenting with Perspective

"Send Ben a text" Why do you want to motivate your teen? This is a powerful question and one that I have to remind myself of often.  I've found that when I want to motivate my teen, it's because I want him to do life differently. I want HIM TO CHANGE.  This has been consistent with the parents who are looking for help motivating their teens. They want to motivate them to be dif...

"Send Ben a text" Relationships are part of resilience! Resilience is a hot buzzword right now in education, which is making it be a hot buzzword in parenting too.  This is great! It's important that we understand resilience and become more aware of what we are doing to increase our resilience. But, I worry that too many parents and teachers believe that they are not qualified to he...

"Send Ben a text" How to discipline without drama. Keep Things in Perspective. Remember that challenging parenting moments are nothing more than learning and teaching opportunities.  Look inward: What can you control? What is your role? How do you want to show up? Be emotionally intentional. Model emotional control This will help you build a rock-solid relationship This will solidify the...

"Send Ben a text" Why is purpose so important?  In Lewis Carroll's book, Alice in Wonderland, Alice comes to a fork in the road and asks,  “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?' 'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat. 'I don't much care where -' said Alice. 'Then it doesn't matter which wa...

"Send Ben a text" What makes a conversation "difficult"?  Parents tell me all the time that they don't like having "difficult" conversations with their teens.  "I don't like confrontation," some say. Or, "I don't want to make them uncomfortable." So, let's get curious for a minute.  What is it that makes a conversation difficult...

"Send Ben a text" This book is all about YOUR relationship with others.  This is the #1 book that I recommend to others, parents, school leaders, EVERYONE! Tons of people say, "Oh, I don't like leadership books," or "I don't like self-improvement books." I get it, self-improvement books aren't for everyone; BUT, this book is different! It's actuall...

"Send Ben a text" Control is Impossible This is a really hard one for parents, even myself. We have this natural desire to control our teens.  Think back a decade or so, when our teens were young kids and smaller, we could control a lot of aspects of their lives. When we asked them to get in the car, if they said "No," we could simply pick them up and strap them in a car seat....

"Send Ben a text" What is Connection? When I talk about connecting with your teen, I'm talking about YOU building YOUR relationship with them. You CANNOT control how your teen feels about you! You can do everything "right," only to have them hate and despise you. Connection is all about YOU controlling YOU and the things within YOUR control.  How do you feel about your tee...

"Send Ben a text" What is Shame? “Shame is the most powerful, master emotion. It’s the fear that we’re not good enough.” ~Brené Brown “Shame corrodes the very part of us that believes we are capable of change.” ~Brené Brown Shame drives parents and teens apart and creates a belief that you’re not good enough. Emotion It’s a feeling caused by a thought (conscious or unconscious)  It goes...

"Send Ben a text" "It ain't about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward." ~Rocky Balboa Resilience for parents and teens.  Parents worry that their teens are still struggling, worry that their teens don’t have resilience, worry that things are too hard.  You and your teens are hum...

"Send Ben a text" Are you ready to send your teen back to school? “You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!” ~Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go! A Little About Joey! Joey has been working with teens ever since he was one.  Currently, he is a middle school teacher and counselor. Joey has also been a high school teacher, Sund...

"Send Ben a text" Why does struggling get such a bad wrap? Struggling has gotten a bad wrap.  We seem to think that struggling is something that should be avoided.  We are hardwired to avoid struggles and discomfort. This is just a basic part of being human. Our brains have evolved to minimize effort and maximize efficiency.  Society and media look down on struggles.  The truth about str...

"Send Ben a text" What is a personal narrative, and what does it have to do with my teen?  Personal narratives are the stories that we tell ourselves about ourselves, others, and our circumstances.  These narratives are tied to our thoughts and our beliefs, which then influence our feelings and actions.  Our personal narratives as parents are often reflected and copied by our children. ...

"Send Ben a text" The Self-Coaching Model puts YOU in control. The most empowering thing about the model is that it gives you control. It helps you identify the things that are within your control and then helps you focus on those. The model helps you realize how many things you can control, and how all of them are connected you YOU!  Too many of us, as parents, focus on things that are...

"Send Ben a text" “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.” ~Winston Churchill (Though after searching the internet, I'm not sure he actually said this.) Too many teens think they are failing life.  Often times our teens think that success is what they see on social media, TV, and the movies.  They don't realize that life rarely lo...

"Send Ben a text" #005- Parenting Life Coach, Ben Pugh in on a mission to help parents reconnect and build better relationships with their teens. These first 5 podcasts are a 5 Day Challenge that will do just that. The Day 5 Challenge will help you come up with actual steps that will help you make permanent change and improvement. Your plan will be short, doable, and custom fit for you....

"Send Ben a text" #004- Parenting Life Coach, Ben Pugh in on a mission to help parents reconnect and build better relationships with their teens. These first 5 podcasts are a 5 Day Challenge that will do just that. The Day 4 Challenge will help you appreciate where you are right now, rather than wishing you were already at your goal. You’ll find that where you are is the perfect place to...

"Send Ben a text" #003- Parenting Life Coach, Ben Pugh in on a mission to help parents reconnect and build better relationships with their teens. These first 5 podcasts are a 5 Day Challenge that will do just that. The Day 3 Challenge will help you identify something you’re actually excited about, something that you actually believe you can do, actually want to do.  Join the 5 Day Facebo...

"Send Ben a text" #002- Parenting Life Coach, Ben Pugh in on a mission to help parents reconnect and build better relationships with their teens. These first 5 podcasts are a 5 Day Challenge that will do just that. The Day 2 Challenge will help you gain even more clarity and make a bold statement that will help guide you as you go about the task of parenting. Join the 5 Day Facebook Chal...

"Send Ben a text" #001 - Parenting Life Coach, Ben Pugh in on a mission to help parents reconnect and build better relationships with their teens. These first 5 podcasts are a 5 Day Challenge that will do just that. The Day 1 Challenge will help you gain clarity and purpose. Most parents have never taken the time to identify what their purpose is, or what they're really striving for...