Pivot Parenting: Expert Tips for Navigating Teen and Tween Challenges

Tea time! This weeks episode is unique in that I've have direct feedback from teens on hurtful parenting behaviors. I was told things that they would never tell you - does any of it fit your parenting patterns? Listen to find out.  "Why do my parents think this way and are so bothered by me?" "What can be said to make you(my parents) like me more?" "I am not build-a-bear. If you can't accept your...

In this episode, we're talking about one of the most common (and sneakiest) patterns in parenting: assuming the worst. I see it all the time. And yes—I do it too. It shows up in the little moments. Like when your teen doesn't answer your text for an hour and your brain instantly goes to: They're ignoring me. They're mad at me. They've been kidnapped. (Meanwhile, their phone is dead and they're hap...

If you've ever thought, "I just want to love my kid and have them let me!" — this episode is for you. Many parents find themselves chasing their teen's affection, bending rules, overgiving, or trying to buy closeness with gifts and favors — all in the name of love. But instead of feeling more connected, they end up tied in emotional knots, walking on eggshells, and quietly wondering why they're ge...

Your motivated kid turned into a teenager who doesn't care about anything. Now what? It's heartbreaking watching your once-enthusiastic child become indifferent to grades, goals, relationships - everything that used to matter to them. You're probably wondering if you did something wrong, if it's just a phase, or if there's any way back to the kid you remember. In this eye-opening interview, we dig...

If you're a parent who lies awake at night mentally running through worst-case scenarios, overthinking every decision your teen makes, or trying to prevent every possible meltdown, mistake, or danger—you're not alone. Parental worry is universal. And it's exhausting. In this episode, I'm breaking down why we worry , what it's actually doing inside our brains and bodies, and how that worry—despite...

Nagging your teen never works—but what if you had a framework that did? In this episode of Pivot Parenting , I sit down with author and parenting expert Marielle Melling to talk about how parents can finally get on the same page with their kids without the endless power struggles. We unpack why nagging backfires, how to soothe the discomfort that keeps families from healthy communication, and the...

Today I'm talking with Jason Reid about one of the hardest parts of parenting: having real, honest conversations with our kids about the things nobody wants to bring up. The messy things. The scary things. The things we hope aren't happening—but often are. Jason shares his family's story of losing his 14-year-old son to suicide, and the gained wisdom he's sharing with all of us. He reveals the num...

Teenagers today are more "connected" than ever—and also more alone than ever. In this episode, I break down what researchers are calling a teenage loneliness epidemic and how it's quietly shaping our kids' emotional, social, and spiritual health. Large global studies show that about 1 in 9 adolescents worldwide report feeling lonely "most of the time" or "always." Long-term data also shows that by...

Purity culture isn't the opposite of sin—it's the counterfeit of real purity, emotional maturity, and healthy sexuality. In this episode, we unpack how purity culture quietly slips into our parenting, our faith conversations, and our expectations of teens… and how to replace it with something actually healing. We'll cover five practical steps that help your teen build healthy sexuality, spiritual...

If you've ever thought, "Why do my teen's moods control the whole house?" —this episode is for you. Instead of doubling down on control (which never works), I'll walk you through how to regulate yourself first, so you can actually connect with your teen and get real results. Here's what you'll walk away with: 3 steps to ground yourself fast (including Chris's "Safety Sequence" you'll want in your...

What do you do when you get that call in the middle of the night—the one that flips your world upside down? For Brenda, it was the night her son was picked up for wilderness therapy because his substance use had reached a breaking point. In this honest, gut-punch of an episode, Brenda and I talk about what actually helps when your teen is using—and spoiler alert, it's not pretending everything's f...

In this special 9-episode series, I'm reading chapters straight from my first best selling book,  How I Fixed My Teen . You'll hear my raw, real stories and practical tools that helped me turn my relationship with my teen around. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at my upcoming book,  Mom Got Jesus Wrong, Hallelujah! —where I dig into healing from harmful religious patterns and show you how to rec...

Trigger warning. This episode contains suicidal ideation. In this special 9-episode series, I'm reading chapters straight from my first best selling book,  How I Fixed My Teen . You'll hear my raw, real stories and practical tools that helped me turn my relationship with my teen around. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at my upcoming book,  Mom Got Jesus Wrong, Hallelujah! —where I dig into heali...

In this special 9-episode series, I'm reading chapters straight from my first best selling book,  How I Fixed My Teen . You'll hear my raw, real stories and practical tools that helped me turn my relationship with my teen around. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at my upcoming book,  Mom Got Jesus Wrong, Hallelujah! —where I dig into healing from harmful religious patterns and show you how to rec...

In this special 9-episode series, I'm reading chapters straight from my first best selling book,  How I Fixed My Teen . You'll hear my raw, real stories and practical tools that helped me turn my relationship with my teen around. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at my upcoming book,  Mom Got Jesus Wrong, Hallelujah! —where I dig into healing from harmful religious patterns and show you how to rec...

In this special 9-episode series, I'm reading chapters straight from my first best selling book,  How I Fixed My Teen . You'll hear my raw, real stories and practical tools that helped me turn my relationship with my teen around. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at my upcoming book,  Mom Got Jesus Wrong, Hallelujah! —where I dig into healing from harmful religious patterns and show you how to rec...

In this special 9-episode series, I'm reading chapters straight from my first best selling book,  How I Fixed My Teen . You'll hear my raw, real stories and practical tools that helped me turn my relationship with my teen around. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at my upcoming book,  Mom Got Jesus Wrong, Hallelujah! —where I dig into healing from harmful religious patterns and show you how to rec...

In this special 9-episode series, I'm reading chapters straight from my first best selling book,  How I Fixed My Teen . You'll hear my raw, real stories and practical tools that helped me turn my relationship with my teen around. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at my upcoming book,  Mom Got Jesus Wrong, Hallelujah! —where I dig into healing from harmful religious patterns and show you how to rec...

In this special 9-episode series, I'm reading chapters straight from my first best selling book,  How I Fixed My Teen . You'll hear my raw, real stories and practical tools that helped me turn my relationship with my teen around. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at my upcoming book,  Mom Got Jesus Wrong, Hallelujah! —where I dig into healing from harmful religious patterns and show you how to rec...

In this special 9-episode series, I'm reading chapters straight from my first best selling book,  How I Fixed My Teen . You'll hear my raw, real stories and practical tools that helped me turn my relationship with my teen around. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at my upcoming book,  Mom Got Jesus Wrong, Hallelujah! —where I dig into healing from harmful religious patterns and show you how to rec...

What does it really mean to raise powerful daughters in today's world? In this episode of Pivot Parenting , I sit down with Aubin Palmer, author of Power Women , to explore how mothers can model strength, confidence, and resilience in ways that empower the next generation. Aubin shares her transformative acronym P.O.W.E.R. , breaking down how each element can be lived out and passed on—not by lect...

We've all been there. You limit screen time, cook healthy meals, set boundaries... and your kid still finds garbage to watch, makes terrible choices, maybe even walks away from everything you've tried to teach them. So you throw your hands up and think: Why do I even bother? I get it. My oldest loves telling people they couldn't watch SpongeBob growing up because I didn't want them seeing parents...

Most parents dread "those" moments — the heated arguments, the eye rolls, the slammed doors. But what if you could handle those situations so well that your teen actually thanks you afterward? In this episode, I'm sharing my five-step process for turning any blow-up into a breakthrough. You'll learn exactly how to diffuse the tension, communicate so your teen feels valued and understood, and still...

Let's be honest—most of us feel a little panicked when our teen says, "I'm bored." It triggers something, right? We start signing them up for more, pushing them to be productive, filling every gap… but why? In this episode, I'm sharing why boredom is actually a gift —and how our discomfort with it says more about us than them. You'll learn: The real reasons we try to keep our teens busy (spoiler:...

Ever think to yourself: "It's too late." "Why even bother?" "Nothing I do makes a difference." You're not alone—but you are believing a lie. In this episode, I'm breaking down one of the most heartbreaking ways I see good parents unintentionally give up: they fail ahead of time. Out of fear. Out of burnout. Out of guilt. Out of believing their situation won't change. We'll talk about how to recogn...