Speaking of Teens

If you're at the end of your rope with your teen, feeling lost, anxious, wondering where you've gone wrong--this episode's for you. Maybe your teen's using substances, not listening, angry all the time, getting in trouble, or really struggling with their mental health. It's easy to become overwhelmed, anxious, angry, or to feel completely lost. I know exactly how you feel...

"Why doesn't my teenager share anything with me? They just won't talk to me." It's a common refrain among many parents of teens and tweens.  Why is it that it often seems like your teen would rather do almost anything than give you any information about themselves or come to you as their confidant? There are two major reasons: adolescent development and your behavior.  Lis...

One of the toughest issues about parenting a teen may just be trying to agree on how to parent said teen, with your spouse. If you're having a hard time agreeing on teen parenting issues with your spouse, this episode's for you. Today, I’ll explain how to have a few key conversations with your spouse that will help you get on the same page and present a united front to your teen and decr...

For many generations, parents in Western world have focused on the very short-sighted goal of stopping unacceptable behavior in their kids and teenagers. This has generally been accomplished through harsh parenting tactics such as punishment. Additionally, when parents become afraid or nervous about the behavior their teen or tween is exhibiting, they tend to employ similar harsh parenting tactics...

Today I'm re-publishing an episode from about 6 months ago that has been extremely popular (and apparently very helpful). As the parent of a teen or tween we often feel frustrated (or even worried) about our kid's behavior. If they would just do what they're supposed to do - if they'd just listen - we wouldn't have any issues. It's hard to imagine any of their behavio...

Today I'm re-publishing an episode from about 6 months ago that has been extremely popular (and apparently very helpful). As the parent of a teen or tween we often feel frustrated (or even worried) about our kid's behavior. If they would just do what they're supposed to do - if they'd just listen - we wouldn't have any issues. It's hard to imagine any of their behavio...

Today I'm re-publishing an episode from about 6 months ago that has been extremely popular (and apparently very helpful). As parents of a teen or tween we're often frustrated, concerned, or even downright anxious about their behavior. We just want them to listen to us and do what they're supposed to do. Is that really too much to ask?  Well, it turns out, it just might be. A lot our...

Teasing is a big part of many parents' communication toolbox. But when it comes to teasing teens and tweens, it's easy to accidentally overstep. Teenagers are notorious for misinterpreting parents. Their brains often don't hear what we think we say.  You may mean to tease them in a playful manner but they may hear it as criticism.  Listen today as I explain the difference between pl...

Are you stressed out about your teen’s or tween’s online life? Have recent discussions of banning social media until age 16 making you feel like a horrible parent? Are you constantly fighting over screentime with them? Parenting is 1,000 times more stressful today than it was for our parents thanks to smart phones and social media.  And it certainly doesn’t help when there seems to be a new study...

You could be misinterpreting your tween or teen's unpleasant attitude, their emotional meltdowns, their angry tirades, or their rude, entitled, and disrespectful behavior (or you may be at least interpreting it from an uninformed point of view). And the way you think about and interpret your teen or tween's behavior impacts how you feel about it and how you parent them. So, if you don&ap...

Find our FREE Parenting Guides Here "I just wanted to let you know that I'm so thankful for your podcast! ...I'm so happy I discovered it!" Speaking of Teens Listener ^If you feel the same way, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps people know the show is worth their time to listen. Tap here , to go to Apple podcasts, and scroll down until you see the STARS t...

Our mindsets--the way we think about things--impact the way we feel and behave. And there are some particular ways of thinking that make it especially hard to parent teens and tweens. Becoming more aware of a handful of these mindsets can help you change them (and therefore, change your feelings and your parenting behavior). Simple changes can make all the difference in your family dynamic. Join m...

I'll bet you're like most other parents of tweens and teens and keep a keen eye on their school's parent portal. You're looking for missed assignments, late projects, etc. so you can help them stay on top of things, right?  Well, today I'm going to challenge your thinking and your methodology. Is this strategy really helpful? Does it teach your teen or tween to do their wo...

The holidays are incredibly stressful for most of us. And much of this stress is self-imposed. We expect too much of ourselves and   we often expect too much of our teens (and we don't even realize it until the disappointment sets in). Join me today as I discuss how to manage your expectations and modify your mindset about your teens so things can be much more relaxed and enjoyable for you an...

In today's episode I talk to co-founder of Not Therapy Coachin g, Hayley Caddes (you may recall episodes 168 and 169 that I spoke to her co-founder, Colin MacDonald) Hayley, like Colin, is a former "troubled teen" and together they coach teens and young adults through the same trials and struggles they had as teens. Hear Hayley talk about what it's like as a teenager coming out...

Some of us are just less aware of our emotions and less able to manage them well. I'm raising my own hand here! In this episode I "coach" a mom through her emotional dysregulation and try to bring more awareness to where it's coming from so she can manage it better. Show Notes for other resources and sources Transcript Find our FREE Parenting Guides Here "I just wanted to...

Today's episode wraps up the series on teen substance use and is a continuation from last week's episode on the methods discussed in the book, Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change . If your teen or tween is using substances and you want to know how to best motivate them to change their behavior, this episode and last week's episode 183 is for you. Today I&ap...

Today's episode is all about the methods discussed in the book, Beyond Addiction: How Science and Kindness Help People Change . If you're teen is using substances and you want to know how to best motivate them to change their behavior, this is the episode for you. I talk about motivational interviewing and the Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) method of communicating wi...

What the heck is going on down at the convenience store or corner vape shop? They're selling something that looks a whole lot like marijuana, cannabis, or weed. And this stuff (otherwise known as "gas station weed") can get people even higher than the marijuana sold at the legal dispensaries that contain the high-producing, delta-9 THC. Even worse, this stuff is being sold legally t...

It's such a frightening thought; "Does my teen or tween have a substance use disorder? Is this more than occasional use or experimentation?" How are you supposed to know when your teenager has crossed that line? Who can help you determine if their substance use rises to the level of an "addiction"? Today I'll clarify some terminology, tell you how to figure these thin...

Fentanyl is still a danger to teens and tweens and now there are even other chemicals being thrown in the mix of counterfeit pills that could be even deadlier. However, some expert are saying that it appears there may be less fentanyl in the supply chain in recent months. Additionally, although overall illicit drug use among teens has been decreasing for years, opioid use disorder among adolescent...

There's no doubt that teens do risky things around their peers. But just how much influence do those peers have over your teen's use of substances? Can you do anything about the bad influences your teen is hanging out with? What factors do you need to consider? What about your influence? Can you counteract the influence your teen's peers have on them?💯 See the list of other episode...

As a parent, perhaps you've been confronted with this issue: you've found evidence that your teen or tween is vaping, drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, or using other substances and you have no idea what to do next. You can't think. You're upset, angry, anxious, confused, disappointed, etc. Do you give consequences? Do you call a therapist? What do you even say? I'll te...

Research tells us that teens whose parents employ effective monitoring are less likely to engage in risky behaviors like having sex at an early age, smoking, drinking, using drugs, skipping school or being physically injured – they’re also more likely to have better mental health. So "monitoring" works but what does it even mean and how do you do it "effectively"? I'll bre...

This is the second episode in our series on teens, tweens and substance use. Today I want to make sure you understand the risk factors for teen and tween substance use and substance disorders. Familiarizing yourself with the risk factors gives you the opportunity to empower your teen or tween to be proactive in avoiding substances, provide supports systems for them if they need it, and to stay vig...