Speaking of Teens

It happens all too often. And it's scary for parents. Teenagers, in middle school and high school, are pretty likely, at one time or another, to sneak out of the house in the middle of the night. Yes, it's dangerous but try telling them that. How do you make sure your teen is not the one climbing out the window and down the gutter to go take a joy ride with a friend at 1 am? Well, there...

I’ve mentioned secure attachment in several previous episodes. We sometimes lump this very scientific concept under general terms like having a “good relationship” or “strong connection” with our kids and teens. This concept of secure attachment is the basis for these more general terms. It’s about first understanding and then meeting our kids', teens' and tweens' needs. If we don’t...

If you need help now, call the National Dating Abuse Helpline at 1-866-331-9474 or go to loveisrespect.org to receive immediate confidential assistance. If you've not been in this situation yet, you've been lucky so far. It's a terrible position for the parent of a teenager to find themselves. It's hard to imagine but your teen may just have different tastes in romantic partner...

Do you have a teenager dealing with a mental health issue? Maybe you have a teen who’s cutting or self-harming in some way or one who’s depressed or anxious or just can’t seem to cope with daily life. Maybe you’re just hoping and praying  they hang in there until they reach adulthood. It can be so hard to imagine they’ll ever be okay again when you’re in the middle of this battle. If you’re feelin...

Every Friday we're dropping a BONUS episode. Shorter but no less informative. Today's episode is about communicating with your teenager. Parenting a teen is far from easy. But remaining calm when they open up to you about something critical - well, it can be extremely difficult (but so important if you want to remain their primary "influencer.") Related episodes: 8 , 26 , 57 FR...

If you've ever been curious about "tapping", now's your chance to learn everything you need to know about this evidence-based, therapeutic self-help technique. The Emotional Freedom Technique, otherwise known as "EFT" or "EFT Tapping" has been scientifically shown to help children, adolescents, and adults with all manner of mental, physical, and emotional pa...

Every Friday we're dropping a BONUS episode. Shorter but no less informative. Today's episode is all about rules about rules! Related episodes: 15 , 16, and 22 Show Notes 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, pleas...

If you haven’t listened to episode #70, you might want to go back now and listen before returning here.  Perhaps you’ve been there; sitting on the edge of your 15-year-old daughter’s bed while she cries and pleads with you not to make her go to school because she “just can’t.” Or maybe you’ve stood outside the bathroom door while your 13-year-old son intermittently throws up and yells that he’s “n...

Normally, Friday is a bonus episode, but you've been waiting on this one! Today is the first part of the recent conversation I had with Jayne Demsky of The School Avoidance Alliance and you don't want to miss this or the second part coming Tuesday 9-19. If you've ever dealt with a stressed out, anxious or depressed teen or tween that just couldn't go to school, we've got s...

Middle school sucks for most kids. They feel awkward, embarrassed by everything, want more than anything to fit in and be part of the crowd. And navigating friendships can be ridiculously difficult...but when you throw smart phones in the mix, it's next-level.    On today’s episode I talk to Jessica Speer, the author of three wonderful books for kids and teens, who has two teenage daughters h...

Every Friday we're dropping a BONUS episode. Shorter but no less informative (maybe a little less formal). Mattering Movement Never Enough, When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic-And What We Can Do About It    (Jennifer Breheny Wallace) Greater Good Magazine article Find our FREE Parenting Guides Here "I just wanted to let you know that I'm so thankful for your podcast! ...I'm...

While it's impossible to be a “perfect parent” to your teen or tween, there are certain mistakes we can avoid...and it's crucial to your relationship with them, their overall wellbeing and their eventual success that you learn them now. The parenting mistakes I talk about in this week’s episode lead to lots of unnecessary conflict between you and your teen and can cause or increase a tee...

Every Friday we're dropping a BONUS episode. Shorter but no less informative (maybe a little less formal). Check out these guides to help you go deeper: “The Challenging Adolescent Brain” (e-book) “Communication for Teen Cooperation” “10 Keys to Unlock Your Teen’s Emotional Intelligence”  (now called "Emotion Coaching") Show Notes Find our FREE Parenting Guides Here "I just wan...

How well can we really know our teens? Of course, when they’re little we know everything just by default - we know them to their core. But when they become adolescents, our relationship naturally shifts, they want and need more privacy and it becomes much easier for them to hide bits and pieces of themselves from us. Do you think you’d know if they had an enormous secret? One they feel might be ju...

Every Friday we're dropping a BONUS episode. Shorter but no less informative (maybe a little less formal). See also, episodes 22 and 26 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!...

Teenagers are experiencing anxiety today more than ever before. Yet, as a parent, you may have no idea what teen anxiety looks like or how to help your kid if you suspect they may have it. Teen anxiety doesn’t look like adult anxiety, and often teens and tweens don’t have enough self-awareness to even understand that’s what they’re feeling. So, it falls on you to figure it out, give them the suppo...

Every Friday we're dropping a BONUS episode. Shorter but no less informative (maybe a little less formal). About the 26th Amendment Age Requirements History See also, Episode 62 and Episode 63 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 Please be sure...

Parenting is a stressful journey, and the teen years can be a major challenge when we don’t understand what role our own emotions play in our day-to-day interactions with our kids.   On the show today is Hunter Clarke-Fields, the Mindful Mama Mentor and host of the Mindful Mama podcast. Hunter is also the bestselling author of Raising Good Humans and has just released her second book, Raising Good...

Every Friday we're dropping a BONUS episode. Shorter but no less informative (maybe a little less formal). See also, Episode 1 and Episode 10 Parenting Science: Authoritarian parenting outcomes: What happens to the kids? About Gwen Dewar 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!&quo...

Today, I'm sharing an episode of The Purposeful Parent podcast. I was interviewed recently by Kristin Joy Davis and Melissa Curtis , both of whom work with parents and children. We talked about my own parenting journey of self-discovery and what parents who struggle to find peace with their teens need to know. Find our FREE Parenting Guides Here "I just wanted to let you know that I&apos...

Every Friday we're dropping a BONUS episode. Shorter but no less informative (maybe a little less formal). 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 s...

You know it's true! We should all just have "what the hell were you thinking?" tattooed on our foreheads! We not only have to watch out for their wildly emotional behavior but we have to worry about them doing things they've always promised us they've NEVER do. Afterall, they know better. We know they know better. And if you gave them a true/false test, they'd get it...

Every Friday we're dropping a BONUS episode. Shorter but no less informative (maybe a little less formal). Today: How do you manage your own emotions when your teen is testing your patience at every turn? "Emotional Awareness Strategies" Episode 8 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...

As parents, we have a lot of expectations of our kids (and we should ). The problem is, once they start looking more like an adult, we start expecting them to act like one. The "funny" thing is - that's not the way this works. Just because they have to shave or they're allowed by the state to practice driving doesn't mean they can show empathy for us or can do their homewo...

Every Friday we're dropping a BONUS episode. Shorter but no less informative (maybe a little less formal). Today: There are so many things about parenting teens and tweens that are uncomfortable. Too many to even begin to list.  It's time to get comfortable in your discomfort. FREE GUIDES for parents of teens and tweens: “10 Keys to Unlock Your Teen’s Emotional Intelligence” “The Challen...