Women at Work

Working While Parenting a Teen: Not What I Expected

Nov 18, 2024

In this insightful conversation, Danna Greenberg, a professor at Babson College and co-author of "Maternal Optimism," shares her wisdom on the unique challenges of being a working mom to teenagers. She and Amy G discuss the emotional labor involved in managing tumultuous teen years while striving for professional success. They tackle tough questions like handling urgent calls from teens, dealing with judgment from peers, and finding balance without becoming overly involved in their children's lives. It's a heartfelt and practical exploration of modern motherhood.

52:33

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Episode guests

Danna Greenberg

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Quick takeaways

Parenting teens demands increased emotional labor from mothers, as they navigate their children's self-discovery while balancing work responsibilities.

Many parents mistakenly anticipate greater independence during their children's teenage years, discovering instead the emotional complexities and challenges require active engagement.

Establishing a robust support network and clear communication about boundaries is crucial for parents balancing the demands of work and raising adolescents.

Deep dives

Emotional Labor in Parenting Teenagers

Parenting teenagers involves a significant increase in emotional labor compared to earlier childhood stages. As adolescents seek independence, parents often navigate emotional turmoil regarding their children's self-discovery and challenges. The transition from managing younger children's schedules to addressing teenagers' emotional needs requires parents to adapt their support strategies. This shift highlights the complexity of balancing work responsibilities while being emotionally available for adolescent children, which can lead to added stress for parents.

Intro

2min

Navigating the Teenage Transition

14min

Navigating Work-Life Boundaries in Parenting a Teen

3min

Navigating Work and Parenting Challenges

7min

Embracing Mistakes in Work and Parenting

4min

Navigating Teen Parenting and Professional Life

21min

Navigating Work Arrangements During Parenting Transitions

3min

Do you expect and hope that you’ll have more time for yourself and for your career as your kids become teens and young adults? Amy G did. However, she didn’t fully anticipate the emotional intensity of being a working mom of a teenager. Responding to seemingly urgent texts, keeping track of an ever-changing after-school schedule, and being an on-call problem-solver would affect anyone’s ability to focus, including hers.

There’s little research on or conversation about this phase of working motherhood, and Amy wants to help other working moms not not only get through it but enjoy it as much as possible.

She’s joined by Babson College professor Danna Greenberg, who’s the co-author of Maternal Optimism and a mother of three twenty-somethings. Amy and Danna talk though questions like, How do I recover my focus after my kid calls to unload? How might I counter people’s judgy comments about how involved (or not) I am in my teen’s life? How can I avoid becoming my kid’s de facto boss?

Guest expert:

Danna Greenberg is a professor of organizational behavior at Babson College and the co-author of the book Maternal Optimism: Forging Positive Paths through Work and Motherhood.

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