

Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens
Casey O'Roarty
Welcome to the Joyful Courage Podcast - a place where parents of tweens and teens come to find inspiration, information and encouragement in the messy terrain of adolescenceThis season of parenting is no joke - and while the details of what we are all moving through might be slightly different, we are having a collective experience.This is a space where we center building relationship, nurturing life skills, and leaning into our own personal growth.My name is Casey O’Roarty, I am a parent coach, Positive Discipline LEad Trainer, and captain of the adolescent ship over at Sproutable. I am also a speaker and published author. I have been working with parents and families for over 20 years and continue to navigate being a mom with my own two young adult kids.I am honored that you are here… Please give back to the pod by sharing it with friends, or on social media, and rate and review on Apple or Spotify - work of mouth is how we grow!Thanks - enjoy the show!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 5, 2024 • 46min
Eps 507: Understanding “failure to launch” with Dr. Bianca Busch
My guest today is Dr. Bianca Busch, and we’re getting into the “failure to launch” or the stalling we see from some young adults. Dr. Busch shares what drew her to working with college students, and we talk about getting “cut off” from your child’s medical, mental health, and grade information once they turn 18. Dr. Busch shares the benefits of psychiatrists working with adolescents and parents in conjunction. I ask Dr. Busch what she sees when young adults and their parents feel stuck - anxiety, depression, mismatched expectations - there’s a lot playing in here, and it’s messy. Dr. Busch shares some tools, boundaries, & motivators, and I play with the idea of mismatched timelines. I ask what parents can do when they feel scared and what we can do when we recognize that our behaviors and beliefs are the problem and for signs that our adolescent might need more substantial help & support. We end on a happy note - celebrating our hard work in parenting, even when it doesn’t look exactly how we expected it to turn out. Takeaways from the show
Getting cut off from medical & mental health information once your child turns 18
The acceleration & benefits of when psychiatrists are able to work with adolescents and their parents
Is “failure to launch” a fair expression? Why are young adults stalled out?
Mismatched expectations & goals between young adults & parents
There’s no young adults who don’t want to launch; we have to discover what’s in their way
When you know your child needs support, but they’re resistant
The difference between “get your shit together” and a child whose safety is at risk
Motivational interviewing & coming from a place of compassion
Digging in and challenging our own beliefs and being open-minded to hearing our adolescents goals, ideas, & plans
Signs your young adult might need additional outside support
Give yourself grace! Celebrate the parenting work you have done!
For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 1, 2024 • 43min
Summer throwback - Eps 361: Finding the courage to parent our teens differently
This throwback solo show takes a closer look at how parenting with Positive Discipline does NOT equal avoiding the hard stuff, instead, it is about leaning into relationship WHEN the hard stuff shows up. Being brave is something we are invited into over and over again as we parent through the seasons of adolescence. Listen in as I explore what that looks like internally, as well as externally. Find more show notes and info about sponsors at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-361-finding-courage-parent-teens-differently/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 29, 2024 • 46min
Eps 506: Navigating grief that can show up during the teen years with Sascha Demerjian
It’s a tough topic this week - parental grief. Sascha Demerjian is here from The Grief House and beautifully intertwines personal stories with information. We don’t only grieve for people that we’ve lost. Sascha explains that we also grieve for expectations, narratives, & ideas - sometimes beliefs we didn’t even realize we were holding. We talk about how meaningful it is to have somewhere safe for the messiness of grieving and how we can resist wanting to jump in and fix things when others are hurting. It comes back to trusting the process. Remember that when our adolescents “launch,” they aren’t done growing & learning - they keep growing all through adulthood, just like we do. Grief doesn’t end, but bringing it to light & sharing with a community makes a big difference.Takeaways from the show
We get to witness our teens’ stories & narratives, not create them
Letting go of some beliefs in favor of a better relationship
We grieve for ideas & expectations, not just people we lose
Holding deep faith & trust that our adolescent’s lives are going to unfold just the way they are supposed to
“Don’t make it worse”
Working through your grief & worries with a therapist
Enabling vs. empowering
Grief doesn’t end
Bringing things out to the light & the power of community
For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 25, 2024 • 34min
Summer Throwback - Eps 357: Radical moves for parenting Gen Z
Today's Throwback episode highlights shifting our thinking about how we are showing up for Gen Z and why this is crucial as we move through the adolescent years with our kids. I share three essential tools for making this shift in a way that strengthens relationship and provides space for our kids to discover who they’re meant to be.Find all the show notes and info about our sponsors at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-357-radical-moves-for-parenting-gen-z/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 22, 2024 • 50min
Eps 505: Parenting with Empathy vs Codependency with Susie Pettit
My guest today is Susie Pettit. Grab some popcorn for this one! Susie helps people with boundaries, codependency, emotional intelligence, and people-pleasing using a lifetime of experience, and today she’s here to talk about her awesome parenting tool. You know one of my favorite mantras is “Fiercely committed, lovingly detached.” We’re good at the fiercely committed part of parenting, but the detachment part is hard! It’s hard to be with our kids when tough things are happening to them, and the urge to rescue doesn’t go away, but we have to let them make mistakes & learn. I ask Susie when we cross the line from empathy to codependency, and we agree on how important it is to trust the process & believe that everything’s going to be alright. Takeaways from the show
“Fiercely committed, lovingly detached”
Responding with empathy instead of codependency
Mom guilt is a waste of brain power
Detached means we respond differently, not that we don’t respond at all
Doing things for our kids sends the message that we don’t think they can do it
Empathy versus codependency
“Popcorn parenting”
Trusting the process
Follow the “what if” all the way
For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 18, 2024 • 34min
Summer throwback - Eps 329: Being with what's coming up for your teen
Explore effective parenting strategies for teens, including connection and understanding. Learn about supporting neurodivergent kids and building trust with teens. Reflect on ways to support teenagers and nurture meaningful relationships.

6 snips
Jul 15, 2024 • 41min
Eps 504: Teaching teens self-regulation with screens with Devorah Heitner
Expert Devorah Heitner discusses mentoring over monitoring teens with screens. How to teach self-regulation, track phone locations, navigate social media use, and support teen influencers. Highlighting the challenges of raising teens in a digital world and the importance of open conversations and parental support.

Jul 11, 2024 • 35min
Summer throwback - Eps 309: Paradox, Parenting, Pot Smoking
Back for another relisten - this is one I send to people regularly! Appreciating you tuning back in. And even if pot smoking isn't a challenge that is currently in your household, be sure that there are tons of nuggets in this episode for you to be taking away and integrate into your parenting.For full show notes and info about our sponsors, go to: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-309-solo-show-paradox-parenting-pot-smoking/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 8, 2024 • 51min
Eps 503: Examining Whiteness in Parent Education with Yolanda Williams
My guest today is my returning friend, Yolanda Williams! We’re getting a little meta this week as we focus on what white parent educators can be doing better, but believe me, this episode is full of great content for all parents. After catching-up on how Yolanda, Parenting Decolonized, and her daughter are doing, Yolanda jumps in and explains who takes on the emotional, physical, and spiritual labor of what’s going on in our world and why it’s such a huge deal for white parent educators to choose silence in order to not offend their clients. The labor, racism, and speaking out about hot topics that parent educators who are people of color are doing take so much time and effort that white parent educators may not even think of. I get vulnerable with Yolanda and ask about what I can do when I feel uninformed and uncomfortable about topics that I know are important to call out (spoiler: you don’t need to have all the answers to start speaking out). I ask Yolanda specifically what I can do to make Joyful Courage a more equitable podcast & platform and what I can be teaching new, fresh parent educators. Takeaways from the show
The roots of traditional parenting in our country is uncomfortable and rooted in racism, sexism, & capitalism
What’s the responsibility of white parent educators around race? Where can we grow? What’s completely missing?
Who is taking on the spiritual, physical, and emotional labor of what’s going on in the world right now?
How can we weigh in and stand-up for people when we don’t know or understand enough information to feel confident about doing so?
Asking yourself what you’re scared of that’s keeping you from speaking out? Sit with it, and do it anyway
Centering what our most marginalized children need - everything that they need to be liberated will liberate us, too
Using media as a starting point for these conversations
For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 4, 2024 • 29min
Summer throwback - Eps 275: How Does Firmness Show Up For You?
In this episode, the host explores different parenting styles from permissive to authoritative, emphasizing the importance of connected firmness when raising teens. Firmness in communication, setting boundaries, and promoting health and well-being are crucial aspects highlighted in the discussion.