My guest today is Rae McDaniel.  Rae is back to share about their new book, Gender Magic. They share what hurdles they see in advocacy for trans & non-binary people like vocal habits and making assumptions. We talk about how transitioning isn’t the point, but living authentically, shamelessly, and joyfully is. I ask Rae to share more about their personal experience as a nonbinary person, and they tell me about dismantling the idea that being transgender is a burden to others. We get into gender norms, exploring gender in a lighter way, intimacy, and freedom for trans folks. I ask Rae what parents should know and for best practices in supporting their teens while they define their gender and discover their sexuality. We wrap up our chat talking on advocacy and supporting the trans community.Key Takeaways Rae’s new book: Gender Magic: Live Shamelessly, Reclaim Your Joy, & Step into Your Most Authentic Self Hurdles for advocacy like vocal habits & not making assumptions  Transitioning isn’t the point: living authentically, shamelessly, & joyfully is  Mental health and messaging for transgender teens and the importance of supportive family environment  The barrier of gender looking one particular way  Dismantling the idea that being transgender is a burden to others  Everybody has some fluidity and feminine & masculine energy  Gender norms don’t always fit cis people either Play, pleasure, and possibilities for trans folks  Best practices and tips for parents of teens discovering more about their gender and sexuality Finding your people and community   Being a partner to and advocate for your teen For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Showing up today to tease apart an email from a mama of an older teen. How do we maintain relationship, AND expectations, AND room for independence and practice with our older teens? I dig into all of it in this week's solo show. Check it out!Full show notes here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Ann Garcia, and this episode is full of resources & advice you can use right now. Ann is an expert on paying for college and has two kids in college right now, so she really gets it. Ann starts with an explanation of why some college educations are so expensive, what other options are available, and why you need to define your budget for college. Ann shares tips for staying focused on goals & how to talk to your teen about college. Ann tells me when it could be right to take student loans and gives lots of info on how to get scholarships. We also touch on financial aid, FAFSA, CSS Profile, & institutional merit aid.  Takeaways from the show Not all kids are college bound  Why is college so expensive?  Finding college at every price point  Figuring out your college budget  How and when to talk to your teen about your college budget  Focusing on goals, not constraints  Scholarships for every student  Student loans  FAFSA, CSS Profile, & institutional merit aid   Financial planning & parenting For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join me this week as I dig into the ways that our human-ness can get the better of us, even when we are the parenting coach!! I share about a recent interaction that I didn't love with. my own son, why it is hard to hold our teens in their light, and how to do better.See full show notes at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-392-SOLO -importance-holding-teens-capable Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is AJ Crabill.  AJ and I have a great conversation this week about school boards and the education system. AJ explains why adults are hesitant & sometimes resistant to changing the way schools operate and why we need to teach resilience (not just make things easier for our kids). AJ shares exactly what student-led restorative practices are and the benefits that come with them. I love hearing all the overlap between AJ’s work and Positive Discipline: the sense of belonging, classroom meetings, a focus on repair, and teaching life skills. We dig into why student behavior will not and cannot change until adult behavior changes. I ask AJ exactly what school boards do, how members get elected, and how parents can get involved effectively and usefully with the board. AJ finishes up by inviting parents to stand up and be the difference maker at their children’s schools. Takeaways from the show Student-led restorative practices  Why adults are resistant to changing the way schools operate  The importance of students feeling of belonging  Teaching & parenting in a way that builds resiliency  The overlap between student-led restorative practice & Positive Discipline  Student outcomes don’t change until adult behavior changes  How can parents get involved usefully with the school board & school leadership?  What exactly does the school board do? For more show notes, including full transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parents are often drawn to "do something" when their kids are making mistakes - but tough love (and by tough love I mean punitive consequences and punishment - taking things away, grounding our kids, isolation, yelling, blaming, silent treatments) doesn't typically deliver what you may intend for it to deliver.There is another way to frame it, another way to think about what our teens need to thrive into young adulthood.Listen in as I tease it apart during today's solo show!Find out more at https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts//3-myths-tough-love-what-teens-need Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Dr. Emily Kline. Dr. Kline shares all kinds of useful information this week around why and how we can communicate with our adolescents with the best results. We touch on relinquishing control and asking curiosity questions, then we dig in deep into what motivational interviewing is and why it’s so helpful. I ask Dr. Kline what motivational interviewing might look like when a teenager is using marijuana, and we agree that the best tool we have to influence our adolescents is relationship. Dr. Kline shares tips on how to start tricky conversations and what you can learn in the first 10 seconds. She tells me what limits, consequences, boundaries, etc. look like to her, what we do when teens disregard those limits, and listening for motivation to change.  Takeaways from the show Relinquishing control  Motivational interviewing Teens trying marijuana  The best tool for influence is relationship  Staying respectful & curious  How to deliver advice & why we listen first  Staying neutral & consistent around hard conversations   Expectations & limits without punishments  Avoiding socially isolating consequences  Listening for motivation for change For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's solo shows explores the iceberg and the belief behind our teens behavior in a new way. We have been here before and I am bringing you back to get ever better and teasing apart what it is your teen needs, and how you a can meet them there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m really excited to introduce Dr. Norrine Russell to you all.  Dr. Russell has truly walked the walk with her own complex children which has changed her parenting & professional paths. Dr. Russell shares what she loves about her work, what hurdles complex kids face in traditional schooling, and what parents can do to help support their atypical kids as learners. She talks on why teens need to figure out what they’re good at and how important it is to tell your teens how much you love them and the strengths you see (empowering encouragement, anyone?). I ask Dr. Russell how families can scaffold to support their complex kids, and we discuss how important it is to listen and observe your own teen, as well as how much individualizing you can do in your home to support your adolescent. We talk about how to reframe it when your kids look like “they don’t care” and whether or not “trying their best” is a reasonable and helpful expectation. Dr. Russell also shares her thoughts on motivation, laziness, ADHD, rewards, & consequences. We finish up talking about how to get teens to buy-in to coaching and what Dr. Russell wishes parents knew about complex teens.  Takeways from the show: School angst & school struggles for complex kids  Lack of flexibility, training, & resources in schools  Helping teens figure out what they are good at  The importance of “I love you” & encouraging atypical kids  Listening to & observing your teen  Individualizing things at home  Watch & wait before jumping in to help  Are “doing their best” and “trying their hardest” helpful & reasonable expectations?    When teens “don’t care” & what teens do care about  Appearing lazy, ADHD, & motivation Getting adolescents to buy-in to coaching For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another intimate exploration of what it means to be human WHILE raising teenagers. We are deep diving (yet again) into our own stuff. This week focusing on the limiting beliefs we may be holding that keeps our kids small, and the war between our two selves. Join me for some personal growth and discovery! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices