Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

My guest today is Chad Dion Lassiter, and he’s here today to talk with me about how the holiday season can be a great time for parents to model the practice of tolerance, empathy and understanding their kids will need to be successful in our multicultural world. I ask Chad how we can prepare our kids emotionally for messiness with extended family during the holiday season, and he shares ideas on how we handle heavy conversations and how we set the tone of our home. I bring up the trickiness of when your core family unit feels one way, but the extended family feels differently, and good practices for parents who are advocating for their child.  We talk about the hard conversations that arise during family get-togethers, how to “host like a diplomat,” being present, & seeing the beauty in all people.  Takeaways from the show Families are cultural carriers  The holidays as an opportunity to visit & connect with your adult children  Winter holidays come with spoken & unspoken expectations  How can we prepare our kids for the messiness of extended family gatherings?  Encouraging our kids to participate in intergenerational conversations  Advocating for your child when extended family has different beliefs  How to “host like a diplomat”  Families socialize us into being who we are  What kids need “in their back pocket” for a holiday get-together  Families can have a heated conversations while still holding truth, love, & kindness at the core  Seeing the beauty in all people For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week is the first episode of an end of year wrap up. We are doing an inventory of past, present and future in the context of emotional intelligence development. EQ is EVERYTHING and this week I am not only defining what it is, but also sharing strategies for STRENGTHENING EQ, and how to encourage our teens to do the same. Listen in!Get full show notes and info on sponsors by heading to https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/442-Developing-emotional-intelligence-parenting-teens/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join me and my good friends Amy Lang and Christy Keating as we dig into the trend of "sugar dating." Why do we care? Well, this is a growing trend on college campuses and it's important for parents to be informed and able to have conversations with their young adult children.Find more show notes and ad info at https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/exploring-sugar-dating-amy-lang-christy-keating/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join me for this week's solo show as we dig into the importance and power of doing our own work around self regulation. The teen years are NO JOKE and if you are parenting an adolescent you KNOW how hard it is to keep yourself calm and centered. I see you! Tune in for this conversation.Find more show notes and learn about our sponsors at https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest this week is Dr. Tasha Brown, and it is a good one for anyone loving and supporting dysregulated teens! Dr. Brown starts off today explaining how she found her way to working with children with significant behavioral problems, and I ask about accommodations and if people ever view accommodations as enabling. We get into how to handle low distress tolerance, high reactivity, big emotions, and oppositional defiant disorder in adolescents. I bring up why some kids are more emotional than others, and Dr. Brown explains how we can dig deeper into what’s going on. We talk about global trauma & creating safety in our relationship. Dr. Brown reminds us how hard it is to be a teenager and why we need to come in with patience & empathy. She also shares her advice on starting conversations in neutral, collaborating with your teen, discussing coping strategies, and paying attention to positive behaviors. We end with a broad strokes chat on understanding neurodiversity in your teen, especially ADHD, and if we should share our children’s diagnoses with them.  Takeaways from the show What are accommodations? Are accommodations just enabling?  Teaching teens to advocate for themselves Distress tolerance and reactivity Typical child development challenges versus oppositional defiant disorder Patience & empathy for our teens! Modeling regulation  Prioritizing special time & connection  Starting conversations neutrally & staying collaborative  Discussing coping strategies with teens The more attention given to a behavior, the more the behavior will increase  Understanding neurodiversity, especially ADHD in your teen  Should we tell children about their diagnoses? For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join me this week in an exploration of what it means to be present, and what becomes available in relationships when we choose into that practice.See more show notes at: http://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/Eps-438-power-presence-while-navigating-relationship Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I am so excited to talk to my guest, Valerie Tih, today.  Valerie starts by explaining what Enneagram types are, how Enneagram complements Positive Discipline, & why Enneagram types are useful when it comes to parenting.  Valerie shares a bit about practicing presence and balancing your body, heart, & head.  I ask how we can connect deeper with the teens we have and what to do when your Enneagram type is different from your child’s.  We get into how to expand our relationship with our teen, how our ego plays in, and how & why we need to have faith in our adolescents.  Takeaways from the show What is an Enneagram?  Why & how does Enneagram complement Positive Discipline philosophy?  “Stuff is going to happen; are we going to react or are we going to respond?”  Practicing presence in your body, heart, & head Connecting deeper with the teen you have  How to use presence to open a space for your teen to share  Expanding your relationship with your teen  Trusting that your teen will make it through adolescence For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join me this week as we dive deeper into what "individuation" really means, and how parents can provide an optimal environment for their teens to move through this very developmentally appropriate process.Get full show notes at https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/Eps-436-Creating-a-safe-space-for-our-teens-individuate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Ciara Fanlo, and I loved every minute of our conversation!   Ciara shares a detailed recounting of her own troubled teenage years and personal experiences with wilderness therapy and therapeutic boarding school. We talk about what does work well with wilderness therapy and the challenges of integrating back to real life after treatment. Ciara explains the difference between just functioning versus being emotionally well and resilient. I ask Ciara how she transitioned from these challenging teen years to now being a parenting coach & adolescent mentor, then Ciara shares her thoughts on how parents can get reluctant teens on board when they need help. We end by discussing self-harm as a coping skill, how parents can best broach the topic when their child is self-harming, and what teens wish their parents understood about it. Takeaways from the show Ciara’s journey from troubled teen to parenting coach & adolescent mentor  Nature as a part of therapy & connection to mental health  The pros & cons of wilderness therapy  Integrating back to “real life” after treatment  Being functional versus being emotionally well  How to get resistant teens on board when they need help  Teenage individuation & autonomy versus being who your parents want you to be Self-harm as a (poor) coping skill  The importance of self-forgiveness For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's solo show is OUT - take some time to listen. I talk about a lot - including my thoughts about my interview with Ian from Monday - and what is on my mind based on the convos I am having with clients.It all keeps coming back to owning our own sh@t. This is the juicy spot. This is where the real transformational space of parenting exists. This is where we get to nurture AND ENVIRONMENT that is safe for our kids to step into. This is where we can start to dismantle the walls that have been built over time and make room for connection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices