Parents can do more than they realize to help their teen deal with the roller coaster of emotions that come with the teenage years. As our kids grow and their brains develop, they experience large feelings. Their limited skill set for managing emotions paired with the extra pressure of the pandemic has exacerbated behavioral health issues and increased teen suicide. Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler interviews Dr. Lia Gaggino to find out what we need to know about behavioral health and teen suicide. They discuss what's happening, why, and share steps parents can take to help their teenagers. Our Guest: Dr. Lia Gaggino Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 195 Our Sponsor:  Sandy Fowler: Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? I get it. Grab my complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

Mighty Parenting | Raising Teens | Parenting Young Adults

What Parents Can Do About Behavioral Issues and Teen Suicide | Dr Lia Gaggino | Episode 195

It's becoming more and more common for teens to take a gap year in their secondary educations, and parents often get concerned because of some common misconceptions, including that gap years are excuses to skip school and can be damaging to college prospects. Emma B Perez joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to help calm parents’ fears regarding gap years and enlighten us as to the benefits and full potential for growth and experiences that gap years actually hold for our teens. Our Guest: Emma B Perez Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 194 Our Sponsor:  Sandy Fowler: Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? I get it. Grab my complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

Why a Gap Year Might Be Essential | Emma B Perez | Episode 194

We all have personal lines in the sand that we sometimes struggle to uphold, especially when they're between us and our kids. Boundaries are a critical part of any relationship, but especially ours with our children, and setting fair boundaries for teens helps strengthen our relationship with them. Conscious parenting coach Lauren Coglianese Keck joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to explain how we can better understand ourselves, avoid trying to dictate our teens' behavior and emotions, and how to communicate with our children so we and they can set and uphold fair, strong, two-way boundaries together. Our Guest: Lauren Coglianese Keck Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 193 Our Sponsor:  Sandy Fowler: Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? I get it. Grab my complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

Boundaries for Teens | Lauren Coglianese Keck | Episode 193

Part of growing up includes learning to push boundaries and develop opinions independent of others’ influences. This gets taken to the extreme during the teenage years. With teens it often seems like one minute they’re small children listening to you about everything and the next minute they’re taller, lankier, and not listening to you at all. Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler invites educator and business consultant John J. Murphy to teach us eight leadership competencies to help increase our insight into and positive influence in our relationships with our kids, and encourage our kids to start developing these competencies for themselves. Our Guest: John J. Murphy Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 192 Our Sponsor:  Sandy Fowler: Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? I get it. Grab my complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

8 Leadership Competencies That Build Influence with Our Teens | John J Murphy | Episode 192

Careers are incredibly variable, and many of our societies are big on kids choosing career paths before they even start secondary education. But how are they supposed to even know where to start? And how can we guide our teens in figuring out how to educate themselves and choose a career without letting our own experiences and preferences influence their choices? Career strategist and coach Devan Turcotte joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to explore education options alternative to college, ways to research possible careers, and how to encourage and support your teen through the first steps of choosing their career paths. Our Guest: Devon Turcotte Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 191 Our Sponsor:  Sandy Fowler: Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? I get it. Grab my complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

What Teens Need to Choose a Career | Devon Turcotte | Episode 191

Thanks to family stories, past experiences and popular media exposure, it's been hammered into us that arguing in a family should not happen; that arguments are bad and shouldn't be present in a happy, healthy family. Nobody likes listening to their parents or siblings argue. However, arguments also get points across when we feel we can't get them across any other way. Today Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler is joined by Lynda Cormier, a personal development speaker and coach, to help us understand arguing, its place in familial relationships, and how we can make it productive instead of hurtful.  Our Guest: Lynda Cormier Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 190 Our Sponsor:  Sandy Fowler: Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? I get it. Grab my complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

The Effects of Family Arguments | Lynda Cormier | Episode 190

We think teaching our kids about sex is all about The Talk. Actually it starts with how we behave, what they learn from friendships and sibling relationships and more. Jennifer Litner joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to discuss sex-positive parenting. Jennifer shows us how everyday actions and interactions in many areas of our lives impact our teens and twenty somethings. Find out what you need to know about communication, boundaries, media, values and more as they play into your child's views on sex and sexuality. Our Guest: Jennifer Litner Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 189 Our Sponsor:  Sandy Fowler: Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? I get it. Grab my complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

Why Do You Need to Use Sex-Positive Parenting? | Jennifer Litner | Episode 189

Our kids are often unfocused, stressed, things just aren’t sticking in their brains, or they have trouble balancing school, home and other activities. It’s easy to fall back on thinking they don’t care, they’re being lazy or they’re unorganized. But what if they aren’t? What if they just need to understand how their brain works and how to get it to do what they want to do? That’s what Malin Gutestam discusses with Mighty Parenting Podcast host Sandy Fowler. She cracks the code on the teenage brain and shows us tips, tricks, and ways to help our teens do better all day long. Our Guest: Malin Gutestam Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 188 Our Sponsor:  Sandy Fowler: Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? I get it. Grab my complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today.

Cracking the Code on the Teen Brain | Malin Gutestam | Episode 188

The pandemic has affected our society across the globe, from economics, to travel, to social behavior and interaction--we can all see and feel the differences from now to back in 2018. Most notably, we are seeing a rise in mental health issues and their physical and emotional repercussions, especially in our teenagers. Psychologist Dr. Melanie McNally joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to help parents figure out how the pandemic is affecting our teens, what the warning signs are, and gives us steps and tools to help them support and manage their mental and emotional health. Our Guest: Melanie McNally Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 187 Our Sponsors:  Motherhood: The 3rd Chapter – How to transition into your 50’s and beyond with joy, confidence and vitality This is a series created by Tania Carcenac which shares the collective wisdom of a group of women to help all moms transition into the 3rd chapter of motherhood and life. Sandy is a guest speaker in this series. You can gain free access by visiting https://sandyfowler.com/series Omio, a travel booking company that covers planes, trains, and buses. Use the code LISTENER5 to get 5% off through July 31st at https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385 

Managing and Preventing the Number 1 Mental Health Issue in Teenagers in 2021 | Dr Melanie McNally | Episode 187

Self-confidence is an important core support and driving force behind our teens' ability to move forward in building their lives; however, it's too easy for our kids to focus on their failures, to be afraid to try, to compare themselves to others and feel like they'll never measure up. Shari Medini, author and co-owner of AdoreThemParenting.com, joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to discuss our teens' lack of self-esteem, how that impacts their behavior and relationships, and four healthy ways to build confidence in your teen. Our Guest: Shari Medini Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 186 Our Sponsors:  Sandy Fowler: Are you stressed but don't have time to deal with it? I get it. Grab my complimentary lesson at http://sandyfowler.com/notime to find out how to start feeling better today. Omio, a travel booking company that covers planes, trains, and buses. Use the code LISTENER5 to get 5% off through July 31st at https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385 

4 Ways to Build Confidence in Your Teen | Shari Medini Episode 186

The teen years can be challenging for both teens and parents. Letting our kids make more choices, do more on their own, and follow the beat of their internal drummer can be scary. And feeling them pull away to spend more time with their friends can be painful. But our teens do still need us. They need to feel loved and supported to help them through the ups and downs of these years. And connecting with your teenager is key. Courtney Conley joins Mighty Parenting Podcast host Sandy Fowler to share insights, tips, and strategies for connecting with your teenager. Our Guest: Courtney Conley  Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 185 Our Sponsors:  Inward Bound Mindfulness Education — Mindfulness courses and retreats for teens and adults, online and in-person. Visit iBme.com to learn more and register for programs, including in-person and online summer retreats. Omio, a travel booking company that covers planes, trains, and buses. Use the code LISTENER5 to get 5% off through July 31st at https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385 

Connecting With Your Teenager | Courtney Conley | Episode 185

Stress. Climbing rates of anxiety. Huge pressure. This is life for teens and twenty somethings today. And our kids don’t have the tools they need to avoid it and create emotional wellness. A large part of creating emotional wellness is self-care for teens and twenty somethings—actually, for all of us. We all need self-care. If it’s something you don’t truly understand or make time for then it’s likely your child won’t either. Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler talks to author and recovery specialist Kristi Hugstad. They cover self-care for teenagers including what that looks like, what it does for our kids, and the science behind it. Our Guest: Kristi Hugstad Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 184 Our Sponsors:  iBme — Mindfulness courses and retreats for teens and adults, online and in-person. Visit iBme.com to learn more and register for programs including in-person and online summer retreats. Omio, a travel booking company that covers planes, trains, and buses. Use the code LISTENER5 to get 5% off through July 31st at https://omio.sjv.io/c/2544961/1078765/7385 

5 Types of Self-Care for Teens | Kristi Hugstad | Episode 184

We love our kids. We want them to be happy. We want to have a good relationship with them and oftentimes we believe we do. But what do we do if we find out we didn’t know them as well as we thought? What if we discover our teen is transgender—the daughter we thought we had is really a son, or the son is a daughter? This is what Paria Hassouri experienced when she discovered she had a transgender daughter. Paria is a pediatrician, a mother of 3, an activist, and the author of Found in Transition: A Mother’s Evolution During Her Child’s Gender Change. She’s joining us today to share her journey and to help us understand better how to handle it if we find ourselves in her shoes, as well as how we can support transgender kids and their families. Our Guest: Paria Hassouri Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 183 Our Sponsor:  iBme — Mindfulness courses and retreats for teens and adults, online and in-person. Visit iBme.com to learn more and register for programs including in-person and online summer retreats. Omio Travel-Booking Company

What If Your Teen is Transgender? | Paria Hassouri | Episode 183

Believe it or not, our kids do love us and do still want to talk to us--even when the most common response to our questions is a put-upon sigh and an eye-roll. Even when just trying to start a conversation feels impossible. Mother and parenting life coach Deborah Ann Davis knows how that feels, and today joins Mighty Parenting podcast host Sandy Fowler to discuss why our teens behave this way, what they're actually looking for from us, and how we can break through the snarky behavior and converse seriously with our kids (even when we just want to throw up our hands and ignore it all). Our Guest: Deborah Ann Davis Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 182 Our Sponsors:  iBme — Mindfulness courses and retreats for teens and adults, online and in-person. Visit iBme.com to learn more and register for programs including in-person and online summer retreats. Omio Travel-Booking Company  

Talking To Your Teen Even When They’re Snarky | Deborah Ann Davis | Episode 182

Leadership. If you have a teen who has filled out college applications or scholarship applications then you know the role leadership in teens plays in higher education. Why leadership though? Why are colleges so focused on this? And what does it really mean? Is it really about your teen being the president of every organization they participate in? Umbreen Bhatti has some unique thoughts on leadership and she’s sharing them with Mighty Parenting Podcast host Sandy Fowler. They discuss a different perspective on leadership, how it unexpectedly benefits our kids, how to help your child develop and strengthen the new leadership skills, and how those skills can be attractions for—and further evolved in—their chosen colleges. Our Guest: Umbreen Bhatti  Detailed Show Notes and Support at MightyParenting.com episode 181 Our Sponsors:  iBme — Mindfulness courses and retreats for teens and adults, online and in-person. Visit iBme.com to learn more and register for programs including in-person and online summer retreats. Omio Travel-Booking Company  

Collaborative Leadership in Teens | Umbreen Bhatti | Episode 181

Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler tackle the tough topics around raising teens and parenting young adults.