Raising a teenage boy today means navigating contradictory messages about who he's supposed to be — strong but soft, expressive but not too much. In this episode, I sit down with Don Campbell of Soul Fire Parenting to unpack what teen boys actually need from us: closeness, safe harbor, and parents who model vulnerability. We dig into the power-over parenting trap, the real cost of "tough love," and why repair matters more than getting every single moment right. Press play.

Guest Bio:

Don Campbell is the founder of Soul Fire Parenting and a master coach with over 26 years of experience in learning and development. He works with parents — many of them clinicians and high-achieving professionals — navigating the tension between demanding careers and the equally demanding work of showing up for their kids. His coaching centers on burnout, emotional regulation, resilience, and dismantling the "power-over" model of parenting that so many of us inherited without realizing it. Don is also a dad of three, including a teenage son and another moving into adolescence soon, so he's not just speaking from the coaching side — he's living it.

For more show notes go to: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-654-don-campbell-on-raising-sons/

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