Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

By Casey O'RoartySociety & Culture Education Relationships Parenting Kids & Family

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Typical duration
50 min
per episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens episodes

February 20, 2025 Revisiting Eps 183: Your kids are not manipulating you
As parents, we often feel stuck when communicating with our teenagers, convinced they're being manipulative or just trying to get their way. This podcast challenges that mindset by exploring how kids—at any age—are driven by a deep need for belonging and significance. It encourages us to shift from commands to curiosity, creating an environment where our kids feel safe, heard, and empowered. By understanding their "private logic" and using questions instead of demands, we foster real connection. If you're ready to transform your parenting approach, this episode is a must-listen!

Find more show notes and info about sponsors at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-183-your-kids-are-not-manipulating-you/

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35 min
February 17, 2025Eps 550: Online gaming safety tips for teens with Ron Kerbs
My guest today is Ron Kerbs, and he’s here to talk about online gaming safety tips & gaming toxicity for our teens. We get into the biggest threats to kids who play online multiplayer games and why gaming is so toxic. Ron shares advice for parents and some positives about gaming. We finish by talking about Ron’s company, Kidas, which monitors kids’ gaming and offers parents concrete resources and tips for how to talk to your child about what happened.

Takeaways from the show
What are the threats to kids who play online, multiplayer games? Spoiler: privacy issues & sharing personal information
The big feelings & frustrations that come with gaming
Why is online multiplayer gaming so toxic?
Are there “safe” games for kids? How do parents know?
Getting interested & involved in your adolescent’s games
What’s “too much” gaming?
Around 60% of kids under 18 who play video games will be bullied, harassed or scammed
Benefits of gaming include making friends, getting scholarships, and even making a living
Kids offers monitoring AND help with how to communicate and have those tough conversations with your child after an incident
Collaborating with other parents in your child’s friend group to get on the same page about gaming

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

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49 min
February 13, 2025 Eps 549: When our teens need more support than what we can give
Parenting a struggling teen is an incredibly tough journey, and if you’ve ever felt alone in it, this episode is for you. A fellow parent bravely shares their experience of admitting their 13-year-old into residential mental health care—how they got there, the doubts, and the hope. We’re diving into when to seek help, how to find it, and how to support our kids while also taking care of ourselves. If you’re navigating the impossible, know that you’re not alone. Tune in for insight, encouragement, and a reminder that healing—for both you and your teen—is possible.

Find more show notes and resources about our sponsors at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-549-when-our-teens-need-more-support-than-what-we-can-give/

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38 min
February 10, 2025Eps 548: Oppositional teens with Dr Paul Sunseri
My guest today is Dr. Paul Sunseri. We’re talking about gentle parenting and oppositional teens. We get into how to get your teen on board with the limits & expectations you’ve set. Dr. Sunseri and I do several role plays as an oppositional teen & father to share specific strategies & language. We discuss threatening and physically aggressive or self-harming behaviors and finish on the importance of modeling emotional regulation.

Takeaways from the show
Dr. Sunseri’s new book - Gentle Parenting Reimagined: How to Make it Work with Oppositional Kids
What is intensive family-focused therapy?
Defining gentle parenting
Gentle parenting “harder kids”
Staying firm without being punitive or shaming
What is oppositional defiance disorder?
Your kids will be angry with you at times - part of parenting is telling your children “no”
Getting your resistant teen on board with limits & expectations
Handling threatening and physically aggressive behavior or self-harming behaviors
What to do/say in the moment when your teen is raging
Modeling emotional regulation - if you’re modeling explosiveness, they learn to be explosive
Creating a positive, self-sustaining feedback loop with your teen
What should parents look for when finding a great therapist for their adolescent

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

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59 min
February 03, 2025Revisiting Eps 154: Dr. Daniel Siegel Discussing the Science of Being Present
Today’s guest is Doctor Dan Siegel. Dan is a clinical professor of Psychiatry at the UCLA school of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Centre at UCLA. He is also the Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute which focuses on the development of Mindsight, teaches insight, empathy and integration in individuals, families and communities. Dr. Siegel has published extensively for the professional and lay audiences. We are discussing his new book: Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence.

Takeaways from the show
The wheel of awareness: what it is and how it helps
How awareness impacts your body and health
How being present impacts the speed of the aging process
Wellbeing and how it is enhanced by being present
Relationships with your kids and how being present improves it
Cultivating awareness
Role modeling resilience
How awareness feeds connection vs control
Impacts of a lack of structure on the brain and future of children
Authoritative parenting vs Authoritarian parenting
Why we need the village and how that creates stress for contemporary parents
Finding joy, tranquility and connection through expanding awareness
Flipping our lid, learning from our body’s signals and how awareness can help
Monitoring and modifying for self-regulation and to improve responses to stress
The 3 O’s what they mean

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

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54 min
January 30, 2025 547: Energetic encouragement for emotional teens and tweens
Parenting through the teen years is a wild ride—full of highs, lows, and everything in between. We get tangled up in our kids' struggles, feeling responsible for fixing things, worried about their future, and desperate to help. But what if the real work is about stepping back, seeing them fully, and trusting their journey? In this episode, we explore the power of encouragement—not as empty praise, but as a way to build resilience, connection, and confidence. If you're deep in the muck with your teen, this is for you. Take a breath and listen in.

For full show notes and info about our sponsors, go to: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/547-energetic-encouragement-for-emotional-teens-and-tweens/

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35 min
January 27, 2025Eps 546: Being empty nesters with Vibha Arora
My guest today is Vibha Arora, and we’re discussing being empty nesters. Vibha and I both share stories and feelings from our own kids launching and discuss how our relationship with our partners change. We get into how to rediscover yourself as someone besides Mom or Dad. Vibha and I finish our conversation, chatting about checking-in with our recently launched baby adults and the importance of tending to ourselves.

Takeaways from the show
The phrase “empty nest” versus “freedom nest”
Our adult children leaving is our goal
There’s a wide range of feelings and emotions that come when our children leave the house, and those are all okay
Our relationship with our partners changing during this phase of life
Relaunching yourself as an empty nester & identity shifts
Letting go of control and trusting our newly-launched adults
When we jump in and fix things, we rob them of experiences and learning
We have to be okay with it when our kids don’t take our suggestions or advice
Clarifying expectations and making a plan about checking-in with each other
5 Minute Journal Prompt: “I am…”

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

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42 min
January 23, 2025 Eps 545: Secret browsers hiding tiktok, middle school screen challenges
This week’s podcast is a must-listen for parents navigating the challenges of raising teens in the digital age! I dive into a relatable post from our Joyful Courage for Parents of Teens Facebook group about a mom’s discovery of her 12-year-old’s creative use of tech to bypass school filters. We discuss the struggles of setting screen boundaries, the importance of co-creating agreements, and how to handle these conversations with curiosity and connection rather than confrontation. If you’re dealing with tech-related parenting hurdles, this episode is packed with insights and actionable tips. Don’t miss it!

For more show notes and information about our sponsors go to: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-545-secret-browsers-hiding-tiktok-middle-school-screen-challenges/

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40 min
January 20, 2025Eps 544: Middle school friendships with Julietta Skoog
My guest today is Julietta Skoog, my co-founder and the Early Years Lead here at Sproutable. We’re talking about middle school friendships today.

We discuss established elementary school friendships changing in middle school. Julietta shares a recent story about her own middle schooler and when it’s appropriate for parents to get involved in friendship drama. We talk about the difference between belonging & fitting in, coaching your kid(s) through discomfort, and how important it is to acknowledge and validate how hard our middle schoolers are working. We end by getting into how we can encourage new friendships & nurture good friendships.

Takeaways from the show
Middle school is messy!
Your sweet, innocent child being exposed to new things
Middle school is a great, lower-stakes time to make mistakes
Reflecting on your own middle school experiences & memories to find compassion for your adolescent
Kids need at least one or two good friends they can count on
Coaching our kids through discomfort
When is the time for parents to get involved in middle school drama?
Listen, acknowledge, validate, believe, and encourage your middle schooler
Middle schoolers need to practice decision making before high school
Encouraging new friendships and nurturing good friendships

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

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58 min
January 16, 2025 Revisiting Eps 380: The art of surrender while parenting teens
This show is a replay, and I think you will love it!
I've been reflecting on surrender in parenting and life. Inspired by my morning routines, coaching, and my daughter's journey to thriving independence, I've learned that surrender isn't defeat but trust—letting go of control and embracing what is. Parenting my teens, navigating challenges like mental health struggles and my husband's cancer, taught me to release attachments to outcomes, timelines, and "why" questions. Instead, I focus on being present, curious, and supportive. I've found peace in trusting my kids' paths, holding space for them to grow authentically. This surrender brings freedom and deeper connection in parenting and beyond.
Find more show notes and information about our sponsors at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-380-art-surrender-parenting-teens/

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31 min

About Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

From the publisher's feed

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 adolescence