Parenting is the most wonderful and most exhausting job you will ever love. But why is it so tiring? Is there anything we can do to change that? How can you stop being exhausted by parenting your teen? Erin Leyba explores this situation with Mighty Parenting podcast hosts Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler. They dig into the reasons you are exhausted by parenting your teen while Erin shares tips for making things better and for bringing the joy back into your life.

One of the things that’s so wearing in parenting a teenager is driving them to all of their activities and outings. Many parents look forward to the day their teen gets a drivers’ license and even more so to the day they have their own car to drive. In Real Talk, Judy and Sandy dig into this idea, exploring the pros and cons and sharing a different perspective on what it means to buy your teenager a car.

If you are a parent who avoids talking sex to your teenager, you are not alone. Most parents stop having these conversations when kids hit puberty, but kids really need them in their teen years and even into their twenties. But what do we need to discuss? How do you broach the subject? What do we do if we’re embarrassed or we don’t even understand the terminology they are using? Mighty Parenting podcast hosts Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler get the facts on discussing sex with your kids from sex education expert Cath Hakansan. Find out the mistakes parents make, what our teens really want to know, how to talk so it won't be embarrassing, and simple ways to set the tone for open conversation.

Then join Judy and Sandy in Real Talk where they get real about family dinners. Find out what happened to Sandy’s family when their busy lives ended their family dinners and what you can do instead.

Parenting teens has never been an easy task. In today’s world, when your child struggles with stressors, triggers, ADHD, depression, anxiety, or something else, it can be downright overwhelming. When family dynamics aren’t smooth, or extended family object to your choices, it only gets harder. Hosts Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler dig into this area gaining insight, getting you tips, and helping you find a new perspective for dealing with difficult family. Their guest on the Mighty Parenting podcast, Dr. Eric Maisel, shares a different view on dealing with your teen’s behavior as well as the lessons we need for powerful communication with both our teen and family as a whole.

The conversation continues in Real Talk where Judy and Sandy deal with the crazy busyness of family life with teenagers. Having a good, working family calendar can help you to know where your kids are, when people will be available, and just stay connected, even with your twentysomethings after they move out. It can also lower your stress and create connection. Hear Judy and Sandy share a simple tool for managing the family calendar that won’t turn one parent into “the keeper of the box”.

Parents need more support during the teen and early adult years than they do at any other time. Our kids are growing, facing new adventures and new obstacles. We have to find new ways to parent through the struggles, but this is a time when parents feel pushed away and left out. Principal and Educational consultant Janice Case joins Mighty Parenting podcast hosts Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler to help us explore the issues, to understand what’s happening in our kids’ lives, how it’s different from what we experienced and the ways that impacts our parenting. She’ll teach us why we need a network and how to create a support system that makes the job of parenting our teens easier.

One challenging aspect of parenting through the teen years is staying connected to our kids, letting them know we love them. In Real Talk, Judy and Sandy share simple ideas for maintaining and building connection with our kids through their teens and into their twenties.

Divorce is never easy, and the impact of divorce can hit us hard, especially our kids. Kids may act out, exes may clash instead of communicating, or everyone may struggle with the different parenting styles in the two households. Whatever happens, parents just want to make sure their children are okay. Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler help you do that on the Mighty Parenting podcast where they interview The Stepmom Coach, Claudette Chenevert, about the things to watch for as well as tips and strategies for parenting our kids after divorce.

Then Judy and Sandy get down to earth in their Real Talk segment where they dig into grades and the new study detailing their effect on your child’s self-esteem. Hear real world options for making sure your kids are doing well.

Teachers, coaches, mentors, counselors and support staff help us educate our kids and identify problems at school. They are the people we reach out to when our child is struggling, but what happens when you don't see eye to eye on the best way to support your teen? Advocacy expert Meg Flanagan is this week’s guest on the Mighty Parenting podcast. Listen in as hosts Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler find out the do's and don'ts and best practices for partnering to eliminate problems at school and working effectively to meet your child's needs.

Social Media is a way of life for our kids. Our teens and twentysomethings are connected more than ever, and parents need to be prepared. In today's Mighty Parenting podcast, expert Mandy Majors of NextTalk shares her practical approach to cyberparenting. Hosts Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler will find out what parents need to do beyond parental controls. They’ll get the inside scoop on helping our tweens, teens and twentysomethings navigate handling the social media world of cyber bullying, sex, and everything in-between. They’re getting all the details and the practical solutions to this relevant topic to help you parent in the twenty-first century.

Every parent faces overwhelm at some time and volunteering is a huge contributor to the stress and busyness of our lives. Judy picks Sandy’s brain for solutions to this parenting problem in today’s Real Talk segment. Find out the sneaky aspect of this problem, how a painful decision stops us, and simple strategies for getting through it.

Parents struggle with guilt and shame from things we did and things we didn’t do in raising our kids. By the time they’re teenagers all those parenting mistakes can add up, for us and them. And when that happens the emotional baggage that goes with it can cause problems in your relationship with your teen or twenty-something. On this week’s Mighty Parenting podcast, Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler interview forgiveness expert Cliff Edwards, uncovering the truth about some of those teen behaviors that worry you, finding out what you can do to prevent problems, and tips for repairing any damage done to you, your kids and your relationship.

In Real Talk, Judy and Sandy chat about a little thing we all do that contributes to our own stress and depletes our happiness. The good news is that when we change this little habit we not only make our lives better, we take some of the pressure off our kids.

Grades, winning, being a leader, joining the right club, getting into the college of your choice, being liked on social media, what to do and who to be, these are all things that create huge pressure for our teens and twentysomethings. One of the ways they are dealing with that pressure is by overusing and abusing prescription medications. This is a sneaky situation that takes parents by surprise. Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler, 2 of the co-founders of DASIUM and co-hosts of the Mighty Parenting podcast, are diving into the problem of prescription drug misuse and abuse; taking a look at who is at risk and what parents can do to prevent it. And in Real Talk, Judy and Sandy explore family vacations. They're talking about how to get the family vacation you really want and how to talk to your teen about it. 

Parents know bullying is a growing problem and we worry about our child becoming a victim. We don’t want them to be hurt and embarrassed so if we find out they’re being bullied we do everything we can to get it to stop. But what if you don’t know it’s happening? And what if the emotional pain doesn’t go away when it stops? On today’s episode of the Mighty Parenting Podcast, Judy Davis and Sandy Fowler interview bullying advocate Stephanie Cameron. Stephanie was bullied as a child and knows first hand the pain it can cause and what happens when the bullying stops. She’ll give us a behind-the-scenes look at that as well as share insights into knowing when your child is being bullied plus tell us when parents should and shouldn’t get involved.

In today’s Real Talk segment, Judy and Sandy dive into communication. This is a sticky situation for many people and when you toss a teenager or twenty something into the mix things can get tough. Find out their tips for getting kids to open up and share what’s really happening in their lives.