What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

teenagersuntangled.substack.com

Screen Time Study:

https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-24348-001.html

Dr Naomi Fisher:

https://naomifisher.co.uk/

School Avoidance:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/school-avoidance-what-to-do-if-your-teen-is-missing-school/

The Disengaged Teen:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/122-how-to-get-our-teens-to-love-learning-and-why-parents-are-the-missing-piece-of-the-puzzle/

Anxiety:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/anxiety-in-teenagers-also-rules-and-how-to-set-ones-your-teens-will-follow/

Andrew Hampton:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/114-friendships-frenemies-and-boy-banter-parenting-our-teens-through-the-relationship-pitfalls/

Ned Johnson:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/stop-pushing-your-kids-the-link-to-success-resilience-and-reduced-stress-with-ned-johnson/

Dr Greg Walton:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/145-spot-magic-moments-that-can-set-up-a-lifetime-of-success-with-advice-from-one-of-psychology/

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.

I don't have medical training so please seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping.

My email is [email protected]
And my website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/

You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

Ask Rachel anything

Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: 👇🏻

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Is your kid stressed or lacking motivation? What if the antidote was pushing them less and giving them more of a sense of control over their lives? 

It doesn't mean giving up your authority as a parent. As elite teen coach, Ned Johnson, explains the science tells us we can help our child sculpt a brain that is resilient, and ready to take on new challenges if we stop taking over.

In his practice he uses science, behavioural therapy and extensive case studies to offer help kids who're struggling with stress, anxiety, or lack of motivation.

His mantra is that as parents, we need to get out of our kids' way. We can only drive our kids so far. At some point, they will have to take control over their own path and our job is to help them develop the skills to do that. 

Introducing technology to teenagers: My Substack Big Hug Guide

Learned Helplessness at Fifty: Insights from Neuroscience

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4920136/

Failure to Launch: Ken Rabow 

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/failure-to-launch-what-we-can-learn-from-struggling-young-adults-about-how-to-help-our-teens/

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by Dr. John Ratey.

The Tech Exit book: https://www.sheldonpress.co.uk/titles/clare-morell/the-tech-exit/9781399828208/

Never Enough book: https://www.jenniferbwallace.com/about-never-enough

10-25: The Science of Motivating Young People: https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/motivation-how-to-motivate-your-teenager-and-why-blame-and-shame-doesnt-work/

Intrinsic Motivation and Positive Development: Reed Larson https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23259190/

Default Mode Network:  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26168472/

Ned on TikTok: 

https://www.tiktok.com/@theothernedjohnson/video/7005943445646855429?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.
My email is [email protected]
My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com

Find me on Substack Teenagersuntangled.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/

You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

SUBSTACK: The Big Hug Guide to dealing with phones and devices.

https://open.substack.com/pub/teenagersuntangled/p/teens-and-screens-the-big-hug-teenagers?r=2u24i0&utm_medium=ios

REPORT on Instagram Accounts: https://fairplayforkids.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Teen-Accounts-Broken-Promises-How-Instagram-is-failing-to-protect-minors.pdf

BOOK: Dr Catherine Knibbs - cyber trauma expert

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/phone-bans-how-parents-can-keep-their-kids-safe-and-happy-online/

DELAY SMARTPHONES:

Other options available: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/take-action/parent

https://www.waituntil8th.org/

https://delaysmartphones.org.uk/

https://www.kidsfornow.org.uk/

https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/

SWEARING: 

Starting secondary school:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/139-preparing-for-secondary-school-friendship-groups-and-those-awkward-talks-about-porn-and-sexti/

Girl friendship groups:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/friendship-girls-and-toxic-groups-also-resilience-how-to-get-your-teen-to-keep-going-instead-of-g/

Andrew Hampton on girls starting senior school:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/114-friendships-frenemies-and-boy-banter-parenting-our-teens-through-the-relationship-pitfalls/

Swearing: Second part of this episode

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/boy-friendships-and-supporting-our-sons-in-forming-positive-friendships-also-what-the-we-sho-1/

I do have an episode about staying connected. I think it’s the second part of this. https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/2-alcohol-how-to-discuss-it-and-staying-connected-should-we-be-letting-our-teenagers-drink-and-w/

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.

I don't have medical training so please seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping.

My email is [email protected]
And my website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/

You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

Ask Rachel anything

Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: 👇🏻

 https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures

We all want our kids to feel they belong and have purpose, but what simple things can we do at home and in schools that will help them develop what they need?

In this interview you'll hear so many great tips we can put in place at home that will help our kids thrive. 

In 2007, Tish co-founded Jamie’s Farm with her son Jamie, a teacher and farmer.

LINK: https://jamiesfarm.org.uk/people/tish-feilden/

The residential visits for disadvanteged kids, who are disengaged or disruptive at school, give them experience of eating as a family around a table, setting aside their digital devices, and creating a structure for positive recognition of those around them. 

Since its founding, Jamie’s Farm has supported over 16,000 young people across six farms in the UK and delivered significant, lasting improvement to young people’s social and emotional health as well as school attendance and attainment. 

Tish has background as a foster parent and teacher, she went on to build a 30-year career as a psychotherapist, including working  with teenagers, families, and the supervision of school counsellors.

Tish Fieldon's 10 Transformative Tips for Parents and Teachers 

Understand the Teenage Brain

• Recognize that teenagers operate differently from adults
• Avoid logical lectures - they rarely work
• Redirect energy positively instead of shutting down natural curiosity

Create Meaningful Connection

• Have regular family meals together
• Make time for genuine conversations
• Practice "check-ins" where everyone shares how they're feeling

Limit Technology

• Set clear boundaries with phones
• Create phone-free zones and times

Prioritize Sleep

• Ensure teenagers get adequate rest
• Establish consistent bedtime routines
• Understand sleep is crucial for brain development and emotional regulation

Embrace Nature

• Encourage outdoor activities
• Take walks together
• Explore local trails and green spaces

Foster Purpose

• Give teenagers meaningful tasks
• Involve them in community projects
• Help them feel they're contributing
• Celebrate their achievements

Practice Positive Reinforcement

• Focus on strengths
• Give genuine compliments
• Do "shout-outs" recognizing good qualities

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.
My email is [email protected]
My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com

Find me on Substack Teenagersuntangled.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/

You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

David Yeager Episode:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/motivation-how-to-motivate-your-teenager-and-why-blame-and-shame-doesnt-work/

Substack link:

https://substack.com/home/post/p-173251649

Simp: 

A simp is an internet slang term for someone, typically a man, who is excessively attentive, deferential, or overly accommodating to another person, especially a romantic interest, in the hope of winning their affection or attention, often without reciprocation

BOP House: 

Bop House is a content creator collective launched in December 2024 by Sophie Rain and Aishah Sofey. The group consists of eight Only Fans creators living together in a mansion in Florida

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.

I don't have medical training so please seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping.

My email is [email protected]
And my website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/

You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

Ask Rachel anything

Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: 👇🏻

 https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures

Conflict is normal - but it often escalates during teenage years because our kids are trying to assert their own wishes, and probably aren't very skilled at it.

As parents, it's easy to fall into classic conflict traps if we don't have the skills for resolving disagreements.

In this episode we talk about the key techniques we can use - and teach - to ease tension and bust-ups at home and elsewhere. What's even better is that by learning techniques for being assertive - and listening until everyone feels understood - we can turn conflict into a positive that deepens our relationships and creates lifelong bonds of understanding.

LUFU technique (Listening Until Fully Understood)

Conflict Resolution Techniques, Assertive Communication

  * O - Objective description of behavior
  * F - Feelings expression
  * A - Effect on relationships
  * Pausing and listening strategies

My Substack:

https://teenagersuntangled.substack.com/p/good-parenting-starts-with-your-values?r=2u24i0

Blog:
https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/blog/Conflict-management-skills/

RESOURCES:
An excellent book:   Making Great Relationships by Rick Hanson 

Websites used:

• https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/communicating-relationships/communicating/conflict-management-with-teens
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224545.1994.9923015 
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891524502883249

Other sources of help:

• https://www.family-action.org.uk/what-we-do/children-families/familyline/

Explore Worldwide Family Holidays
Click here for adventures your children will never forget.

Explore Worldwide Family Holidays
Click here for adventures your children will never forget.

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.
My email is [email protected]
My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com

Find me on Substack Teenagersuntangled.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/

You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

Ask Rachel anything

Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: 👇🏻

 https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures

FREE GUIDE: HOW TO THINK THROUGH DEVICE USE FOR YOUR TEENS

https://open.substack.com/pub/teenagersuntangled/p/teens-and-screens-the-big-hug-teenagers

Smartphones can be massively problematic in the hands of the young, mainly because of what kids can access through them. Social media can have a magnetic pull for adolescents who're trying to figure out their identity and fit in, meanwhile predators are well aware of the various access points provided.

So are there any positives? Is it even justifiable to give our kids a smartphone, and at what age is it suitable? 

My teens have very kindly agreed to chat openly about their experiences, both the good and bad, to give us parents a chance to think through our own approach. We now know so much more now about the issues phones and social media raise, and I hope this conversation helps you by reducing guilt and encouraging you to engage with the issue by thinking clearly about your own values and the individual children you have. 

NOTE: My daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD, which is why she has strong opinions on the subject. 

In this episode we explore the pros and cons of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, with one of my daughters explaining why Snapchat is particularly stressful due to streaks and friendships.  https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/snapchat-a-fantastic-way-to-connect-or-a-cynical-exploitation-of-your-teenagers-time/

What comes through clearly is the importance of parental involvement, setting boundaries, and understanding the impact of social media on mental health and friendships. 

We give you the good and bad: 

From predator problems, self-image issues, political echo chambers, misinformation, AI and a lengthy digital footprint, sleep issues, and stress... 

Explore Worldwide Family Holidays
Click here for adventures your children will never forget.

Explore Worldwide Family Holidays
Click here for adventures your children will never forget.

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.
My email is [email protected]
My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com

Find me on Substack Teenagersuntangled.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/

You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

Ask Rachel anything

Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: 👇🏻

 https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures

When things go wrong at school parents are bound to feel stressed, wanting the problem to be resolved as soon as possible. But - in the UK at least - the current complaints system is "working for no one", according to the Government's Education Secretary.

Jason Elsom, CEO of charity Parentkind, says there's been a surge in parental complaints, that are being amplified via WhatsApp: Quoted in The Times

The charity Parentkind found in a poll of 2,000 parents that 38% had filed a formal school complaint in the past year, with the total number of complaints exceeding five million in just one year.

Common areas of concern included bullying, student safety, school discipline and behaviour policies, homework, and teacher conduct.

Elsom says says Parents are under enormous pressure with a cost-of-living crisis and ever increasing challenges at home, which sometimes spills over into the classroom, with parents complaining to schools about what they are hearing from their children and on WhatsApp groups.“

Meanwhile nearly two thirds, or 65%, of school leaders say parental complaints increased during the 2023/24 academic year in a survey by UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson. 

Nine in 10 (90%) believe complaints-handling is having a detrimental impact on staff wellbeing, with other knock-on effects cited including the quality of education being delivered (53%) and staff retention (48%).

Melanie Sanderson, GOOD SCHOOLS GUIDE: https://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/

SOURCE: 

https://www.brownejacobson.com/BrowneJacobson/media/Media/education/SLS-findings-Spring-2024.pdf

Explore Worldwide Family Holidays
Click here for adventures your children will never forget.

Explore Worldwide Family Holidays
Click here for adventures your children will never forget.

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.
My email is [email protected]
My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com

Find me on Substack Teenagersuntangled.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/

You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

The benefits of giving our kids an allowance: https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/money-giving-teens-and-tweens-an-allowance-two-years-on-my-daughter-talks-about-how-its-impacted/

Catherine Knibbs: CPR Parenting - Consistent, Persistent, Resistent.

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/online-safety-why-bans-arent-as-good-as-age-appropriate-boundaries/

Talk to Your Boys: Christopher Pepper

The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson.

My girls on puberty and toxic friendships:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/147-puberty-toxic-friendships-pick-me-girls-top-tips-for-parenting-teenagers-from-teenagers/

Motherhood and careers:

https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/motherhood-and-careers-can-women-really-have-it-all/

OtoZen — a new driving safety app
Are you worried about your teenager getting distracted behind the wheel? 

The OtoZen app helps in real time — not just after something’s gone wrong. It has voice alerts, drive scores, and even safe driving challenges you can set together, it’s the kind of tech that actually helps your teen build better habits. 

Support the show

This episode is sponsored by OtoZen: The brilliant new driving safety app

https://www.otozen.com

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.

I don't have medical training so please seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping.

My email is [email protected]
And my website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/

You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

Ask Rachel anything

Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: 👇🏻

 https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures

How we parents manage technology in our homes, and what we put in the hands of our kids, has turned into one of the most hotly debated topics amongst parents and experts. 

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Lucy Foulkes, Oxford academic psychologist and author, about social media’s role in adolescent mental health, challenging the narrative popularized by Jonathan Haidt and exploring why phones and social platforms aren’t the universal villains they’re often made out to be. 

Dr Foulkes has a fascinating take on mental health and whether our well-intentioned conversations around the subject, especially in schools and on social media, might have gone too far; creating confusion or even anxiety for parents and young people. 

If you want a nuanced, evidence-based discussion that will help you support your teen with more confidence and less fear you've found it.

Dr. Lucy Foulkes:  Books

• What Mental Illness Really Is (…and what it isn’t) 
• Coming Of Age: How Adolescence Shapes Us,

Website: https://www.lucyfoulkes.com/

Book recommended: The End of Trauma by George Bonanno

• It’s important not to pathologize normal adolescent struggles. Not all teenagers have mental health problems. Most are resilient and functioning well. 
• All distress should be taken seriously, not just clinical disorders.
• Increased mental health awareness only helps if there is proper back-up and support for those who really need it.
• Mental health terms are often misunderstood. Words like “OCD” are often used casually, diluting their meaning and making it harder for those with real disorders to be understood and supported.
• The narrative that phones and social media are causing a mental health crisis is oversimplified and often exaggerated (as in Jonathan Haidt’s work). 
• Parental engagement and open conversations matter. T

Explore Worldwide Family Holidays
Click here for adventures your children will never forget.

Explore Worldwide Family Holidays
Click here for adventures your children will never forget.

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message.

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.
My email is [email protected]
My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com

Find me on Substack Teenagersuntangled.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/

You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk