Parenting Today's Teens

Today, Mark Gregston shares a devotional from Psalm 86:15, exploring how children can grow up believing love must be earned through performance. When parents unknowingly reinforce this, kids begin to fear that failure will cost them acceptance, tying their value to behavior and achievement. Mark reminds parents to model God’s compassion, grace, patience and abounding love so children understand love is unconditional. When kids know they are loved in both their successes and failures, they are freed from fear and able to grow with hope and resilience.

If your teen is struggling, Mark's residential counseling center, Heartlight Ministries, may be the answer. Visit heartlightministries.org to learn more!

When teens seem demanding or expect the world handed to them, it's easy to chalk it up to “just being a teenager” — but there’s often more beneath the surface. Today, Mark talks with two more teens from Heartlight, both of whom open up about their journeys confronting a culture of entitlement in their families and themselves. For Isaac, easy access to anything he wanted became a way to receive love after his parents' divorce — but over time, he realized it robbed him of work ethic and genuine gratitude. These teens are learning to do more with less — and discovering what matters most as they grow.

Thousands of struggling teens have found hope at Heartlight. Learn more about our residential program today at heartlightministries.org.

As kids enter the teen years, parents often spend so much time correcting behavior that they unintentionally crowd out connection. Constantly fighting about every issue can push teens away, exhaust parents and hinder the independence teens need to develop. The key is learning to “choose your battles” by letting go of issues that don’t matter long-term and focusing on what truly shapes character and relationships. Teens don’t change through correction alone — they change through connection, trust and a strong, loving relationship.

Visit parentingtodaysteens.org to explore all the resources designed by Mark to help you as you raise your teen!

In this Q&A episode, Mark tackles another batch of real questions from listeners facing everyday parenting challenges. From helping quiet preteens open up and navigating the anxiety of an 18-year-old’s first relationship, to supporting grandchildren with low self-esteem and managing overwhelming situations, Mark Gregston offers practical, heartfelt advice. He discusses the importance of shifting parenting styles as kids grow, maintaining strong relationships over the enforcement of strict rules and much more. This episode is packed with wisdom to help you build deeper, more authentic connections with the teens in your life.

Have a parenting question for Mark? Send it in at markgregston.com — your question may be featured on the show!

In today's episode, Mark Gregston and Wayne Shepherd discuss how parents will inevitably feel hurt or disappointed by their teen’s mistakes, but those moments are opportunities to show grace rather than withdraw. Grace means moving toward teens when they fail — allowing consequences to stand while affirming that love and relationship remain secure. Teens need to know their parents’ love is not performance-based and does not diminish when they make poor choices. When parents respond this way, they reflect God’s unconditional love and create the safety teens need to learn, grow and change.

Parents, is your teen struggling? Check out our Families in Crisis Conferences! Visit familycrisisretreat.com to learn more and register.

Listen in as Mark Gregston shares a devotional from the book of Proverbs, challenging parents to deepen their relationship with their teens. Mark reminds us that in a world where information is multiplying at an overwhelming pace, teens aren’t looking for more facts — they’re searching for wisdom. Proverbs 3 reminds us that wisdom brings peace, purpose and understanding that no amount of information can replace. As children move into adolescence, parents must shift from simply teaching information to sharing lived experience, perspective and discernment. When parents become trusted sources of wisdom rather than constant lecturers, relationships deepen and teens are better equipped to apply truth in a noisy, complex world.

To explore all of Mark's resources and events designed to support you as you raise your teens, please visit parentingtodaysteens.org.

For many families, the journey through the teen years is marked by trust that’s been damaged — and the hope for restoration. Today, Mark sits down with two young men at Heartlight who share candid stories about their struggles with boundaries, addiction and feeling misunderstood at home. Both students open up about the hard work required to rebuild trust with their parents and themselves, finding that honesty and patience are essential for real change. Tune in to hear how these teens are learning to move forward — one step at a time.

Is your family struggling? Heartlight may be able to help. Go to heartlightministries.org to learn more!

Today, Mark Gregston, Wayne Shepherd and Courtney Lafleur discuss the irreplaceable role grandparents play in the lives of their teenage grandchildren. Mark reminds grandparents that staying connected requires intentional effort and flexibility as grandchildren grow and the relationship changes — but their need for loving, steady grandparents is greater than ever. By listening more, meeting teens where they are and offering unconditional love rather than constant advice, grandparents can remain a place of rest and wisdom. Your presence and genuine interest can leave a lasting legacy that shapes your grandchildren long after the teen years pass.

If your family is struggling, we encourage you to join Mark in Texas at one of his Families in Crisis Conferences. Learn more at parentingtodaysteens.org/families-in-crisis-conference

In today's episode, Mark tackles some more challenging questions parents are facing with their teenagers today. From motivating a checked-out high school senior to navigating differences in parenting styles, he shares practical wisdom and heartfelt advice. He also addresses sensitive topics like fractured relationships after divorce, concerns about teen identity in the age of social media and the struggles teens face in maintaining friendships. Whether your teen is questioning their faith, searching for identity or you’re simply seeking connection in a complicated world, this episode is packed with strategies and hope for the journey ahead.

Have a question for Mark? We'd love to hear it! Send in your questions at markgregston.com.

Parenting Today's Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org.

Parents often unintentionally push their teens away by demanding perfection, forcing authority or coming across as judgmental. In this episode, Mark Gregston and Wayne Shepherd explain that while parents still hold authority, it’s HOW that authority is expressed that determines whether teens feel drawn in or shut down. Mark emphasizes that teens change through relationship — not control — and that sharing our own imperfections builds trust and connection. The goal during adolescence is to communicate truth with grace, so the relationship stays stronger than the rules.

Heartlight Ministries is Mark's residential counseling ministry for struggling teens and their families. Learn more by visiting heartlightministries.org

Parenting Today's Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org.