A closing reflection on what it actually means to parent teenagers in the long, messy middle.

This episode isn’t about doing more or fixing anything. It’s about noticing what’s already happening beneath the surface: the emotional labor, the restraint, the repair, and the quiet devotion that rarely gets named.

Julie revisits the five practices from Season 1—connection, truth, trust, joy, and unconditional love—not as a checklist, but as postures parents return to over time. Drawing from leadership, applied science, and faith traditions, she reflects on how these practices help parents play the long game: staying connected, regulated, and present even when outcomes are uncertain.

Most of all, this episode offers reassurance. Growth doesn’t always show up as immediate change. Often it looks like calmer responses, quicker repair, and a steadier nervous system. That work counts.

Season 1 closes by inviting parents to let go of the question “Am I a good parent?” and replace it with something more honest and sustaining: “Am I a devoted parent?”

Parenting teenagers isn’t just challenging—it can be exhausting. Even when you’re doing everything “right,” some seasons are simply hard.

In this episode of Plot Twist Parenting, Julie speaks directly to those moments—when trust feels fragile, emotions run high, and you’re wondering if you’ve already messed it up.

Drawing from leadership wisdom, applied psychology, and faith traditions, you’ll learn how steadiness, presence, and repair matter more than perfection, and why trust is built not by avoiding mistakes, but by how we return after them. You’ll also hear a powerful metaphor for staying grounded under pressure—keeping a steady gaze and an open heart—and how this practice can change the way you show up when things feel overwhelming.

If parenting feels harder than you expected right now, this episode offers reassurance, perspective, and a reminder you may need to hear:

You are not behind. You are learning in real time.

What does unconditional love actually look like in the messy, emotional, real-life work of parenting teenagers?

In this episode, Julie explores the fifth and foundational practice of Plot Twist Parenting: unconditional love—the steady presence that doesn’t walk away, even when everything feels chaotic. Drawing from a candid conversation with her son and a moment of unexpected connection in the middle of a difficult interaction, Julie unpacks why unconditional love is less about words and more about how we show up.

You’ll hear why unconditional love is not permissiveness, not the absence of boundaries, and not pretending everything is fine. Instead, it’s a posture of care, curiosity, and commitment that helps teens feel safe enough to grow—and helps parents stay grounded when fear, perfectionism, or burnout threaten to take over.

This episode offers encouragement, perspective, and a simple practice to help you notice the many ways you’re already showing up in love, even when it feels invisible.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re doing enough—or worried you’ve messed it up—this conversation is for you.

Consider this plot twist: Joy might be the most overlooked lifeline in the teen years--for parents and for teens. To say it another way: joy is serious business.

You’ll learn how joy becomes a protective force in your home, what science says about positive emotion and resilience, and how faith traditions across the world treat joy as an anchor during hardship. You'll also find simple, evidence-backed practices to bring light back into your home… even when things feel heavy.

Joy isn’t a mood. It’s a muscle—and one of the most powerful tools we have as parents of teens. 

Consider this plot twist: a surprising shift that transforms parenting: moving from teaching teens “everything” to trusting them to learn, commit, and grow. You’ll hear why trust is a two-way street, how to play the long game, and why letting teens try, stumble, and try again builds confidence for everyone. With practical tools rooted in values, boundaries, consequences, and grace, you’ll learn how trust lowers tension, strengthens connection, and helps your teen become the thoughtful, capable human they’re meant to be. 

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Trust isn’t magic—it’s a muscle. In this lively episode, Julie shows how to stop micromanaging, start trusting, and let your teen build the judgment they’ll need out in the world. More freedom, fewer freakouts. Yes, really. 

Before we can ask our teens to trust us, we have to be trustable. In this episode, Julie shares real conversations with her kids about what earned their trust—and what didn’t go as planned. She explores how trust grows not from authority, but from consistency, care, and emotional safety. Drawing from the work world, behavioral science, and faith, Julie unpacks what it means to be “impeccable with your word,” build trust through integrity, and create a home where your teen’s nervous system feels safe. 

If you’ve ever worried you’ve “messed up” trust, this episode offers encouragement, restoration, and practical tools to rebuild it—one trustworthy moment at a time. 

What do you really value as a family—and are you living it out in daily life? Truth, the second core practice, is all about clarity and alignment: What do we value, and how do our choices reflect those values?

This episode explores where values come from (culture, faith, and intentional decision-making), and how to live them out with teenagers in real, practical ways. I share simple tools like value “experiments,” family check-ins, and repair scripts—plus a reminder that this is not about perfection. It’s about honesty, integrity, and creating a home where truth and grace can grow side-by-side.

Let’s dive in.

Connection is one of the five practices that can radically change parenting teenagers. 
BUT HOW? How do you connect with a cranky teen, or after a hardship? Or just through routine times? My offer: Date Day. 

Date Day is a weekly practice of 1:1 time with an individual teenager. For us it was usually before school, enjoying a delicious breakfast (waffles, lattes) that was usually out of the question on a school day.  

This episode walks through the big picture of Date Day, and reinforces the key concept that decreasing distance increases influence. I share some tactics and strategies that can help get you started creating a tradition of connection of your own, including what to do when it's hard to connect at all. 

What if we were to identify the single most important component of parenting teenagers? I think, and I come with receipts: it would be connection.  

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Connection can help us decrease distance to increase influence and trust. We know that busyness at work or at home doesn't necessarily translate to impact. How can we build meaningful connection, moving beyond the demands of everyday life to real connection? This episode offers some specific ways to create connection, explores connection through several lenses, and acknowledges that the whole thing can just be hard. But: we can do it, and I believe in you. 

Let's dive in. 

Is anyone talking about what it's really like to parent teenagers? I think we should. In this first episode of Plot Twist Parenting, I share a bit of my own story, an overview of the five pillars that help me hold on through the ups and downs, and a few hard-won lessons. PTP weaves together personal experience, tools from corporate leadership, evidence-based insights from social science, and the wisdom of faith traditions to help us hold it all together on this journey.

I know I said I wouldn't cry when I told the story about my daughter's graduation season--let me just say, bear with me on this first episode's editing. You'll hear the voice of a devoted mom as she's launching her kids into this big wide world. I edited out the tears. 

And if nobody's told you this lately: what you're doing matters so much.

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Welcome to the very first episode of Plot Twist Parenting!

I’m Julie Workman—mom, community advocate, and your fellow traveler through the wild twists of raising teenagers. If you’ve ever felt like a total pro in other parts of life, but find parenting teens to be the most humbling (and sometimes hilarious) role of all—this space is for you.

In this episode, I talk about:

• Why I started this podcast and what I hope it offers
• The five pillars that keep me grounded: Connection, Truth, Trust, Joy, and Unconditional Love
• The real-life moments behind those pillars—graduations, sticky notes, blueberries in the fridge, and dogs waiting by the door
• Why encouragement—not perfection—is what we really need as parents

I’m not here with a rulebook. I’m here with stories, reflection, and an open invitation to walk through this season together. If your heart feels cracked open by parenting, mine does too.

Stick around—we’ll laugh, cry, and maybe even find joy again in the middle of this wild ride.

Connect with me at julie-w.com
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I’d love to hear what you’re carrying, what questions you’re asking, and what moments have surprised you along the way.