Power Your Parenting: Moms With Teens

By Colleen O'Grady LPC, LMFT, author, speaker & C-Suite RadioBusiness Kids & Family Careers

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Power Your Parenting: Moms With Teens episodes

July 27 #383 Raising Critical Thinkers in the Digital Age
How do we raise teens to be critical thinkers so they won't believe everything they read online?
In this episode I have a conversation with Julie Bogart who recently published, Raising Critical Thinkers: A Parents Guide to Growing Wise Kids In the Digital Age.
Julie Bogart is the creator of the award-winning, innovative Brave Writer program, teaching writing and language arts to thousands of families every year. She homeschooled her five now-grown children for seventeen years and is the founder of Brave Learner Home, which supports homeschooling parents through coaching and teaching. She has also taught as an adjunct professor of theology at Xavier University. Bogart is the author of The Brave Learner.
Julie helps us think about self-aware critical thinking. As you know today everyone feels like an expert. Our teens look to the internet for their answers and think they have found the truth. In Raising Critical Thinkers, Julie gives us tools to help teens navigate the misinformation they find online so that teens can identify a fact, versus a fiction, or outright lie?
Also, she helps us identify the difference between fact, interpretation, evidence, perspective, opinion, prejudice, bias, belief, story, worldview, and what role they play in critical thinking.
To learn more about Julie and get her free downloads from her new book go to: ⁠https://raisingcriticalthinkers.com/ ⁠
Follow her on Instagram at: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/juliebravewriter/

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54 min
July 20 # 382 Riding Out Teenage Emotions
Have you ever looked at your teen's angry outburst and wondered, "What's really going on underneath?"
When our teens slam doors, snap at us, or seem completely irrational, it's easy to react to the behavior we see. But what if those explosive moments are actually covering fear, anxiety, embarrassment, or overwhelm? In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Lori Kaufman shares how parents can stop taking their teen's emotions personally, regulate their own reactions, and use emotional moments as opportunities for deeper connection instead of conflict.
Guest Bio
Dr. Laurie Kaufman is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified high school teacher, and certified mindfulness educator with nearly 30 years of experience working with teenagers, parents, and families. She is the founder of Ebb and Flow Mental Health, where she provides therapy and leads parenting groups based on the internationally recognized Tuning In to Teens program. Dr. Kaufman also serves as a part-time faculty member in the University of Rhode Island's psychology department. Drawing from both her professional expertise and her experience parenting four teenagers, she helps families navigate big emotions with kindness, curiosity, and practical tools.
Three Takeaways
1. Every Behavior Has an Emotion Underneath
Teens' behaviors often don't make sense until parents understand the emotions driving them. Anger is frequently a mask for anxiety, fear, embarrassment, loneliness, or disappointment. Instead of reacting to the behavior alone, parents can become curious about what lies beneath the surface.
2. Regulate Yourself Before You Parent
When emotions escalate, the most important job isn't fixing your teen—it's calming yourself first. Taking a pause, breathing, or stepping away briefly allows you to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. A regulated parent teaches emotional regulation simply by modeling it.
3. Trade Control for Connection
As teens grow, parents shift from being managers to becoming trusted consultants. By asking authentic questions, listening with empathy, and maintaining firm but warm boundaries, parents build influence instead of relying on control. The strongest parent-teen relationships combine high expectations with high support.
Learn more at: https://www.ebbandflowmentalhealth.com/

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43 min
July 13 #381 Are Your Teens Ready for College?
One of the biggest challenges your teen will face when they enter college is self-management. Managing what they eat, managing alcohol , managing stress, managing sleep , managing relationships, exercise and their time.
Self- management is everything for the college student without it they don't have their health and they definitely won't make the grade.
Jill and Dave Henry met coaching high school sports in Los Angeles and have been working with teens for nearly fifteen years. With every graduating class, they’ve fielded their student-athletes’ concerns about the transition to college. Determined to help, the Henrys decided to leverage their combined professional skills in research, study design, data analysis, and storytelling (Jill is a veteran statistics teacher, Dave is a Peabody-award winning TV and film editor) to create a fun yet informative resource with the goal of preparing all students to enjoy college without sacrificing their health.
Their just released book The Greatest College Health Guide You Never Knew You Needed---How to Manage Food, Booze, Stress, Sex, Sleep, and Exercise on Campus was published in June 2021.
This interview is filled with great research, interesting stories, and practical information including how to get your teen to read this book.
You can contact Jill and Dave at ⁠greatestcollegehealthguide.com⁠
Follow them on instagram @greatestcollegehealthguide

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56 min
July 06 # 380 Drive Safely
Is your teen really ready to drive—or are you handing them the keys before they've earned the responsibility?
"Driving isn't a right—it's a privilege that has to be earned."
Driving is one of the biggest milestones in a teenager's life—and one of the most dangerous. In this episode, Colleen O'Grady talks with personal injury attorney Brett Jarvis about how parents can prepare teens to become safe, responsible drivers. Brett shares practical advice from both his courtroom experience and his role as a father of three, covering everything from when to begin conversations about driving to family contracts, tracking devices, liability, distracted driving, and what parents should do if an accident happens. This conversation reminds moms that teaching safe driving isn't about controlling teens—it's about protecting lives while preparing them for adulthood.
3 Key Takeaways
1. Driving is a privilege that must be earned—not a right.
Parents should look beyond their teen's age and assess maturity, responsibility, honesty, and decision-making before handing over the keys. Clear expectations and consistent consequences are essential.
2. Start teaching long before driver's education begins.
Safe driving habits begin in childhood. Parents can model attentive driving, explain traffic rules, discuss the real risks of distracted driving, and have ongoing conversations that grow as children mature.
3. Create clear family rules that prioritize safety over convenience.
Written driving agreements, phone-free driving, passenger limits, tracking technology, curfews, and an open invitation to call home for a safe ride can dramatically reduce risks while strengthening trust.
Follow at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettjarvisidaho
Learn More at: https://www.fellerwendt.com/meet-the-team/brett-jarvis/

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39 min
June 29 # 379 Skills for Resilient Parents and Teens
Are you raising your child to avoid struggle—or to become resilient enough to overcome it?
In this powerful conversation, Colleen sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Jerry Weichman to discuss the mental health skills every parent and teen needs today. Drawing from nearly three decades of working with over 7,000 families—and his own experience growing up with a limb difference—Dr. Weichman shares practical strategies that help kids build resilience, develop healthy self-esteem, and learn to navigate life's inevitable challenges. He also reminds parents that the best way to raise emotionally healthy kids is to practice these skills themselves.
3 Takeaways
1. Resilience is the foundation of mental health.
Resilience isn't about avoiding hardship—it's about learning how to respond to it. Dr. Weichman encourages parents to teach their children that when life gets hard, they can get stronger. Instead of rescuing kids from every struggle, parents can help them develop the confidence that comes from solving problems and persevering through challenges.
2. Focus on what you can control.
One of the most powerful mental health tools is learning the difference between what you can and cannot control. Parents can help teens shift their energy away from worrying about outcomes, other people, or circumstances, and instead focus on their own attitudes, effort, and actions. This mindset reduces anxiety and increases emotional stability.
3. Model the behaviors you want your teen to learn.
Children learn emotional regulation more from watching their parents than from listening to lectures. Dr. Weichman encourages parents to keep teaching moments brief, create space for conversations, prioritize exercise, reduce screen dependence, and care for their own mental health. When parents practice resilience, balance, and self-care, they give their children permission to do the same.
Learn more at: drjerryweichman.com
Follow on Instagram: @drjerryweichman

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35 min
June 22 # 378 Money Lessons with Teens
Are you accidentally raising a teen who knows how to spend money—but not how to manage it?
In this episode, Colleen O'Grady talks with real estate investor and financial educator Jonathan Greene about how parents can help teens develop healthy money habits, financial confidence, and long-term thinking. Jonathan shares lessons he learned from his father, practical ways to talk about money at any age, and why financial literacy starts with conversations—not lectures.
Key Takeaways
1. Start Talking About Money Early—and Often
Money shouldn't be a taboo topic. The earlier parents begin discussing how money works, the more comfortable and confident kids become. Even simple conversations about groceries, housing, and family expenses help teens understand the real value of money.
2. Teach Financial Skills Through Everyday Life
Kids learn best through experience. Whether it's comparing prices, selling unused items online, managing an allowance, playing money-based board games, or helping make purchasing decisions, everyday situations create powerful financial lessons.
3. Focus on Learning, Not Judgment
When teens make money mistakes, treat them as teaching opportunities rather than reasons for punishment. Curiosity, conversation, and reflection help teens develop better financial habits far more effectively than criticism or shame.
Learn more at: https://www.trustgreene.com/
Follow at: https://www.instagram.com/trustgreene/

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49 min
June 15 # 377 Bringing Calm to Your Teens
I’m excited to have Hunter Clarke Fields (AKA Mindful Mama) back with us today, to tell us about her new book, Raising Good Humans Every Day. Hunter shares some very practical tips to help us busy and often stressed moms to come back to calm. Make sure you stay to the end of the episode where she shares a wonderful meditation that you will want to listen to over and over again.
Hunter Clarke-Fields MSAE, E-RYT (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a Mindfulness Mentor, Mindful Mama Podcast Host, Mom, Global Speaker, and Number 1 Bestselling Author of “Raising Good Humans” with a New Book: “Raising Good Humans Every Day” (Aug 1, 2023). Hunter has over 20 years of experience in meditation and yoga practices, and helps moms bring more calm and family cooperation into their daily lives. She is a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, the creator of the Mindful Parenting Course and Teacher Training, and has taught mindfulness to thousands worldwide, including a recent trip to Egypt. Hunter presents talks on parenting, is a certified teacher of Parent Effectiveness Training. In addition, Hunter coaches smart, accomplished, over-stressed individuals on how to cultivate mindfulness. Hunter is the mother of two active daughters, who challenge her every day to hone her craft! Her work has appeared in CNBC Make It, Parade, Paleontology, Motherhood Moment, The Hollywood Digest, along with on ABC Portland, NBC Milwaukee, and CBS South Bend,Kansas Public Radio, and many podcasts. And as part of her self-care, Hunter likes to do Scottish country dancing.
Learn more about Hunter at ⁠https://MindfulMamaMentor.com⁠
Follow Hunter on Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmamamentor/?hl=en

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44 min
June 08 #376 Teens and Consent
This is such an important conversation on how to raise our teens with agency so that they have the skills to set boundaries, and know what they want and know what they don't want. This conversation about consent explores all the nuances of a true consent. We address what moms can do to reduce the shame factor so our teens will be honest with us.
Dr. Laura McGuire is an internationally recognized consultant, survivor, researcher, seminarian, and author of the book Creating Cultures of Consent (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021) and The Sexual Misconduct Prevention Guidebook: Consent and Conduct for Higher Education Campuses (Fielding University Press, 2022). They were named as one of the 2022 Champions of Pride by the Advocate Magazine and are regularly featured in media outlets for their expertise and approachability.
Dr McGuire is a certified member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), and The Society of Professional Consultants. Dr. McGuire lives in the United States, where she works as an adjunct professor at Widener & Dominican University and CEO at The National Center for Equity and Agency.
To learn more and contact Laura:
⁠https://equityandagency.com/⁠
⁠https://drlauramcguire.com/

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53 min
June 01 # 375 Girl Drama
Have you ever felt your heart break watching your daughter come home devastated by friendship drama—and wondered if helping might actually make things worse?
In this episode of Power Your Parenting Moms with Teens, Colleen O’Grady sits down with friendship expert and author Shari Gazitt to unpack the emotional world of girl drama, exclusion, group chats, and friendship struggles. Together, they explore why moms often feel pulled into the pain of their daughters’ social struggles and how our own teenage experiences can get triggered in the process. Shari shares practical wisdom for supporting girls without rescuing, fixing, or escalating the drama.
Shari Gazitt is an international friendship expert, speaker, founder of Teen Wise, and author of Girl Drama Decoded: Empower Your Daughter Through the Ups and Downs of Girl Drama and Friendships. With a background in counseling psychology and over 30 years of experience, she has helped thousands of girls navigate friendship struggles, social anxiety, exclusion, and the emotional ups and downs of growing up. Through coaching, workshops, and her Mom Wise Collective, Shari equips both moms and daughters with tools to build resilience, confidence, and healthier relationships.
In this conversation, Colleen and Shari discuss the biggest mistakes moms make when their daughters are hurting—such as becoming overly dramatic, dismissive, or intrusive. They talk about why moms must “stay above the drama” instead of jumping into the trenches with their daughters, how group chats intensify social pain, and why trying to control other girls, parents, or schools often backfires. The episode also dives into emotional resilience, cognitive distortions, boundary setting, role modeling healthy friendships, and the importance of helping girls believe they are strong enough to navigate difficult social situations. One of the most powerful themes throughout the episode is that moms don’t need to fix every problem—they need to help strengthen their daughters.
Three Takeaways
1. Your daughter needs calm support more than rescue. Validation and listening often help more than immediately fixing the problem.
2. Moms can accidentally intensify girl drama when their own emotions, fears, or past wounds get activated.
3. The goal is not to protect daughters from every hard friendship experience, but to help them build confidence, resilience, boundaries, and healthy relationship skills.
Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beteenwise/
Learn More at: https://www.teen-wise.com/

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31 min
May 25# 374 When Your Adult Child Strays
Have you ever looked at your adult child and wondered, “How did we get here—and how do I love them without losing myself in fear, grief, or control?”
In this powerful episode of Power Your Parenting Moms with Teens, Colleen O’Grady sits down with bestselling author and parenting expert Jim Burns to talk about one of the most painful and confusing seasons of parenting: when an adult child begins to drift—whether from family values, faith, responsibility, or even the relationship itself. Jim shares practical wisdom and deep compassion for parents navigating estrangement, emotional distance, poor choices, or the heartbreak of watching a child struggle in their 20s and 30s. Together, Colleen and Jim discuss how to shift from controlling to connecting, how to set healthy boundaries without pushing your child away, and why staying in the “messy middle” matters more than perfection.
Jim Burns is the founder of HomeWord, a ministry dedicated to helping families thrive, and the author of multiple bestselling books including Doing Life with Your Adult Children and When Your Adult Child Strays: Trading Heartache for Hope. He speaks around the world on parenting, marriage, faith, and leadership, and has more than three million resources in print in over 20 languages. Jim and his wife Kathy have three adult daughters and several grandchildren, giving him both professional expertise and lived experience in navigating the emerging adult years.
In this conversation, Jim explains why parenting adult children requires an entirely different skill set than parenting teens. He discusses the importance of “giving your child the passport to adulthood,” why unsolicited advice often feels like criticism, and how fear can quietly drive unhealthy parenting patterns. Colleen and Jim also tackle difficult topics like estrangement, deconstruction of faith, enabling versus helping, codependency, and the grief many parents experience when their dreams for their child don’t unfold the way they imagined. Throughout the episode, Jim emphasizes that the goal is not controlling your adult child—it’s preserving connection, becoming a safe person, and building bridges instead of walls.
3 Takeaways from This Episode:
Parenting adult children requires letting go of control while staying emotionally connected.

Fear-based parenting often damages relationships, while warmth, listening, and boundaries foster trust.

Estrangement and struggles do not mean you failed as a parent—healing and reconnection are still possible.
Follow at: https://www.instagram.com/homewordfamily/
Learn More at: https://homeword.com/about/jim-burns/

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48 min

About Power Your Parenting: Moms With Teens

From the publisher's feed

Colleen O'Grady, MA. is a speaker, trainer and author of the award-winning and best-selling book Dial Down the Drama: Reduce Conflict and Reconnect with Your Teenage Daughter---A Guide for Mothers…