Single Parenting Reset Show: For Solo Parents of Tweens and Teens — Manage Behavior Problems, Reduce Screen Time & Improve Communication

Tess Connolly LCSW talks with Rebecca Foote, Ph.D. about Anxiety with Tweens and Teens. Rebecca joins us for a second episode of such an important subject focusing on anxiety disorders and OCD. 

• Rebecca gives us some background info about who she is and what she does for those of us who are listening to her for the first time.
• Rebecca shares with us about what her primary referrals are and what she is seeing in regards to symptoms and behaviours that these children are needing help with.
• Tess and Rebecca discuss separation anxiety and how this affects our tweens and teens. 
• Rebecca talks about the common reasons that tweens and teens worry when they are sleeping away from home. 
• Rebecca gives an example of a 13 yr old boy that she has worked with and what strategies and language she used to help them move forward from his anxiety of sleeping away from home. 
• Tess and Rebecca discuss ways that we can help our tweens and teens that are suffering from anxiety of sleeping away from home.
• Rebecca talks us through some steps of how we face supporting our child through their anxiety. 
• Tess speaks of how tweens and teens can take these steps and use these skills when they are feeling anxiety in other parts of their lives. 
• Rebecca talks about how a child’s motivation is key to them using these strategies and them being successful. 
• Rebecca and Tess talk about OCD which is another anxiety disorder that tweens and teens face. Rebecca offers up examples of OCD which she has witnessed in her work. 
• Rebecca offers up an example of a girl that she has worked with and how we as parents can help support our tweens and teens through OCD.
• Tess and Rebecca discuss signs that we may see in our children that may signify that our tweens and teens may have OCD and the difference from behaviour that is “normal” to stepping back and thinking that there may actually be more to this behaviour than what a tween or teen may show in everyday life.   
• Rebecca shares with us that we as parents should have compassion for ourselves and know that it is ok to reach out and ask for help.
• Rebecca touches on taking medication for anxiety disorders and other therapy that is effective for helping to treat anxiety disorders. 
• Rebecca is most grateful for the work that she does and how privileged she feels to help people that she works with to help support them and see the positive outcomes that come from that. 

Home: Marin Psychologist | Treatment of Anxiety (rebeccafootephd.com)

Sign up for the Tech Reset Masterclass here: https://mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/tech-reset-masterclass

⭐️Join MKF weekly Parenting  Journal here:  Mindful Kids and Families Journal 

(Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here: [email protected]

Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

Need 1:1 Support?  Book right here to connect with Tess for a 20 minute FREE “Parent Reset” session: https://calendly.com/mindfulkidsandfamilies/20discover

💫Want support from other parents in an authentic community? Get on the Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist here: The Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist- Openings are available right now!🙌

• Tess gives an introduction to the topic and her experiences with building her own community when moving areas with her then 5yr old after her divorce.
• Tess and Sarah talk about the importance of creating an inclusive community.
• Tess and Sarah discuss how we can help develop inclusive communities within our own parenting journey. 
• Sarah talks about being aware of ourselves and how we were parented and what changes we might need to shift in our own parenting journey compared to what we experienced when we were growing up. 
• Tess talks about her experiences regarding her son and his experience of school and the diversity that he sees and how we learn a lot from our children and how fluid their view is now with regards to sexuality within their peer groups. 
• Sarah talks about groups that are available within our community called “Talking Circles” and these are groups that come into communities and talk about their earliest experiences about race. 
• Sarah talks about one of our biggest biases is that we don't see our own bias and that there are tests we can take via Harvard implicit association tests to see where we can see how biased we are and she also talks about a podcast that helps us to look at our own biases called “Nice white parents”.
• Tess and Sarah talk about what we can do as parents to help shift and open up ourselves to becoming more inclusive so we can become a more credible model to our children.
• Tess and Sarah talk about instances where conversations might come up with our children where they witness something that they question, for example homeless people in the street and how we have the conversation with our children about differences between people in our community. 
• Tess and Sarah talk about the importance of getting comfortable being uncomfortable and getting honest with yourself so you can be honest with your children. Looking at the fact that we are learning alongside our children. That we can tell our children that we didn’t have these conversations when we were younger within our families so they have an understanding of where we are coming from. 
• Sarah is most grateful for her stove in her house keeping her warm with the cold weather she is experiencing where she lives at the moment. 

Harvard Implicit Association Tests - Take a Test (harvard.edu)

Podcast mentioned by Sarah - Nice White Parents on Apple Podcasts

Follow this link to Sarah’s book “Raising Humans with Hearts” - Raising Humans with Heart: Not A How To Manual: Maclaughlin, Sarah: 9781735725628: Amazon.com: Books

Follow this link to find out more about Sarah - Sarah MacLaughlin, LSW | Parent Educator, Author, Speaker

Sign up for the Tech Reset Masterclass here: https://mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/tech-reset-masterclass

⭐️Join MKF weekly Parenting  Journal here:  Mindful Kids and Families Journal 

(Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here: [email protected]

Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

Need 1:1 Support?  Book right here to connect with Tess for a 20 minute FREE “Parent Reset” session: https://calendly.com/mindfulkidsandfamilies/20discover

💫Want support from other parents in an authentic community? Get on the Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist here: The Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist- Openings are available in May 2022 🙌

This episode first aired under the original name, The Parenting Reset Show. Now we are the Single Parenting Reset podcast–supporting single parents of tweens and teens with real talk on screen time, communication and managing behavior.

Are you feeling lost in the shift from parenting a sweet little kid to raising an independent, opinionated tween or teen?

The tween–teen years can catch parents off guard — especially single parents juggling screen time battles, behavior problems, and the emotional rollercoaster of growing independence. In this episode, Tess Connolly LCSW sits down with Nellie Harden, creator of The 6570 Family Project, to share the 5 powerful mindshifts that will help you move from control to connection while setting a solid foundation for your child’s future.

You’ll discover:

• How to handle “The Great Transition” from hands-on parenting to guiding independence
• Simple strategies to connect with each child individually — even if you’ve never done it before
• A mindset shift that turns everyday conflicts into opportunities for trust and growth

Press play to learn how to confidently parent through the tween–teen years while building lifelong connection and resilience in your kids

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: [email protected] Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

This episode first aired under the original name, The Parenting Reset Show. Now we are the Single Parenting Reset podcast–supporting single parents of tweens and teens with real talk on screen time, communication and managing behavior.

Is your tween or teen struggling with anxiety — or could it be something more, like OCD?

In this powerful follow-up episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, welcomes back clinical psychologist Rebecca Foote, Ph.D., to focus on anxiety disorders and OCD in tweens and teens. Rebecca shares real-life examples from her work, explains common triggers like separation anxiety, and walks parents through practical steps to support their child. From helping a 13-year-old overcome the fear of sleeping away from home to recognizing the difference between normal worry and something more serious, this episode is filled with strategies you can use right away.

• Learn clear signs that may indicate anxiety disorders or OCD in your child.
• Get proven, step-by-step strategies to help tweens and teens face fears and build coping skills.
• Understand how to approach treatment options, from therapy to medication, with confidence.

Tune in now for expert insights, compassionate guidance, and real-life tools to help your child thrive.

Home: Marin Psychologist | Treatment of Anxiety (rebeccafootephd.com)

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: [email protected] Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

• Mark opens the episode with an experiential exercise with us.
• Tess and Georgia talk about how they felt after taking part in the exercise.
• Mark and Georgia introduce themselves and share with us background knowledge of who they are and what they do and how they got into mindfulness.
• Mark talks about the time that he started bringing mindfulness into schools and how he did this at the beginning.
• Georgia talks about the benefits that she received from joining the mindfulness community.  
• Mark talks about the benefits of practicing mindfulness in a community and how they learn from their peers when practising in a group.
• Mark tells us about mindfulness and what it is and how it will benefit tweens and teens and also how we get our tweens and teens to engage in the practice. 
• Georgia gives some examples of how she has used mindfulness in her life and how it has helped her. 
• Tess, Mark and Georgia talk about practicing mindfulness in person and online and what the benefits are by doing it either way.
• Mark and Tess give a bit of knowledge of where you can go if you are interested in finding more out about mindfulness and also where we can find resources to learn more on the practice. 
• Mark shares some knowledge about how we can start to plant seeds to our tweens and teens and one of the most important things is to model mindfulness. 
• Mark talks about how practicing mindfulness has been proven to help tweens and teens manage stress.
• Georgia also shares how letting your child come to their own decision about practicing mindfulness is the most effective way and by the adults around them modelling the practice and letting your child come to it if they want to.
• Mark finishes the interview with an experiential exercise of love and kindness.

Follow this link to find out Marks mindfulness group - Teen Mindfulness Circle flyer-spring2020.pdf

For some resources for mindfulness follow this link - Mindfulness Resources for Teens and Young Adults.public.docx.pdf

Sign up for the Tech Reset Masterclass here: https://mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/tech-reset-masterclass

⭐️Join MKF weekly Parenting  Journal here:  Mindful Kids and Families Journal 

(Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here: [email protected]

Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

Need 1:1 Support?  Book right here to connect with Tess for a 20 minute FREE “Parent Reset” session: https://calendly.com/mindfulkidsandfamilies/20discover

💫Want support from other parents in an authentic community? Get on the Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist here: The Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist- Openings are available right now!🙌

This episode first aired under the original name, The Parenting Reset Show. Now we are the Single Parenting Reset podcast–supporting single parents of tweens and teens with real talk on screen time, communication and managing behavior.

Do you know what biases you might be unconsciously passing on to your kids?

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks with Sarah McLaughlin, LSW, about creating inclusive communities — a topic featured in Sarah’s book Raising Humans with Hearts. They explore how parents can model openness, address unconscious bias, and navigate real-life conversations with kids about diversity, difference, and belonging. From “Talking Circles” that explore early experiences with race to personal stories about moving and building a new community, this conversation blends practical tips with honest reflection.

• Learn how to identify and address your own biases so you can model inclusivity for your kids.
• Discover ways to handle tough, spontaneous questions from tweens and teens about differences in the world.
• Get strategies for creating a sense of belonging in your home and community.

Listen now to learn how small shifts in awareness and honesty can help you raise kids who embrace inclusivity.

Harvard Implicit Association Tests - Take a Test (harvard.edu)

Podcast mentioned by Sarah - Nice White Parents on Apple Podcasts

Follow this link to Sarah’s book “Raising Humans with Hearts” - Raising Humans with Heart: Not A How To Manual: Maclaughlin, Sarah: 9781735725628: Amazon.com: Books

Follow this link to find out more about Sarah - Sarah MacLaughlin, LSW | Parent Educator, Author, Speaker

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: [email protected] Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

Tess Connolly LCSW talks about her free Tech Reset Masterclass which she has recently launched and offers some tips and gives you a taster of what is in the class.

• Tess talks about this topic being the number one struggle that she hears from parents that she talks to. 
• She talks about the balance and needing to reset our tech usage now we are starting to shift back into life after the pandemic.
• Tess discusses the 4 major mindset shifts that are needed with the use of our devices. 
• Tess talks about how not all devices are created equal.
• Tess discusses what is not happening in our families since we have increased device use. 
• Tess talks about the importance of building self control with our tweens and teens and how when resetting our device use we can use this as an opportunity to help them do this by including them in the solution. 
• Tess talks about the importance of us as adults making sure that we are following the agreement alongside the children and showing up as role models for our children. 
• Finally Tess shares with us a bit more about what is included in her masterclass. 

Sign up for the Tech Reset Masterclass here: https://mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/tech-reset-masterclass

⭐️Join MKF weekly Parenting  Journal here:  Mindful Kids and Families Journal 

(Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here: [email protected]

Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

Need 1:1 Support?  Book right here to connect with Tess for a 20 minute FREE “Parent Reset” session: https://calendly.com/mindfulkidsandfamilies/20discover

💫Want support from other parents in an authentic community? Get on the Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist here: The Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist- Openings are available right now!🙌

This episode first aired under the original name, The Parenting Reset Show. Now we are the Single Parenting Reset podcast–supporting single parents of tweens and teens with real talk on screen time, communication and managing behavior.

Want your tween or teen to have a tool they can use anytime to manage stress and feel more grounded?

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks with certified mindfulness instructor Mark Stefanski and Georgia Brown, a teen who’s been practicing mindfulness for two years, about what mindfulness is, how to get kids interested in it, and why modelling the practice is more powerful than pushing it. Mark opens with a guided mindfulness exercise, Georgia shares her real-life experience of how mindfulness has helped her manage challenges, and together they explore the benefits of practicing in community, whether in person or online.

• Learn how mindfulness can help tweens and teens manage stress, focus, and emotional ups and downs.
• Discover the most effective way to introduce mindfulness so kids actually want to try it.
• Get practical tips for modelling mindfulness in your own life to inspire your child.

Press play to hear real stories, simple exercises, and proven benefits of mindfulness for tweens, teens, and their parents.

Follow this link to find out Marks mindfulness group - Teen Mindfulness Circle flyer-spring2020.pdf

For some resources for mindfulness follow this link - Mindfulness Resources for Teens and Young Adults.public.docx.pdf

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: [email protected] Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

Tess Connolly LCSW talks with Tracy Hoth who is a professional organizer and certified life coach about decluttering and how we get organized with our tweens and teens. 

• Tracy tells us about her background and the work that she does within her business. 
• Tess and Tracy talk about how we get started with implementing organization with our tweens and teens and the importance of mindset. 
• Tracy offers you some language to use when talking to our tweens and teens about organizing spaces in our home.
• Tess and Tracy talk about rewards that can come with the task of organizing their bedrooms and how they can help accomplish the end goal. 
• Tracy talks through the five steps that she uses when facing an area that needs organizing. (Sort, Purge, Assign homes, Set limits and Maintain)
• Tracy talks about how we deal with items that your children or you want to keep and how we tackle this situation. 
• Tess and Tracy talk about habit stacking to help maintain organization with our tweens and teens. 
• Tracy talks about discussing with your children the obstacles that they feel they may face when taking time to organize spaces in our homes and how we tackle these before we start to organize, to help with the process. 
• Tracy is most grateful for her healthy body. 

Freebie: https://simplysquaredaway.com/start/ - QUICK START GUIDE to get organized for life

Sign up for the Tech Reset Masterclass here: https://mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/tech-reset-masterclass

⭐️Join MKF weekly Parenting  Journal here:  Mindful Kids and Families Journal (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here: [email protected]

Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

Need 1:1 Support?  Book right here to connect with Tess for a 20 minute FREE “Parent Reset” session: https://calendly.com/mindfulkidsandfamilies/20discover

💫Want support from other parents in an authentic community? Get on the Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist here: The Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist- Openings are available right now!🙌

This episode first aired under the original name, The Parenting Reset Show. Now we are the Single Parenting Reset podcast–supporting single parents of tweens and teens with real talk on screen time, communication and managing behavior.

Is tech use slowly taking over your family’s time, connection, and sanity?

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, shares insights from her free Tech Reset Masterclass — a program designed to help families balance device use and rebuild healthy habits after the pandemic. She reveals four powerful mindset shifts for approaching technology, explains why not all device use is created equal, and explores what families are losing when tech takes center stage. Tess also talks about building self-control in tweens and teens by involving them in tech agreements — and why parents must lead by example for real change to stick.

• Learn four mindset shifts that will transform how your family uses technology.
• Discover how to include your kids in creating and sticking to tech boundaries.
• Understand how to role model the habits you want your children to follow.

Press play to get practical strategies and a preview of the Tech Reset Masterclass that can help your family create a healthier relationship with devices.

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: [email protected] Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication