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

Tess Connolly talks with Deena Dyson, LCSW who is raising a teen with Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by distinctive abnormalities of the head and face. Craniofacial abnormalities tend to involve underdevelopment of the zygomatic complex, cheekbones, jaws, palate and mouth which can lead to breathing and feeding difficulties.

• Deena talks about the initial stresses of having a special needs child with TCS and what she and her husband had to do during those early years; how they reset with the birth of their special needs child, the changes their family had to make and the mindset shifts
• Her view on the movie Wonder and what it meant for her as a parent with a child with TCS
• The importance and value of their family of having a happy home life and that being the priority over everything else
• The advantage of being a parent with a child with special needs and having a different perspective
• The specific challenges of having a special needs child during this phase of adolescence
• Deena talks about some of the “traps” of having a special needs child
• She discusses the importance of having community supports and organizations, such as CCA (Children’s Craniofacial Association: https://ccakids.org/) 
• We talk about the challenges of teaching her daughter independent living skills at this age 

Deena Dyson, LCSW is a Clinical Social Worker, Mother to a teen girl with TCS. You can reach out to Deena on Facebook. 

Get on the Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist here: The Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist

Need help with managing screen time at home?  Get my Tech Reset Agreement here:

Tech Reset Agreement

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.

What if the secret to fewer behavior problems and better communication with your teen was hiding inside their brain?

In this episode, Tess Connolly talks with Dr. Sarah Allen about the science of parenting tweens and teens—and how simple, playful brain-based strategies can help with everything from screen time struggles to emotional meltdowns. Whether you’re a single parent or just want to better understand your child’s development, Dr. Allen’s approach makes neuroscience fun and practical.

• Discover three powerful strategies to help your teen manage emotions and build self-control
• Learn how “Amy G,” “Fronnie,” and “Hippo” can make brain science relatable for kids
• Find out how to use mindful meddling and clear boundaries to guide better behavior and communication

Press play now to unlock brain-based parenting tools that can transform your relationship with your tween or teen.

You can find out more about Dr. Sarah Allen here; www.brainbehaviorbridge.com

And click her to watch my free webinar!

⭐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 talks with Dr. Sarah Allen all about parenting and the brain; they discuss some unique and fun ways to keep the brain in mind as we parents our tween and teens.

• Sarah describes some unique and fun ways to describe the part of the brain; “Amy G” = Amygdala; “Fronnie” = Prefrontal cortex; “Hippo”=Hippocampus
• Ways to help build and nurture their understanding of the brain and develop their prefrontal cortex.
• 3 strategies to keep in mind when teaching kids about emotions 
• Being a brain detective with our kids and how to do this and the difference between “feelings out” vs. “feelings in”
• Importance of labeling their feeling and connect it to their behavior and investigate with your tween or teen about what’s going on for them
• Importance of parents to model what’s going for them and how to talk about what they are really feeling and communicate this with your kids
• How “mindful meddling” can engage their prefrontal cortex and setting clear boundaries; how cueing and support can be scaffolded as our kids get older
• Sarah is most grateful for her family!

You can find out more about Dr. Sarah Allen here; www.brainbehaviorbridge.com

And click her to watch my free webinar!

Get on the Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist here: The Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist

Need help with managing screen time at home?  Get my Tech Reset Agreement here:

Tech Reset Agreement

Tess Connolly talks to Cara Tyrrell, M.ed.Parent Educator and Owner of Core 4 Parenting about Social and Emotional Skills and Launching an Older Teen

• What she noticed in the early childhood classroom as a teacher and the foundational skills that were missing.
• What social emotional skills are, and her idea of the emotional skills coming before the social skills.
• Keeping in mind the “who” before the “what” with social and emotional learning
• Launching an older teen and the importance of having them learn and practice adult skills
• What is a Gap Year and how to help your older teen do it responsibly and compassionately. 
• Importance of having an older teen practice real world skills like money management and personal growth development
• How to have your older teen “practice” the adult skills while still under the family roof
• Fostering core values of mutual trust, respect and open communication. 
• What Cara did when her children were born, writing a PMS (Parenting Mission Statement) and setting her own parenting GPS
• Cara is grateful for her own children were there to find what they need to be their best selves.

You can find out more about Cara Tyrrell at: 

FB:  https://www.facebook.com/Core4Parenting

IG: .https://www.instagram.com/core4parenting/

LInked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-tyrrell/

**Get on the Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist here: The Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist

Need help with managing screen time at home?  Get my Tech Reset Agreement here:

Tech Reset Agreement

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 older teen truly ready to handle the real world—or are they just good at school?

In this conversation, Tess Connolly talks with Cara Tyrrell, M.Ed., Parent Educator and founder of Core 4 Parenting, about the often-overlooked skills teens need before they step into adulthood. If you’re parenting tweens or teens, dealing with screen time struggles, behavior problems, or worried about your child’s readiness for life beyond your home, this episode is a must-listen.

• Learn why emotional intelligence is the foundation for successful social skills
• Discover practical ways to let teens “practice” adult responsibilities under your guidance
• Understand how core values like trust, respect, and open communication prepare teens for independence

Press play now to learn Cara’s proven strategies for launching teens into adulthood with confidence and competence.

You can find out more about Cara Tyrrell at:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Core4Parenting

IG: .https://www.instagram.com/core4parenting/

LInked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-tyrrell/

⭐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 talks to Lynne Solarz about her big reset that she and family did with moving to Costa Rica in August 2021. 

• Lynne tells us where she has come from, her own history and how she and her husband came to the decision to move to another country 
• Their values of travel and how they wanted to extend this value with their children. 
• Why making this big decision now given their son’s development, and how the pandemic affected their decision
• Why they decided on Costa Rica than another place in the world
• What they actually needed to do to get ready for the move, the mindset shifts they made, and how they prepared their sons for this big change
• Their intention of what they hope for and possible lessons of making a big move to another country and organically learning through their experiences 
• Being grateful for good health!

You can connect with Lynne on FB @ Lynne Solarz, or email her at: [email protected]

Get on the Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist here: The Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist

Need help with managing screen time at home?  Get my Tech Reset Agreement here:

Tech Reset Agreement

Tess Connolly talks to Argavan Nilforoush, Registered Pediatric Nutritionist about how to do a food and nutrition reset with our tweens and teens. Argavan offers nutrition counseling and she has her own podcast called Baby Steps Nutrition. 

• Why it’s important to talk about nutrition with our teens
• Argavan explains the difference between many of the high trendy diets:  intermittent fasting, keto, veganism, vegetarianism, pescatarian, etc.
• The relationship between gut health and emotional health
• What’s missing in the SAD/MAD (Standard American Diet/Modern American Diet)
• Why and what supplements are best...and the top 10 best foods for tweens and teens
• Ways to get the best foods and supplements into our children’s diet
• 3 practical and immediate ways to get our tweens teens involved in their own their own eating habits
• What are the “dirty dozen” foods
• What is Orthorexia and how social media affects the eating habits of our tweens and teens? 

Free downloads; Key Nutrients for Growing Minds and Bodies, Top 3 tips for getting teens involved in nutrition and eating healthy, Mindful Eating Checklist:

Argavan's Freebies for Healthy Eating for Tweens/Teens

You can find out more about Argavan Nilforoush, RDN at: www.babystepsnutrition.com

Connect with Argavan on IG @babysteps_nutrition and on

FB: Baby Steps Nutrition Podcast

**Get on the Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist here: The Parenting Reset Membership Waitlist

Need help with managing screen time at home?  Get my Tech Reset Agreement here:

Tech Reset Agreement

Tess Connolly talks to Dr. Christine Harkness all about emotional intelligence for when you need a reset around our tweens or teens emotions and how to navigate them.

• What Christine found to be fundamental as a teacher and parent coach
• The importance of emotional intelligence and what emotional intelligence is
• How parents can instill emotional intelligence with our tweens and teens
• Ways to talk with our kids about emotions and how we as parents can practice emotional intelligence skills
• Validating emotions and how to do this with our kids
• Practice active listening until you understand your child’s emotion, and then use their language back to them
• The Feelings Wheel to develop your child’s emotional understand and articulation of emotions
• Strategy of Reflection with our emotions, make meaning of them and planning ahead

You can find more about Christine Harkness and her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Calm-Mom-Tricks-Yelling-Healthy-ebook/dp/B098QYVD5W

Tess Connolly talks with Jessica Bradley of The Learning Room about how we can reset and shift as we get ready for this school year with our tweens and teens.

• Jessica’s  story of how she got started in academic coaching 
• Difference between academic coaching and tutoring
• 3 ways to get ready for this school year
• How we set expectations for the middle schooler and high schooler
• Importance of communication and proactive with your student

You find out more about Jessica here: https://www.the-learning-room.com/

Click here to get Jessica’s free calendar download:  https://mailchi.mp/d66e79687790/c34h63kt43

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.

What would happen if you pressed the reset button on your life, packed your bags, and moved your family to another country?

In this episode, Tess Connolly sits down with Lynne Solarz, who shares how she and her husband left the U.S. with their tweens and teens to start a new life in Costa Rica. If you’ve been wrestling with screen time battles, behavior problems, or the feeling that your family is stuck in old routines, Lynne’s story offers a fresh perspective on creating change—intentionally and fearlessly.

• Discover the real-life steps and mindset shifts needed to prepare kids for a life-changing move
• Learn how travel and immersive experiences can improve communication and behavior in tweens and teens
• Hear how a pandemic challenge turned into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for family growth

Hit play now to hear how one mom turned a dream into reality and created a more connected, purposeful family life in Costa Rica.

You can connect with Lynne on FB @ Lynne Solarz, or email her at: [email protected]

⭐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