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

If teen screen time is becoming a daily battle in your home…

and your screen time limits for teens don’t seem to be working…

you are not alone.

You take the phone away.

You set rules.

You try to stay consistent.

And still… it turns into arguments, eye rolls, or sneaky behavior.

The truth is…

teen screen time is not just about the phone.

It’s about what the phone is replacing.

Sleep.

Homework.

Responsibility.

Connection.

And when limits are the only strategy…

your teen doesn’t learn how to manage screen time — they learn how to resist it.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to actually manage teen screen time in a way that reduces conflict and builds responsibility.

You’ll walk away with:

✔️ A new way to think about screen time that goes beyond just minutes

✔️ How to create clear, effective screen time rules for teenagers

✔️ A simple framework to turn daily battles into calm, consistent structure

This is the shift from reacting…

to leading.

⭐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

Does disciplining your teenager leave you feeling drained, angry, or like nothing is working?

If every boundary turns into an argument, every consequence becomes a negotiation, and every hard moment ends in distance, this episode is for you.

In this solo episode, Tess breaks down how to discipline teenagers in a way that teaches responsibility without damaging the relationship. She explains why the old model of more punishment, more talking, and more control often backfires with tweens and teens, and what to do instead.

You’ll hear how to use clear limits, calm consequences, and connected follow-up to guide your teen more effectively. Tess also shares practical, out-of-the-box discipline strategies that help rebuild trust, reduce power struggles, and increase respect over time.

This episode draws on adolescent-development guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and NIMH, along with CDC findings on parental monitoring and teen risk behavior.

If you have been wondering:

• how to discipline teenagers without yelling
• what consequences actually work for teens
• how to hold boundaries without constant conflict
• how to rebuild trust after your teen breaks rules

this episode will give you a more grounded and effective framework.

You’ll learn:

• the biggest discipline mistake many parents make with teens
• what healthy discipline needs in order to work
• unique ways to teach accountability, repair, and responsibility
• phrases to use when your teen is disrespectful or pushes limits

Listen now, share this episode with another parent of a tween or teen, and make sure you’re connected with Tess for more support around parenting, boundaries, and communication.

If you want help creating more calm, more structure, and more connection in your family, join the community and explore parent coaching support.

⭐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

Has trust been strained between you and your teen or tween?

Maybe there has been conflict.

Maybe too many arguments.

Maybe lying, secrecy, attitude, shutdown, or just that painful feeling of disconnection.

If you have been wondering how to rebuild trust with your teen without forcing conversations or making things worse, this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Single Parent Reset Show, I’m talking about what trust repair really looks like with tweens and teens.

Not just the usual advice like “talk more” or “spend quality time together.”

We are getting into the deeper work of emotional safety, consistency, repair, and the less obvious ways trust gets rebuilt over time.

I also share research-backed insight on why parent-child communication, connectedness, and emotional predictability matter so much for adolescent well-being.

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

• why trust is rebuilt more through consistency than one big emotional conversation
• how to repair a rupture after conflict without losing your role as the parent
• out-of-the-box ways to rebuild trust, including creating a “do-over lane,” using neutral moments for reconnection, and letting your child have a voice in the repair process

If you have been feeling discouraged, disconnected, or unsure how to reconnect with your teen or tween, this episode will help you take the next right step.

Listen in, and if this episode speaks to you, make sure to join the family by getting on my email list for more support, tools, and guidance for parenting tweens and teens with more calm, connection, and confidence.

⭐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

Is communication at home feeling tense, shut down, or full of conflict with your tween or teen?

If you keep walking away from conversations thinking, “Why does everything turn into an argument?” this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, breaks down four communication shifts that help parents talk with tweens and teens in a way that lowers defensiveness and builds more trust.

You’ll hear why language matters so much during adolescence, how to stop over-talking in hard moments, and what to say when communication has not gone well for a while.

Adolescence is a stage marked by heightened sensitivity to social evaluation, and research also links stronger parent-adolescent communication with better mental health and family functioning.

You’ll learn how to:

• use connection-first language instead of jumping straight into correction
• replace lectures with shorter, calmer communication
• shift from blame to curiosity so your child opens up more
• repair communication patterns when things have been tense or disconnected
• use specific phrases that help tweens and teens feel safer talking to you

Listen now to learn simple, research-backed ways to improve family communication and change how you talk with your tween or teen, even if things have felt hard lately.

And if you want more support, join Tess’s email family through the link in the show notes.

⭐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

Is your teen lying, talking back, shutting down, or making choices that leave you feeling scared, frustrated, or unsure of what to do next?

If so, you are not alone.

Teen behavior problems can feel overwhelming, especially when you are trying so hard to stay connected while also setting limits and hold your ground.

In this episode, Tess talks about some of the most common teen behavior problems parents face right now and how to respond in a way that is calm, clear, and effective.

What looks like “bad behavior” on the surface is often a signal that something deeper is going on underneath.

Your teen may be dealing with stress, shame, anxiety, peer pressure, overwhelm, or a need for control, and that often comes out through behaviors like:

• lying
• disrespect
• sneaking and secrecy
• vaping, drinking, or substance use
• anger, explosive reactions, or shutting down

Tess walks you through how to look at these behaviors differently so you can respond with both connection and structure.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• why teen behavior problems are often communication, not just defiance
• the top 5 behavior issues parents are struggling with most
• what to say and do when your teen lies, pushes back, shuts down, or breaks trust
• how to stay grounded without becoming harsh or losing connection
• why your relationship with your teen still matters, even when behavior needs to be addressed directly

You’ll leave this episode feeling more empowered, more clear, and more confident in how to help your teen through difficult behavior without getting pulled into constant power struggles.

If this episode spoke to you, make sure you join the family so you don’t miss future episodes, parenting support, and practical tools for raising tweens and teens with more connection and less conflict.

And if you know another parent who is dealing with teen behavior problems right now, send this episode their way.

⭐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

Your child may be spending more than half of their waking day on a screen — and you may not even realize it.

If you’ve been wondering how much screen time is actually okay for your tween or teen, this episode breaks it down in a simple, clear way. Tess walks you through what experts recommend, what the research says too much screen time can affect, and what a healthier daily rhythm can realistically look like for kids today.

In this episode, Tess explains the current screen time guidelines for kids and why they matter so much for tweens and teens. She breaks down the difference between school-related screen use and recreational screen time, and she gives real-life examples of what a lower-screen weekday can actually look like for a tween versus a teen.

She also covers what research shows about how too much screen time can impact sleep, mood, focus, physical health, and family connection.

If screen time is taking over after school, evenings feel like a battle, or you are not sure what a healthy limit even looks like anymore, this episode will help you feel more informed and more grounded.

You’ll walk away with:

• simple screen time guidelines for tweens and teens
• a clearer picture of what a healthy day should include besides screens
• language that helps you think about screen time as part of a full life, not the center of it
• encouragement that reducing screen time does not have to mean perfection or punishment

This episode is especially helpful for parents who want less chaos, more structure, and more connection at home.

Listen to Episode 252: How Much Screen Time Is Too Much for Kids? What Parents Need to Know

Then grab your free Tech Reset Agreement below to start creating clearer, more collaborative screen time boundaries with your tween or teen.

In this episode, Tess covers:

• How much screen time for kids experts generally recommend
• Screen time guidelines for tweens ages 9 to 12
• Screen time guidelines for teens ages 13 to 17
• What too much screen time can affect, including sleep, mood, focus, and connection
• What a lower-screen day can realistically look like for a tween
• What a lower-screen day can realistically look like for a teen
• Why reducing recreational screen time can help reset things at home

⭐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

Does your teenager shut down when you try to talk?

Many parents feel frustrated when conversations with teens turn into silence, eye rolls, or one-word answers.

But the reason teens shut down may not be what you think.

In this episode, parent coach and psychotherapist Tess Connolly explains the real reasons teen communication breaks down and what parents can do to rebuild connection.

You’ll learn how adolescent brain development affects communication and how parents can shift their approach to help teens feel safer opening up.

Inside this episode:

• Why teens shut down during conversations

• Common communication mistakes parents make

• How to create safer, more open conversations with teens

• Practical strategies that help teens talk again

Listen now and discover how to improve communication with your teenager.

If this episode helped you, share it with another parent and join Tess’s parenting newsletter for practical strategies delivered twice weekly.

⭐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

Are you parenting a tween or teen and feeling like everything has become more intense, more emotional, and more exhausting? You are not alone. In this episode, Tess Connolly talks directly to overwhelmed parents who are trying to manage conflict, set boundaries, navigate screen time, and stay connected to their child without losing themselves in the process.

The tween and teen years can leave even thoughtful, loving parents feeling depleted. When your child is moody, reactive, pushing limits, or arguing more often, it is easy to assume something is wrong. But often, these behaviors are part of normal development, and understanding that can change how you respond at home.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why understanding normal tween and teen development can reduce parenting overwhelm
• How to lower conflict at home by focusing on one issue at a time
• Why clear agreements around screen time, chores, and money can help everyone feel more grounded
• How small daily resets and moments of connection can support both you and your child
• How parent coaching can help overwhelmed parents of tweens and teens feel more calm, clear, and confident

If this episode resonated with you, join the family through the link in the show notes for more support, encouragement, and parenting tools.

And if you are ready for personalized help, book a 45-minute Reset Call. Tess offers parent coaching for overwhelmed parents of tweens and teens who want to reduce conflict, set better boundaries, create stronger agreements, and build more connection at home.

⭐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

Are you dealing with teen attitude problems at home right now?

The eye rolling.

The sarcasm.

The “Why do you care so much?” responses.

If your teen’s attitude seems to be escalating conflict in your house, you’re not alone—and it doesn’t mean your parenting is failing.

Teen pushback is actually a normal developmental stage, but how you respond to it can either escalate the tension or strengthen your relationship.

In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW and parent coach, explains why teen attitude often appears during the tween and teen years and how parents can respond in ways that maintain leadership without turning every moment into a power struggle.

Research shows that conflict between parents and teens tends to peak between ages 12–15, and most disagreements revolve around everyday issues like homework, chores, curfews, and screen time.

Understanding what’s really happening during these moments can help you respond in ways that reduce conflict and build connection.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why teen attitude problems are often about independence and stress—not disrespect
• A simple two-sentence boundary technique that prevents long lectures
• How to slow down conflict in the moment so small disagreements don’t turn into big fights

These strategies can help you stay calm, maintain leadership, and guide your teen through the challenging moments that come with adolescence.

If you want more tools for navigating the tween and teen years, make sure to join the family by clicking the link in the show notes.

When you sign up for Tess’s bi-weekly parenting newsletter, you’ll also receive her Tech Reset Agreement, a practical framework families use to reset screen-time struggles and improve communication at home.

And if this episode helped you, consider sharing it with another parent who may be dealing with teen attitude problems too.

⭐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

Trying to talk to your teenager and getting eye rolls, silence, or one-word answers?

If conversations with your tween or teen feel harder lately, you’re not imagining it. Research shows that parent-teen conflict tends to peak during early adolescence, especially around everyday topics like chores, homework, and screen time.

But here’s the important thing most parents miss.

The issue usually isn’t that teens refuse to talk.

It’s that the way we talk to them needs to evolve as they grow.

In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset, Tess Connolly, LCSW, explains how communication with teens shifts during adolescence and why traditional “because I said so” parenting stops working.

Teenagers are developing independence, reasoning skills, and a strong radar for authenticity. When conversations feel controlling, vague, or dismissive, teens often shut down or push back.

But when parents shift toward honest, respectful communication, something powerful happens: teens are far more likely to stay engaged in the relationship.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why honesty and direct communication works better with teens than control
• Why explaining the “why” behind your boundaries increases cooperation
• How giving teens the benefit of the doubt can open the door to better conversations
• Why strong parent-teen communication is linked to better emotional wellbeing and confidence in adolescents

If you’ve ever wondered how to talk to teenagers without constant conflict, this episode gives you practical shifts that make communication easier and more effective.

If you found this episode helpful, forward it to another parent who might need it.

And if you want more tools for parenting tweens and teens, join the family to receive my bi-weekly parenting newsletter.

You’ll get practical guidance on:

• screen time battles
• teen behavior and boundaries
• improving parent-teen communication
• building stronger connection in your home

⭐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