Your Parent Coach by Mel White

This episode of Your Parent Coach is one every parent of tweens and teens needs to hear.

I’m joined by Kristi McVee, a child safety educator, author, and founder of Kristi McVee Child Safety Education, to talk about helping young people stay safe in a world that’s changing faster than many of us can keep up with.

We dive into the online risks parents may not realise are happening, the situations teens can find themselves in even when they think they’re being careful, and how parents can protect their children without damaging trust or independence.

Rather than relying on fear-based parenting or trying to control every move, this conversation explores how we can equip young people with the skills, awareness, and confidence they need to make safer decisions for themselves.

Inside this episode we cover:

• Hidden risks parents often miss
• Common online situations teens can get caught up in
• How to balance safety with growing independence
• Building decision-making skills instead of parenting through fear
• Simple actions parents can take this week to improve safety at home

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the world your teen is growing up in, this conversation offers practical takeaways and reassurance that safety conversations don’t have to feel scary.

Connect with Kristi and learn more about her work:

https://www.kristimcvee.com/blog

https://www.instagram.com/kristimcvee/

It can feel exhausting and confusing when your teen pushes you away , especially when you’re trying to support them. In this episode, I explore why teens often resist help, what this behaviour actually means, and how parents can respond in a way that protects connection rather than damaging it.

Instead of focusing on how to “get through” to your teen, we shift the lens to understanding their need for autonomy, identity-building, and emotional safety and how you can meet them there.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why resistance is a normal (and important) part of adolescence
• The difference between not wanting help vs not feeling safe to accept it
• Common parent reactions that unintentionally push teens further away
• Practical ways to stay connected without forcing conversations
• How to reduce feelings of helplessness and stay grounded as a parent

Key Takeaway:
Your teen’s resistance isn’t rejection, it’s communication. When you respond with curiosity instead of control, you keep the door open for connection.
If this episode resonates, share it with another parent who might need it and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming conversations.

Email me: [email protected]

Interest in sponsoring this podcast? DM - @melwhiteparentcoach on Instagram.

In this episode, I’m joined by ceremonial guide and author Bianca Caruana to explore how we can better support your daughter/s through one of the most significant transitions of their lives - puberty.

Rather than something to simply “get through,” Bianca invites us to see puberty as a powerful rite of passage. Through her work at The Goddess Temple in Brisbane, she creates spaces where mothers and daughters can come together to honour this transition with intention, connection, and celebration.

We dive into how early experiences of menstruation can shape a girl’s relationship with her body for years to come and how, as parents, we have the opportunity to shift the narrative from confusion or shame to confidence, understanding, and empowerment.

We also explore how this stage isn’t just a transition for your daughters, but for you as mothers too, bringing identity shifts, new dynamics, and opportunities for deeper connection.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why puberty deserves to be treated as a meaningful rite of passage
• How to support your daughter’s body confidence and understanding as she changes
• Rewriting the narrative around periods and breaking cycles of shame
• The emotional and identity shifts mothers may experience during this time
• Simple ways to create openness, calm, and connection at home

This is a beautiful, grounding conversation for any parent wanting to approach puberty with more intention, confidence, and connection.

Connect with Bianca:

https://www.biancacaruana.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bianca.jade.light/

In this episode of Your Parent Coach, I’m joined by Julieta Duvall — a soulful rebel, Human Design guide, mum, and long-time flight attendant — for a deep and refreshing conversation about parenting teens through intuition, self-regulation, and trust.

Julieta shares how Human Design can be used as a supportive ally rather than a rigid system, helping parents better understand themselves and their children, reduce power struggles, and move away from the belief that teens are being “defiant” or “disrespectful on purpose.” We talk honestly about triggers, nervous system regulation, and the importance of meeting your own needs as a parent — because you can’t pour from an empty cup.

This episode is especially for parents who feel like they’ve “tried everything,” are stuck in cycles of conflict, or are craving a more authentic, connected way of parenting their teens. Julieta reminds us that the way out is already within us — and that our kids are often our greatest teachers.

✨ In this episode, we cover:

• What Human Design is (and how parents can actually use it)

• Why teen behaviour isn’t personal — even when it feels like it is

• How to recognise when you’re parenting from your own unhealed triggers

• The power of going inwards and backwards to regulate in the moment

• Why meeting your own needs is essential to being the parent you want to be

• How curiosity can replace control in teen parenting

You can connect with Julieta and learn more about her work at theunschoolinglifestyle.com, where she supports families navigating Human Design, alternative education, and life outside the mainstream.

If this episode resonated, please subscribe, leave a rating, and share it with another parent — that’s how we keep these conversations going.

In today’s episode of Your Parent Coach, I’m joined by relationship coach and podcast host Monica Tanner, and we dive into something parents don’t talk about enough, how our adult relationships directly impact teens.

We explore how communication patterns, conflict, and emotional connection between parents shape the emotional safety of a home, and what teens are really learning from the relationships they witness every day. Monica shares simple, practical insights around reducing resentment, navigating conflict more intentionally, and rebuilding connection, not just for your marriage, but for your family as a whole.

This conversation is especially important for parents of tweens and teens, because even when young people don’t say it out loud, they feel everything. Healthy relationships don’t mean never arguing, they mean knowing how to repair, communicate, and take responsibility. And those skills are learned at home first.

If you’ve ever wondered how to model emotional intelligence, respect, and healthy communication for your teen, this episode is for you.

Links:

Follow Monica - https://www.instagram.com/monitalksmarriage

Visit her website - https://www.monicatanner.com/

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Kimberly Rich — a grief educator, death doula, end-of-life companion, and founder of Tomorrow Mourning. After the sudden loss of her mother in 2021, Kim dedicated her work to changing how we approach death, dying, and grief, with a strong focus on supporting children and families through loss.

We talk about why grief is a guaranteed part of life — and yet something we rarely prepare children (or adults) for. Kim shares why children often have a greater capacity to talk about grief than we give them credit for, and how avoiding the topic can actually create more fear and confusion.

This conversation explores the many forms grief can take — not just death, but also pet loss, divorce, moves, identity changes, and even parenting transitions. We dive into practical ways parents can support grieving children, especially when a pet dies, including how to model grief, invite (but not force) participation in rituals, and create space for kids to remember and share.

We also discuss the power of community in grief — why showing up matters long after the first few weeks, how to identify “safe people” for both parents and children, and why grief doesn’t need fixing — it needs witnessing.

This is an honest, gentle, and deeply human conversation that I truly believe every parent needs — not just when grief arrives, but long before it does.

You can connect with Dr. Kimberly Rich on Instagram at @tomorrowmourningllc or visit her work at Tomorrow Mourning.

If this episode resonated, I encourage you to listen with your child, or use it as a starting point for a conversation you may have been avoiding.

🇦🇺 Australia – Support Lines

Kids Helpline
📞 1800 55 1800
💬 Webchat & email available
👧🧒 Ages 5–25
🕒 24/7
Support for young people experiencing grief, loss, or emotional distress.
🔗 kidshelpline.com.au

Lifeline Australia
📞 13 11 14
💬 Online chat available
🕒 24/7
Support for adults, including parents navigating grief or supporting a grieving child.
🔗 lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue
📞 1300 22 4636
💬 Webchat available
🕒 24/7
Support for anxiety, depression, and grief for adults and parents.
🔗 beyondblue.org.au

Headspace
👧🧒 Ages 12–25
💬 Online & in-centre support
Mental health support for young people, including grief and loss.
🔗 headspace.org.au

🇺🇸 United States – Support Lines

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
📞 Call or text 988
💬 Chat available
🕒 24/7
Support for anyone in emotional distress, including grief and loss.
🔗 988lifeline.org

Crisis Text Line
📱 Text HOME to 741741
🕒 24/7
Text-based support for teens and adults experiencing grief, overwhelm, or crisis.
🔗 crisistextline.org

The Dougy Center
👧🧒 Support for children, teens, and families grieving a death
Resources, groups, and education (not a crisis line, but excellent grief support).
🔗 dougy.org

National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG)
Resources for parents supporting grieving children.
🔗 childrensgrief.org

In this episode of Your Parent Coach, I’m joined by Teresa Ramirez — award-winning author of Raising Kind Children and founder of Journey in Kindness — for a powerful conversation about how kindness can quite literally save lives.

Teresa shares what led her to make reducing violence in schools her life’s work, and why kindness is not “soft” or passive, but a practical, evidence-based tool that shapes families, schools, and communities. We talk about the CEO of the family mindset, how parents model values whether they realise it or not, and why children must be involved in shaping the culture of kindness at home.

We dive into real, actionable strategies — from daily check-in questions that build trust, to helping kids understand the difference between people-pleasing and genuine kindness with boundaries. Teresa also shares why filling your own “kindness tank” matters (especially for burnt-out parents), and how small, intentional acts can create ripple effects far beyond what we can see.

This episode is a reminder that children may not remember every rule we set — but they will always remember how we made them feel.

Find Teresa and her book below:

https://www.journeyinkindness.com/

In this episode, I’m joined by someone very close to my heart — my sister-in-law, Taylor. Taylor is currently in high school and about to step into Year 11, so we decided to have a very real, very honest conversation about navigating high school from both sides.

We talk about what it’s actually like starting high school, making friends, feeling overwhelmed, and finding your way when everything feels new. Taylor shares what she wishes more parents understood about Year 7 — from friendships and timetables to pressure, kindness, and why asking for help matters more than people think.

Then we flip the script. Taylor asks me what to expect heading into Year 11 — socially, emotionally, and academically — and we unpack the pressure teens feel to “lock in,” grow up fast, and carry everything on their own.

This episode is for parents who want insight straight from a teen, and for teens who need reassurance that they’re not behind, broken, or doing it wrong. It’s also a great one to listen to together.

You’re going to be okay. And you don’t have to do this alone.

In this episode of Your Parent Coach, I’m joined by Safiya Omosanya, a mum of three and a trauma-informed cycle-breaking coach, for a deeply honest conversation about what it really means to break generational patterns.

Safiya shares how her middle daughter became the catalyst for her conscious parenting journey, and why learning to regulate herself first completely transformed her relationship with her children. We talk about why behaviour is often a mirror, not the problem, how triggers are powerful clues for healing, and why kids need emotionally regulated caregivers more than perfect strategies.

This conversation is compassionate, real, and incredibly validating, especially if you didn’t receive a healthy parenting blueprint growing up. Safiya also shares practical nervous system tools parents can start using right away, including Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), and why repair, accountability, and self-work are the foundations of safe connection.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, triggered, or like you’re repeating patterns you swore you wouldn’t - this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen with an open heart, and know that growth starts with awareness, not shame.

You can connect with Safiya on Instagram at @safiya_thecyclebreakingmom.

Connect with me @melwhiteparentcoach on IG and follow the podcast @yourparentcoachpodcast on IG

In this episode of Your Parent Coach, I’m joined by Stacey Schaffer — a child, adolescent, and young adult therapist with over 20 years’ experience supporting families through grief, trauma, and anxiety.

Stacey brings both professional insight and lived experience to this conversation, and we talk about what children carry in their bodies long before they have words for it, why behaviour is often a signal (not the problem), and how being “perfect” has never been the goal of parenting.

We also explore why parents don’t need the right words, how presence matters more than advice, and why worrying about your parenting is often a sign that you deeply care. This episode is a reminder that healing happens through humanity, not perfection — and that generational change begins with parents who are willing to show up and listen.

Links:

Find Stacy here: https://stacyschaffer.com/

Get her book: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Childrens-Therapist-lessonsihavelearnedalongtheway-ebook/dp/B0F5N6V1YK

If you would like to be a guest on this podcast please email [email protected]

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