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Are you tired of yelling at your teen – and hating yourself afterwards?
In this episode of Teenagers Untangled, I talked with parenting and relationship coach Diane Sorensen about how to stay calm with teens, stop power struggles, and set healthy boundaries without becoming a pushover.

If you’re dealing with eye-rolling, “disrespectful” attitudes, shouting matches, and constant tension at home, this conversation will help you:

• Understand why you get so triggered by your teen’s behavior
• Shift from controlling behavior to nurturing real connection
• Use simple emotional regulation tools to pause before you explode
• Tell the difference between calm parenting and permissive parenting
• Create healthy boundaries that reduce resentment and build trust
• Repair after you’ve shouted and show your teen that change is possible

We talk about creating boundaries, unpack practical strategies like the PARR method (Pause, Acknowledge, Respond, Reflect), how to reframe “disrespect” as information, and why owning your triggers is the fastest way to transform your relationship with your teen. If you’ve ever thought, “I promised I wouldn’t parent like this, but I don’t know how to stop,” this episode is for you.

Diane Sorensen

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If you’ve ever fallen in love with someone who already has children, or tried to blend two families and thought, “Why is this so hard? What’s wrong with me?” – this episode is for you. You are not broken, and you are definitely not alone.

I was joined by Masha Rusanov, coach, writer, and author of Repatterned.

Together we unpack:

• Why step‑parenting can feel so emotionally different from parenting your biological children
• How to prioritise connection before correction with bonus kids
• The idea of “natural parenting” – why step‑parents shouldn’t be the main disciplinarians
• What healthy co‑parenting and emotional regulation look like when there are exes, new partners, and multiple households in the mix
• Practical, everyday strategies to reduce conflict and build trust over time

Click here for all of the tips from the episode

Whether you’re a step‑parent, a biological parent in a blended family, or you co‑parent across different homes, this conversation will help you feel seen, supported, and better equipped for the long game.

Masha Rusanov

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Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.

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Are women naturally good at being mothers or is that a cultural myth? 

It matters because if we believe women are naturally good at it then they deserve no kudos for the work they do and when we do struggle it lays the blame firmly at our feet, rather than the society we live in. 

In this episode, I was joined by historian and postnatal practitioner Alex Bollen, author of Motherdom, to unpack the “good mother” myths shaping our culture—and our guilt. 

We challenge the idea that care is “natural,” reveal how shaky science and social media fuel certainty and shame, and show why there’s no single right way to raise teens. 

You’ll learn practical tools to lower pressure at home: the weekly myth check, the “misery test” for your to‑do list, stress reframes that build resilience, and village-building strategies that widen support for you and your child. Step away from perfection, toward curiosity and community—and parent your teen with more calm, confidence, and kindness.

Read the episode write-up here

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. 

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. 

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.

Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack: 

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Welcome to a special mini-series from Teenagers Untangled — seven simple, practical "parenting seeds" to plant over a week, preparing for when your child moves into secondary school or returns from summer. 

These are gentle shifts, not rules to perfect: They're designed to help you focus on what really matters, and reduce your stress. 

They'll help you to move from fixing problems to mentoring your child, build emotional safety at home, and give your teen the confidence to make good choices. 

These are the big picture things I wish I had known much earlier in the teen years.

If you'd like an early release of this information and daily email reminders as the series unfolds, and more support, join me on Substack

Seven seeds:

1. Changing gears: be explicit about the shift in your parenting from monitoring to mentoring. 
2. Make home safe and predictable: create routines and anchors so home feels stable amid constant change.
3. Catch them doing good: notice and praise strengths to build a positive identity and reduce fear of mistakes.
4. Listen until they feel understood (LUFU): use super silence and active listening; summarise and ask before offering advice.
5. Model what you want to see: especially with technology: demonstrate the habits you want your teen to adopt.
6. Be curious about yourself: notice triggers, respond with curiosity not criticism, and model emotional regulation.
7. Talk to your kids before others do: proactively discuss vaping, pornography, nudes, drugs, alcohol and groomers. Role-play responses so they’re prepared before they come under pressure.

Support the show

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Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.

Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack: 

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Announcing my summer top tips series where I give you a short episode of tips organised around themes to help you focus on what you and your tween or teen needs to prepare you for the new school year.

Make sure you’re following the show to ensure you don’t miss any and if you want to get them early and have the tips delivered weekly directly to you just click here Send me the free newsletter and enter our email address. You’ll get them straight to your mailbox. 

The tips start next week, in the meantime here’s a rerun of the Reading Festival episode because I’ve had so much amazing feedback on it:

Music festivals are a rite of passage for many teens. Whilst some love the music, the lack of restriction and opportunities to mingle in a way that they could have only dreamt of during Covid, others decide to give them a miss or go and positively hate the experience. 

I was never a festival kid growing up. I didn't have the money, or the opportunity. As an adult, I've found them to be joyous events, but will always refuse to stay the night. 

My girls have now both been to one of the key UK festivals, Reading, so I thought you might be interested to hear more about what to expect if your kids are keen to go, how best to plan ahead, and what the key issues turned out to be.  

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. 

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. 

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.

Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack: 

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Seven in ten teenagers say they're very or extremely interested in investing. Not just curious, genuinely, actively interested. The problem is that most of us parents didn't become aware of investing until we were young adults or older, and half of parents say they wish they'd started sooner. That's a regret a lot of us are carrying around quietly, and without realising it, some of us are passing that same late start on to our kids.

Teenagers today aren't waiting. They're already getting an education, just not necessarily the right one. They're watching creators on TikTok and YouTube who make it sound like picking the right crypto coin at the right moment is basically a personality trait. They're seeing posts about teens who turned a hundred pounds into ten thousand, and almost nothing about the ones who lost everything trying. It's exciting, it's fast, and it's completely untethered from the basics that actually build long-term wealth.

That's why I invited Sonia Beardsmore, mum, former professional, institutional trader, and author of the book Raise a Mini Investor to talk to us about how we can discuss investing with our kids, how to start them young, and what a difference the deep financial literacy they can build while they're young and curious could really make in the long term. 

Sonia Beardsmore

Previous episode about pocket money

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Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. 

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. 

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.

Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack: 

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Exam stress — are your teen’s exams quietly overwhelming them (and you)?

In this episode of Teenagers Untangled I spoke with Katherine Radice, author of The Parent’s Guide to Exam Stress, to explore:

* Why teens withdraw and how parental questions can shut down conversations about school

* What makes exams uniquely stressful (risk, public outcomes, long timelines)

* How parents can build calm, constructive conversations and listen so teens feel safe to share

* Practical strategies: establishing effective work habits, rewarding effort vs. outcomes, scaffolding responsibility, and iterative trial-and-review methods for study

* Handling struggles: when to improve school support vs. when to build strengths outside school (hobbies, status, resilience)

* The “burden of praise” and how to praise in ways that empower rather than create anxiety

* Managing parental anxiety: how to consult teens, stay reflective, and help them learn to cope with uncertainty and setbacks

Why it’s vital to listen:

Exams affect more than grades — they shape teens’ confidence, relationships, and long-term coping skills.

This episode gives us evidence-based, compassionate tools to support teens without becoming the “revision police,” reduce household stress, and help young people develop resilience that lasts beyond exam results.

Contact Katharine:

https://katharineradice.co.uk/

Top tips from this episode:

https://open.substack.com/pub/teenagersuntangled/p/the-biggest-cause-of-stress-for-teens?r=2u24i0&utm_medium=ios

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. 

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. 

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.

Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack: 

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Who's teaching our teens how to be good citizens; someone who feels a part of society and enagages meaningfully in creating a world we all want to live in rather than someone who just buys stuff?

In this episode I talked with Lindsey Cormick, political scientist and author of How to Raise a Citizen, about why we parents must see it as our job to raise capable, engaged citizens. 

With civics instruction waning in schools, Lindsey shares actionable strategies to turn everyday moments into lessons about government, community impact, and problem-solving. 

We discuss how to engage disinterested teens, navigate polarizing topics calmly, model curiosity over certainty, and making local politics tangible for the younger amongst us. 

The great thing about Lindsey's message is we don't need to know all about politics to get our kids involved, we just need to be prepared to discuss whats happening around us. 

Perfect for parents who want to boost critical thinking, civic responsibility, and respectful dialogue at home. 

Resources and printable prompts available at teenagersuntangled.subtack.com.

Lindsey Cormack:

https://howtoraiseacitizen.com/

https://constitutioncenter.org/

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. 

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. 

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.

Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack: 

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In this bonus episode Amelia and I discussed how hard it is to get parenting right, focusing on the misconceptions of gentle parenting and the importance of setting high expectations with support. 

The full listen to the full episode and read all of my thoughts on it by clicking here. It doesn't cost you anything, it's just a better place for me to store it.

We thought it would be really useful for you to hear us talking so that you can get ideas for how you can open up your own conversations at home. 

Amelia emphasizes the need for clear communication, boundaries, and understanding the root causes of a child's behavior. 

The conversation highlighted the significance of maintaining a healthy relationship, avoiding emotional responses, and fostering independence. 

Amelia suggests using reminders and sit-down conversations to address issues without punishment. 

Amelia also stressed the importance of addressing mental health concerns and being open to feedback to improve parenting skills.

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. 

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. 

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.

Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack: 

My email
My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me

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You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

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What are we really telling boys about how to be a man? And why do so many teens seem to be struggling with how to be in the world, from masculinity to friendship, and mental health?

In this conversation with Professor Niobe Way (NYU developmental psychologist, author of Deep Secrets and Rebels with a Cause), we dug into 40 years of research with adolescents. Her work is extraordinary because she has done something deceptively simple and radically powerful:

She listened to teenagers carefully, over time, and took what they said seriously.

What emerges is a completely different story about boys, friendship, and mental health than the one most of us have absorbed from culture, headlines, and even psychology textbooks.

Professor Niobe Way

Prof Niobe Way: LinkedIn

My early episode in which I referenced Niobe's work

Ideas covered in this episode

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. 

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. 

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.

Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack: 

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There's been an alarming rise of teen gambling, according to Commonsense Media, with half of 16-17-year-old boys reporting gambling in the past year; surpassing alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana use.

Commonsense media says 'we're at a pivotal moment for boys' well-being. We can either let gambling become normalized during a critical period of their development, or we can act now—with education, safeguards, and real accountability.'

In this episode Dr. Chung highlights the role of gaming, particularly loot boxes and mystery boxes, in priming teen brains for gambling. She emphasizes the ease of access through mobile devices and the influence of social media and celebrity endorsements. 

For my full notes on the episode click this link

Dr. Chung advises parents to set boundaries, engage in media literacy discussions and stay curious. 

She also stresses the importance of recognizing signs of addiction, such as secretive behavior and mood shifts, and the need for companies to be more accountable in protecting minors.

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. 

You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. 

Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.

Find all the tips from the episdoe on Substack: 

My email
My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me

Instagram
Facebook
You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk