Joyful Courage - A Conscious Parenting Podcast

Drop in with me to explore what it takes to be with the ebb and flow of the season of parenting teens and tweens. It isn't for the faint of heart and it absolutely requires our development of self awareness, reflection and endurance. We have the power to shift how we are experiencing the challenges that are showing up with our young people if we are willing to go there. Listen to this episode for inspiration on the HOW. Find show notes and info about our sponsors at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-490-endurance-personal-growth-and-intersecting-with-our-adolescents-experience Join the discussion in the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jcforparentsofteens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Dr. Jenn Noble, and she’s here to talk about adolescent identity development and support us all in broadening our lens around the experience of mixed race kids and families. Dr. Jenn helps parents to see who their kids really are and helps teens express who they are to their parents. We all know teen identity development is a total rollercoaster! On one hand, we know our adolescents are growing up, but we sure like to hang onto who they were as children. Their experiences and perspectives are real, but they’re often dismissed.   As we dig into adolescent identity development, and Dr. Jenn reminds us that part of a teen’s job is to explore things, try things out, and push back with a safe place to land. I ask Dr. Jenn what parents can do to invite your teens to talk to you, how adolescents can read our agendas (even when we think we’re being open-minded!), and how this plays out differently in mixed race households. Takeaways from the show What should parents know about adolescent identit

As our teens continue to get older, our role in relationship with them changes. It is hard to know where to lean in and where to let go. The good news is there is no "right way" to parent through the second half of the teen years and beyond - instead, we get to become ever better at intuiting what it is our young people need. During this episode, I go through the different eras of later adolescence and offer my thoughts on useful ways of showing up. Can't wait to hear what you think! Find all the show notes at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-488-thoughts-about-parenting-our-older-teens-and-baby-adults/ Join the Joyful Courage Parents of Teens FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jcforparentsofteens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I am so excited about my guest today - Alyse Levine!  We have one of the foremost college counseling experts in the country here today sharing her wisdom and tips to help adolescents fulfill their college goals & dreams.  Alyse shares why she’s so passionate about college admissions & working with young people, and I ask what was surprising for her when going through the college admissions process with her own kiddo recently.  We dig into all-things admissions related: testing, grades, college essays, rescinded offers, and virtual opportunities & internships.  I ask Alyse what teens should be doing during the summer and how to discern good opportunities & programs, and we wrap up this week talking about setting expectations for our adolescents and how motivating it is when people are learning something they’re excited about.  Key Takeaways from the show Why work with a college admissions specialist or counselor?  FAFSA, Merit Money, & scholarships  How has grading changed since we were in school?  Coll

Surprise!!! My girl and podcast fave, Julietta Skoog, joins me today on a special Thursday show where we come down off of our high from leading our first ever Sproutable Retreat on the gorgeous California Coast. We talk about the highlights from the weekend as well as the power of parenting in community, creating time and structure for our own self-care, and shared a few funny stories... Listen in and let me know what you think. Find all the show notes and info about our sponsors here: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/Eps-486-The-beauty-of-parenting-in-community-with-Julietta-Skoog Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guests today are Jaya Ramesh and Priya Saaral. Jaya and Priya have a lot in common, including being the co-authors of their new book, “Parenting at the Intersections.” This is a deeply emotional topic for them, both personally and professionally.   Many people are discussing the experience of neurodivergence, and many people are discussing being a person of color, but where are the resources for neurodivergent people of color? Jaya and Priya have so much wisdom to share, from asking for what your child needs until they get it, what people who aren’t raising neurodivergent children of color need to know, and why & how to be there for all kids, not just your kid.  We dig deep into how we can expand our definition of what’s “normal,” so that we can be less judgmental, especially when there are systems in place working against that, and how hard it can be for adolescents to find their strengths when we are so focused on deficits.   Takeaways from the show How do you hold the feedback about your child from

Ooh, I have some fun during this week's solo show... If I could go back to parenting my kids through middle school I would take my own advice and do it differently. The beauty of hindsight. Lucky for YOU I am sharing all of my thoughts around parenting during middle school years today on the show! Find the full show notes and info about sponsors at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/Eps-484-the-real-work-of-parenting-during-the-middle-school-years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My friend Douglas Haddad is here this week to chat about all things middle school, with a focus on encouraging discouraged learners.   Douglas has been teaching for over 24 years (at ONE school!), and I love his commitment to his students. Douglas shares what he’s seen changing during that period, like higher anxiety & social media misuse, and what’s stayed the same, like a child’s need to feel loved, heard, and understood.    Douglas shares his wisdom on keeping middle schoolers encouraged & engaged: making sure they understand the systems in place around them, how we can help when our kid isn’t connecting with a teacher, collaborating on family agreements, and helping our tweens grow their tolerance for discomfort.   Takeaways from the show What’s different between middle school today & when you were a tween?  “Loved, heard, and understood”  What does discouragement look like in the classroom?  Wait Until 8th Pledge  Does your child know & understand the systems in place around them?  How to help f

It is so easy, when we aren't paying attention, to let our minds slide into all the worst-case scenarios, the worst possible outcomes, "dead in a ditch." I know, I've been there, and it ISN'T USEFUL. It isn't an empowered or encouraged parenting mindset during the teen years. So how do we shift?? Listen to this episode and find out! Get more show notes and info about sponsors at https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/Eps-482-Shifting-from-worst-case-scenarios-to-trusting-process-teens/ Join the FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jcforparentsofteens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amy & Christy are back for part 2 of our conversation, and we’re talking about pornography.   Please believe us: your kid is going to see porn. Some families are more aware & ready for this moment than others, so what can you do and say to prepare? You can’t prevent the exposure or know how your child will react, but we can get ready for it and start the conversation now. Pornography is all over the place and often hidden, and unfortunately kids view that as Sex Ed & think that pornography is what sex with a partner will be like for them - they assume that hardcore porn is real life. Seeing these images train their brain; watching porn today is very different from running into an issue of Playboy when we were kids, and it’s impossible to avoid.   So what do we say to our kids? What’s the magic word? Christy shares the way she uses values to talk to her teen, and Amy explains how to keep the conversation around other kids to break through to your own teen. We touch on monitoring software & sugar dating. The

This week we are going deep into examining the beliefs we hold about our kids and how they might actually be what is getting in the way and creating the suffering we are experiencing. I know, seems like an easy fix, right? We may not be able to control our kids (truly, we can't) but what we BELIEVE about them is for sure a part of our influence AND for SURE impacts how we EXPERIENCE them. Listen in and let me know what you think. Find more about our sponsors and full show notes at https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-480-power-of-examining-beliefs-we-hold-about-our-teens-and-tweens/ Jump into the FB group discussion at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jcforparentsofteens/posts/1604661457038309/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is my good, local friend - Cindy Palmer.  Cindy’s here to talk about executive functioning in kids with neurodivergence, especially during the transition to college. High School is a time that is typically incredibly structured, down to the minute, and the transition to college is tricky for all adolescents. What do we do when it feels like our kids aren’t ready? How can parents help scaffold that transition? Especially for kids with neurodivergence? Cindy shares lots of strategies and ideas around supporting our adolescents during this tricky time - getting curious & compassionate, not holding a certain view on what things “should” look like, and what kind of bumps slow down (or stop) our kiddos from getting their work done.   I ask Cindy what we can be doing in the middle & high school years to help with the transition (spoiler: it’s lots of practice & baby steps) and we talk about how important grades actually are. We get into what we can hand over to our kids right now (how about waking the

You and me and enthusiastic curiosity - WOOHOO! It may sound crazy but when we can really connect with the experience we are having while navigating our kids' mischief, regulate, and shift into curiosity, there is space for much deeper connection and learning for all. Truly. Listen to this show for tips on all the things - and let me know what you think! For show notes and more info on our sponsors, head to https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/Eps-478-Meeting-misbehavior-with-enthusiastic-curiosity/ To chime in on your take-aways, join the Joyful Courage for Parents of Teens FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jcforparentsofteens/posts/1600103267494128/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I am SO glad you’re here this week for my second chat with Emily Cherkin, AKA The Screentime Consultant.   We start by talking about what Emily’s been seeing & dealing with lately: managing screentime at home, reigning screentime in after Covid struggles, and kids having more access to tech at younger ages than ever before. It’s obvious that parents are really trying to figure out how to set screentime limits that actually work without isolating our kids from their social network or hindering their schoolwork. We also get into screens & tech in the bedroom & our hypocrisy on expectations around screentime.   After catching up on all of that, we dig into AI - what AI is, how quickly it’s changing, & the lack of transparency and understanding around AI. Emily shares her TLDR around all tech: “less is more, later is better, & relationships first.” Emily and I ponder on what parents can do when they want their kids to have a phone for emergencies, and she shares what her two questions for parents are around scr

Hey there - back again with thoughts on Monday's episode and prompting us all to have a broader perspective than just the one that lives in our heads. Our relationships depend on our willingness to consider how where we are coming from is getting in the way of what we ultimately want to create. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this! For more show notes and info on our sponsors go to: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/Eps-476-Being-right-downside-comparing-our-experience-others/ To share your takeaways to the prompts in the FB Group, go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/jcforparentsofteens/posts/1596414907862964/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Aaron Steinberg.  Aaron is super passionate about equipping couples with the tools they need for the challenges of parenthood. The good news is that these challenges are universal, and we can make changes in our relationships. Aaron and I get into a whole lot in our conversation: family meetings, offering & receiving feedback from a spouse, and how to talk to your spouse when you’re the one with the new tools & ideas to try. I love Aaron’s framing of being “somewhat right” and why the objective truth doesn’t really matter in a relationship. I ask Aaron what he thinks about ambivalence showing up in a long-term relationship and what realistic expectations are in a long marriage.  Takeaways from the show: Parenting brings up all kinds of things from our past & can make us feel incompatible with our partner Sometimes our needs are seemingly incompatible with our partner’s needs  Relationships are constant practice  Family meetings  Offering feedback kindly & receiving feedback openly Se

Inspired by Monday's show and a post for the Joyful Courage for Parents of Teens FB Group, today is an exploration of the experience and considerations when you find yourself parenting with someone who doesn't align with your style of parenting. Share your takeaways in the Joyful Courage for Parents of Teens FB Group by clicking here. Check out the full show notes and links about our sponsors at: https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/eps-474-when-we-dont-align-with-our-partners-parenting-style/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Carol Szuky. Carol is on the show today because she feels called to talk about the narcissistic abuse she navigated with her children for most of their lives.   Carol shares the story of meeting and marrying her narcissistic husband and the two big indicators that let her know the relationship was no longer healthy or working. I ask Carol to define narcissism from her experience and how/when she planned to leave, then she shares the conversation & surprising twist that opened her husband up to listening, feeling, and changing.   Takeways from the show What is narcissism? What does it look like?  Where does narcissism come from?  Indicators that your relationship is not healthy  Tools & therapies that can help narcissists and victims  How people react to the narcissism diagnosis  Co-parenting with a narcissist  Holding integrity, knowing your worth, & keeping your boundaries For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

I'm back with a brand new solo show, channeling wisdom and empowerment. Today I am reflecting on a workplace training experience and will emphasize the importance of nurturing relationships with teenagers amidst their complexities and challenges. I share insights on fostering understanding, transparency, and connection with teens, urging you all to navigate the wonkiness of adolescence with curiosity and presence. See more show notes and info about sponsors at https://www.besproutable.com/podcasts/Eps-472-The-wobble-of-centering-relationship-and-curiosity-with-our-teens/ Share your takeaways in the Joyful Courage for Parents of Teens FB Group - click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest today is Michael Jacobus, and we’re talking about unhealthy screen time, social media overuse, gaming addiction, and his Reset Summer Camp program.   Michael shares how his own son becoming addicted to video games and the lack of help & programs available inspired him to create Reset Summer Camp. We, as parents, did not know the Pandora’s Box we were opening when we first brought technology and social media into our homes. We end up feeling guilty and don’t know what to do. How and why would we? None of this was available when we were teens!  Michael posits that over half of the teens in the US have an issue with screen time, and he shares some recommendations for screen time at home (including when you get big, emotional reactions to new limits). I ask Michael how to first open up this conversation with your teen, how to best roll out social media to younger teens, and we wrap up agreeing that screen time usage is an issue that is truly universal and in every home.   Takeaways from the show Gami