Teen Savvy Coaching
Helping teens and the adults who care for them to thrive
If you’ve ever felt like the peanut butter squished between two very emotionally complex slices of bread—your teen on one side and your parent(s) on the other—congrats. You’re living the sandwich generation life. In our latest episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Parenting While Being Parented, Melissa and I dig into the emotional complexity of raising …
As parents, we all want our teens to succeed and build life skills, but the road to success isn’t always about academic achievement or winning trophies. One of the most valuable places for teens to build important life lessons is through youth sports. Whether they’re playing competitive soccer, gymnastics, or even participating in recreational team …
May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’re starting it with some real talk—and real myth-busting—about teen mental health. 🎤 In the newest episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, I team up with my co-host, child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Melissa Wellner, to break down three of the most common (and dangerous) misconceptions we hear from …
If you’ve ever seen your teen react like a startled horse when asked about missing homework, you’re not alone. Teens and horses have more in common than you’d think—and when parents gain insights and understanding those reactions can help build stronger communication. In our latest episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, we’re exploring what horses—yes, actual …
Spoiler alert: Your teen probably isn’t going to sit cross-legged in a playroom and build castles in a sand tray in play therapy. But what if the principles behind play therapy could still help you understand, connect with, and support your teen—especially when they’re struggling to express what’s going on inside? In the latest episode …
Parenting is never a one-size-fits-all journey, and when you’re raising a child on the autism spectrum, the path can feel even more complex. From navigating school accommodations to understanding sensory needs, parenting a child with autism requires patience, advocacy, and a whole lot of love. In the latest episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, we sit …
Parenting Transitions: Why Support Matters from Birth to the Teen Years Bringing home a baby is life-changing—but so is navigating the teen years. If you’ve ever wished for a parenting coach to guide you through the ups and downs of adolescence, you’re not alone. On this week’s Parenting Shrink Wrapped podcast, we’re joined by pre …
If you’ve ever found yourself staring at your tween and thinking, Who even are you right now?, you’re not alone. Middle schoolers can be dramatic, unpredictable, and—let’s be honest—a little rude sometimes. But does that mean you’re raising a “difficult” teen? Probably not. In our latest episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, we tackled a real-life …
Divorce is one of the most challenging transitions a family can go through. But here’s the truth: how you handle it makes all the difference—especially for your kids. Not every divorce has to be a drawn-out battle filled with bitterness and legal drama. There is a better way. In our latest Parenting Shrink Wrapped episode, …
Parenting is tough, but if you often feel overwhelmed by the noise, chaos, and emotions of raising kids, you might be a highly sensitive person (HSP). Highly sensitive parents process emotions deeply, feel overstimulated more easily, and can struggle to manage their energy while supporting their children. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone! At …
Moving is one of life’s biggest transitions—especially for kids. Whether it’s across town or across the country, a move can stir up big emotions, disrupt routines, and create unexpected challenges. Even when a move is exciting, it often comes with stress and uncertainty for the whole family. In the latest episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, …
It’s not just parents who need to understand the difference between punishing and disciplining teens and tweens. It was a crummy day here in Maryland last Friday—cold, grey, and drizzling. My Mazda was covered in muddy truck tire spray from the highway. As I drove, I noticed that my right windshield wiper was coming apart. …
A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Mental Health Care for Kids and Teens Finding the right mental health care for your child or teen can feel overwhelming. With so many different professionals, options, and systems to navigate, it’s no wonder parents feel lost. But the good news? You don’t have to figure it all out on …
Parenting teens is no small feat. Between school stress, extracurriculars, and the emotional rollercoaster of adolescence, it’s easy for parents to fall into the trap of putting their own needs last. But here’s the hard truth: neglecting your self-care isn’t just unsustainable—it’s also detrimental to your ability to parent effectively. In the latest episode of …
Surviving the Summer Tech Vortex Ah, summer! The season of sun, fun, and… a seemingly endless screen time battle with your adolescent–particularly younger adolescents. They’re too old for summer camp and too young for a summer job, so how do you keep them from transforming into screen zombies while you’re at work? Here’s your sanity-saving …
When our kids were younger, we often found ourselves in the role of conductor, orchestrating the rhythms and melodies of our children’s lives. But adolescent development often has teens seeking greater independence, taking new risks, and, eager to find their own baton to lead, The Conductor and the Orchestra I often say that one of the …
My late mother was a sentimental soul…and a perfectionist. This combination made holidays like Thanksgiving particularly fraught in my household. In theory, my mom loved all the little traditions like place settings “just so” at the dinner table, turkey-shaped salt and pepper shakers, and pulling out the “good china” that required hand washing. I now …
Halloween with teens is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the holiday gives adolescents a chance to revel in the traditions of childhood. On the other, it can be a reminder of the middle ground that teens occupy between childhood and adulthood. And that middle ground can feel awkward. Why I …
It’s been a rough few weeks in the Straub family. And I’m parenting in crisis mode. If you follow me on social media, you may have already heard about the humongous tree that fell through the roof of our home two weeks ago, leaving my family temporarily homeless. And if you don’t follow me on social …
Supporting your child as they transition to college brings up parental emotions from elation to grief and everything in between. The resources below are ones I’ve collected over the years that address this exciting, nostalgic…and sometimes chaotic time in a family. Websites about the college transition Grown and Flown is an excellent resource for parents …
I’m in the middle of a big professional change that can be summarized in a one word: Transition. Transitions, while potentially exciting, are also a time of unsteadiness, uncertainty, and unfinished business. Big changes on the professional horizon Last week, I let the school where I have been employed as a high school counselor for …
I tend not to make a New Year’s resolution, in part because, as an educator, my “year” has started in August and ended in June for the past four decades. Thus, January is often more of a midpoint for me than it is a beginning. That said, over the past couple weeks, I have had …
WHY TO AVOID “WHY” QUESTIONS WITH YOUR TEEN When it comes to making requests and inquiries of their teens, parent language matters–a lot. With my parent coaching clients, we do a lot of examining of the language, tone, and timing around parent-child interactions. We seek to discover points of intervention where the parent’s behavior–including word …
If you are raising an anxious teen, first, my heart goes out to you. Parenting anxious kids requires one of the finest balancing acts in that parents must constantly ask themselves “Does my child need comfort or pushing in this moment?” “Should I accommodate the anxiety or make her face the music?” What is the …
