Parenting Teens While Being Parent-ed: Welcome to the Sandwich Generation

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 teens while still actively navigating relationships with your own parents. And friends—there’s a lot to untangle.

🎧 In this episode, we talk about:

• How becoming a parent can stir up your childhood
• The emotional whiplash of trying to raise your kids differently than you were raised
• When old family dynamics sneak into new parenting moments (like those dreaded report card convos)
• Why your nervous system might be reacting to your teen like they’re your parent (yes, really)
• How a visit to a psychic helped me find closure with my late mother (and yes, I tell the whole story)
  

Whether your parents are lovingly involved, emotionally unavailable, or somewhere in between, it can feel like you’re parenting with multiple generations in the room—even when they’re not physically there.

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💬 Why This Matters for Parents of Teens

Adolescence is already a pressure cooker. Add in simmering generational patterns, unresolved wounds, and maybe a little unsolicited advice from Grandma? Boom. You’ve got the makings of a family spaghetti tangle.

The good news? You can learn to respond instead of react. You can rewrite the script—even if you didn’t get to write the first act.

This episode is a powerful reminder that parenting isn’t just about raising kids—it’s also about healing yourself. And sometimes the best way to raise a healthy teen is to understand the kid you once were.

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🔗 Want more on parenting through emotional complexity?

• What to Do When Your Teen Triggers Your Childhood Wounds
• The Myth of the “Moody Teen”: When It’s More Than Just Hormones
• The L.O.V.E.D. Framework: A Better Way to Handle Tough Conversations

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🎙️ Ready to dive in?

👉 Listen to Parenting While Being Parented now
And don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a fellow parent who’s walking the sandwich generation tightrope.

🎧 Listen to the episode here – or wherever you get your podcasts.

📖Read more about Parenting Teens on my blog

🌐Visit the Teen Savvy Coaching website for more information!