The Reflective Parent: Parenting Strategies to Improve Communication And Build a Strong Relationship With Your Teen and Family
For parents who feel exhausted trying to reconnect with their child but are feeling stuck. Nothing you do seems to be working and you’re ready to dive deep, get vulnerable, and take on a different approach.
Here, on the “The Reflective Parent” podcast, we start by looking at ourselves and begin to make small shifts for change. When we better understand ourselves, we are better equipped to engage with the family and its unique dynamics. Small changes in your own behavior and way of thinking will have a big impact on your family dynamics, your relationship with your partner, and even the behavior of your teen or pre-teen. When you change, they change, and you’ll see them adopt better strategies that align with your family value system.
I’m your host, parent coach Jason Denham. With nearly 20 years of experience in family dynamics, including 14 years living with adolescents and 2 years managing sober living for adults, I’ve worked with diverse personalities and diagnoses in families across the globe. My background spans wilderness therapy, residential treatment, transitional living, foster care, and sober living. Since 2021, I’ve been a parent coach and continue to support families, drawing from my own experiences with recovery, ADHD, and epilepsy. These insights help me provide practical tips and actionable parenting strategies for those families facing similar challenges.
“The Reflective Parent” podcast is a place where parents like you can come to seek community, connection, confidence and competence in deepening your family relationships, increasing your peace, feeling less exhausted, and more motivated to teach.
In this podcast, you can expect to learn about topics like:
- Building a strong relationship with your family;
- Setting boundaries and limits;
- Showing up to teach and guide;
- Screen hygiene or screen misuse;
- How to deal with a lying or disrespectful teen;
- Improving communication with your teen and family;
- Teen drug and screen addiction;
- Teens struggling with Autism, ASD, ODD, or ADHD;
- Teen mental health issues;
- And much more.
Bring your most challenging questions and your most courageous, vulnerable self as you learn with other parents, because together is better and you are not alone.
To learn more about my work as a parent coach, visit www.awakenedshadow.com
The Reflective Parent: Parenting Strategies to Improve Communication And Build a Strong Relationship With Your Teen and Family
3. Parenting Strategies For When Your Teen Pushes Back
Ever found yourself in a heated exchange with your teen, feeling the tension build, your voice rising, and your body bracing for battle?
What if I told you that there’s a way to dial back, find your calm, and show up as your best self, even if the conversation starts off on the wrong foot?
In this episode, we’re diving deep into what happens inside us when your teen pushes back or refuses to follow the plan. The first step is recognizing and honoring your reaction.
A lot of us avoid conflict, and just the thought of a difficult conversation can change how we show up before it even begins. I want to help you change that. We’ll explore how to recognize the signs—what’s going on in your mind, what your body is telling you, and how your nervous system is primed to protect you, sometimes in ways that aren’t so helpful in the heat of the moment.
I’ll share with you the power of simple tools like meditation and deep breathing, which can make all the difference when you’re on the edge of overwhelm. Trust me, the breath is more powerful than you might think—it’s a way to step back, take a mental pause, and check in with yourself: What’s really going on here? Is there something else that’s triggering my frustration with my teen?
Remember, here we make small shifts for change that can lead to big changes in your family dynamics. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being present, being aware, and being willing to try again when things don’t go as planned.
In this episode on parenting strategies for when your teen pushes back, we discuss:
- Identifying what triggers you during conflicts with your teen;
- Parenting strategies to dial back your response, find calm, and approach the situation again with a clearer mindset;
- Understanding the power of showing up as your best self, even when a conversation starts on the wrong foot;
- How the fear of conflict can affect how you approach tough conversations with your teen and family;
- How entering a situation with a different mindset can change the outcome and help you build a stronger relationship with your family;
- Paying attention to your inner monologue and avoiding being overly attached to a specific outcome;
- How meditation can help manage overwhelming emotions;
- The impact of screen time on teens and how it may influence your family dynamics;
- Approaching conversations with curiosity instead of judgment.
⭐Looking for individualized support? Book your free consultation now. https://awakenedshadow.com/#appointments
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