Teens Who Thrive

Episode 18: The Secret Recipe for Parenting Teens -- Connection AND Boundaries

Do you ever struggle to find that perfect Goldilocks "just right" spot being gentle and empathetic but also being firm? In this episode, we break down one of the biggest myths in parenting teens—the idea that you have to choose between connection and boundaries. Learn why BOTH are essential and how to combine them into a powerful strategy that builds trust, responsibility, and long-term influence. What You’ll Learn: * Why connection alone isn't enough—and how it can lead to permissive parenting * The hidden downsides of boundary-only, authoritarian parenting * How combining empathy with clear expectations creates trust and real influence * Practical steps to enforce limits with love and follow through without shame   Takeaway: You don’t have to choose between connection or control. The real magic happens when you blend both.

Episode 17: The Secret to your Teen's Behavior is...YOU!

In this episode of Teens Who Thrive, we're digging into a truth that might feel uncomfortable at first—but is actually incredibly empowering: the secret to transforming your relationship with your teen starts with YOU. Cheryl explores three powerful reasons why your self-awareness, emotional history, and parenting habits shape the connection you have with your teen—and what you can do to shift the dynamic in a positive way. What You'll Learn: * Why your current parenting style is more influenced by your childhood than you think. * How your teen’s “attitude” might be totally developmentally normal. * Why your emotional triggers matter more than your teen’s tone. * What to do when old baggage shows up in parenting How to move forward with more intention and less guilt.

Episode 16: How to Stop Doing Too Much for your Teen

As our kids transition into their teenage years, we all know it's essential to give them more responsibility and help them become accountable and independent. But how? This week on Teens Who Thrive, we'll explore how to navigate this tricky middle stage of parenting. The stage where you know you shouldn’t be doing everything for them, but they aren’t quite ready to tackle everything on their own. The stage where we move from doing everything for our kids to doing things alongside them. Inside the episode you’ll find concrete examples that include: * Navigating communication with your teen’s teacher * Time management and organization * Establishing a morning routine. Parenting teens is about gradually transferring responsibility and fostering independence. By working alongside our teens and guiding them through new tasks, we prepare them for adulthood. This process might be messy and challenging, but it ultimately equips our kids with the skills they need to thrive on their own.     Join the Back-to-School Bootcamp: I know many parents feel uneasy about the transition from elementary school to middle school – from little kid to teenager – which is why I put together my new BOOTCAMP: Mastering Middle School Spend 10 days in an interactive group with me learning the essential skills and strategies to help you have a successful school year with your newly minted “tween”. Your child will be making the leap to teenager whether you’re ready or not. But you can do more than just hold on and try to survive the ride. Let me show you how. Learn more at coaching.cherylsomers.com/bootcamp [https://coaching.cherylsomers.com/bootcamp]

Episode 15: Loosening the Reins in Middle School

We all know we need to give our teenagers a little more freedom. But how much? And how? Your teenager is growing and changing right before your eyes and it can be hard to figure out how much independence is the right amount. It can also be incredibly difficult and scary to let go of control as a parent. This week on TEENS WHO THRIVE, I am giving you concrete examples of how to loosen your parenting reins just a little. Join me this week to take at what it looks like to grant a little more freedom and independence when it comes to: * Academic responsibilities * Time management * Privacy * Decision-Making When we do it right and we find the balance between freedom and oversight, we not only empower our teens to become more independent, but we also do wonders when it comes to keeping our relationship with them on solid ground.     Join the Back-to-School Bootcamp: I know many parents feel uneasy about the transition from elementary school to middle school – from little kid to teenager – which is why I put together my new BOOTCAMP: Mastering Middle School Spend 10 days in an interactive group with me learning the essential skills and strategies to help you have a successful school year with your newly minted “tween”. Your child will be making the leap to teenager whether you’re ready or not. But you can do more than just hold on and try to survive the ride. Let me show you how. Learn more at coaching.cherylsomers.com/bootcamp [https://coaching.cherylsomers.com/bootcamp]

Episode 14: The eye-rolling isn't about you. Stop taking it personally.

We’ve all experienced it – the famous eye roll. Your teenager receives news they don’t like – usually about something they need to do that they don’t want to do – and they respond with an eye roll, an exaggerated sigh, or they storm away and maybe even slam a door. It’s the teenager version of a toddler tantrum. I’ve worked with so many parents who come to me just furious about the eye rolling. “It’s so disrespectful” “It makes me so angry” etc. So today we’re going to break down this teen body language and talk about: * what's behind this common teen behavior * the problem with taking it personally, and * how to deal with it more effectively