Parenting Teens: The Biggest Job We’ll Ever Have Podcast

Today we talk with Laura Gauld, Head of School and President of the Hyde School Organization, about Hyde’s Inner Leadership Program, where the journey of your unique potential begins. This is the promise to all students who graduate from the school. The five deliverables within this promise are 1) Self awareness: what are my strengths/obstacles? What is my vision?, 2) Public speaking confidence, 3) Taking on challenges outside one’s comfort zone, 4) Meaningful relationships, and 5) Family context.

“When it comes to being a step parent, there isn’t one right way, because every family dynamic is different. You’re marrying the package: you’re marrying ex-spouses; you’re marrying the kids…; the right way is your way for you.” This quote is just a small piece of the wonderful wisdom you’ll hear on step-parenting in this podcast with Lisa Walker. As a step parent, Lisa learned that standing up for her own values was the thing that would most help her step son.

"Clear limits and boundaries aren’t just nice or good for children and teens; they’re bedrock.” In part two of our series with Debbie Roffman, referred to by her colleagues as the most articulate professional voice in the US on the need for broad-based human sexuality education, she teaches us the importance of the five-piece suit of parenting, Affirmation, Information, Clarity about Values, Limits and Boundaries, and Guidance.

Named as one of Time Magazine’s 16 Top Parenting Experts for the 21st Century in 2016, Deborah Roffman is a sexuality educator, consultant, and author of "Talk to Me First: Everything You Need to Know to Become Your Kids’ “Go-To” Person about Sex." In the first of a two-part series, Debbie explains why it’s so important for our kids to hear information about sexuality from a trusted adult first, and where they go when the information isn’t from that person.

“Integrity is a way you live your life, a way you make decisions every day, and how you treat others… it’s the little things you do that get seen as the bigger things.” There was an “elephant” in the living room of Geri Goldstein's family; after years of enabling others in the family, Geri found within herself what it took to speak the truth about it. This story has an uplifting and positive ending, thanks to Geri’s integrity and courage, and the entire family’s ability to ask others for he

“Trust your child to know their gender, even if it doesn’t conform to the gender they were assigned at birth and may not make sense to you. Gender is not about what genitals a person has, but who they know themselves to be in their heart,” says Amy Lang, author of "Birds and Bees and YOUR Kids," & "Dating Smarts: What EVERY teen needs to know to date, relate or wait!" She gives terrific advice to parents on this subject; you’ll want to hear what she has to say in this podcast.

If you have not had “the talk” - and Certified Grief Recovery Specialist and credentialed health educator Kristi Hugstad doesn’t mean the sex talk, she means suicide - with your teen, it's time. After her husband completed suicide, Kristi bought every book on grief she found; because of her experience and her new understanding of what she wished she had known, Kristi wrote R U Ok?. Her presentation of the causes for the depression which can then lead to suicide are straightforward and thought provokin

Today we talk with Kirrilie Smout, clinical psychologist and founder of Developing Minds: Helping kids & teens learn life skills & manage tough times, located near Adelaide, Australia. Kirrilie says to reduce the chance of teens hurting themselves, we should do everything we can to help teens be connected with a peer group, (and she gives suggestions on how to do this,) & we need to help teens learn strategies to cope when they are feeling agitated, stressed, hopeless and overwhelmed.

Are you worried about an eating disorder in your child? Then you’ll definitely want to listen to this podcast with Dana Suchow, national speaker and activist on eating disorders. Dana has personally overcome bulimia, binge eating, and exercise compulsion and has a firsthand understanding of how eating disorders can get started and what parents can do. Dana has been seen on Good Morning America and ABC News; she’s been interviewed by Vogue, Marie Claire, and numerous other publications.

We speak with pediatrician Dr. Suanne Kowal-Connelly, author of this ultimate guide to puberty published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Suanne, as her patients call her, covers the nuts & bolts of what happens to children’s bodies as they go through the 5 stages of puberty; issues of self-esteem & body image; concerns that parents have about the timing of puberty; the developing brain; the relationship with a pediatrician; guidance for parents of teens with special needs, and more.

A former teacher, Shannon Evans of The Scholar Coach turned to helping families find the right college because as a teacher, she found that kids were not often coming up with the right fit for themselves when it came to going to college. She uses a family questionnaire in which parents have to answer questions about their kids: their preferences, their values, their likes and dislikes. She says, “There are often big surprises when the family reconvenes and shares their answers with each other.”

As a parent, have you ever felt like you were drowning? It can be a lonely feeling when your child or your family is going off-track. Where do you turn? What do you do? Ed and Linda Murphy found help at the Hyde School in Bath, Maine. And through The Biggest Job Family Program they learned how to parent from their principles, letting go of parenting from fear, guilt or control.

Are you worried about the effect of social media on your kids? If so, this podcast may put your mind at ease, at least about some aspects of all that kids are exposed to in the media and on devices. Caroline Knorr, senior parenting editor for Common Sense Media, shares with us her wisdom about what parents should watch for and the questions they need to ask their kids about what’s going on with them when they’re on their devices.

Do you consider yourself an honest family, but you don’t talk about the elephant in the room? Many families are like this; they avoid talking about the really tough stuff; and then kids quickly learn what it’s okay to talk about and what is off limits. Sheri & Alan Brooks sent three kids to Hyde, and went through the family program three times. The third time they did a family retreat and finally got to the deep issues, got honest about them, and began to inspire their children in a totally new way.

“Providing information about sex is not the same as giving permission.” ~ Amy Lang has written two great books on how to talk to your kids about sex. "Birds + Bees + Your Kids" teaches parents the importance of clarifying their own values and beliefs about sexuality, love, and relationships, thus forming the solid foundation needed to have the sex talks. "Dating Smarts: What EVERY teen needs to know to date, relate or wait" is for parents to read and then to give to their teens to read.