Épisodes

  • #343 Free Play, Less Stress

    #343 Free Play, Less Stress
    Oct 20 2025
    What if boredom is the birthplace of your teen’s creativity—and your sanity? And what if your own playfulness is the most powerful “parenting tool” you’re not using? In this episode, internationally recognized play designer and RISD professor Cas Holman (creator of the RIGAMAJIG and author of Playful) shows us why free play—play that’s freely chosen, personally directed, and intrinsically motivated—is essential for teens and adults. We talk about releasing judgment, embracing possibility, and reframing success (hint: it’s not the perfect selfie at the summit). Cas explains why boredom matters, how “consuming” play (scrolling) differs from “generative” play (making), and offers practical ways moms can invite more low-pressure play into everyday life—without becoming their teen’s cruise director. Guest bio paragraph:Cas Holman is an internationally recognized designer, educator, and play advocate. A longtime professor at the Rhode Island School of Design, Cas created RIGAMAJIG, a large-scale building kit used in thousands of schools and museums, and is featured on Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design. Their new book, Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity, distills two decades of designing for play, leading workshops at places like Google, Disney, and Nike, and collaborating with child-development experts to help all of us—kids, teens, and adults—reconnect with true play. Three takeaways: Boredom is productive. Letting teens linger in boredom helps them notice what they actually need and choose self-directed, creative action. Reframe success. Swap “Did we reach the top?” for “Did we connect?”—and watch stress melt while curiosity rises. Model, don’t manufacture. You don’t need to entertain your teen; be playful yourself. Release judgment, embrace possibility, and let “good enough” be great. Learn more at: https://casholman.com/ Follow at https://www.instagram.com/casholman/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Voir plus Voir moins
    46 min
  • # 342 Calm Teenage Anxiety

    # 342 Calm Teenage Anxiety
    Oct 13 2025
    When your teen snaps or shuts down, could anxiety be hiding underneath?What can you do—today—to support them without “fixing” them? Colleen talks with therapist and author Sophia Vale Galano, LCSW about recognizing teen anxiety (including surprising signs like irritability and anger), the biological and cultural drivers (from hormones to social media and admissions pressure), and what actually helps at home. They unpack why quick fixes backfire, how to communicate about hard topics, and ways to modify expectations, build self-esteem, and set boundaries over blanket restrictions (e.g., muting or curating feeds instead of banning apps). Sophia shares practical scripts, “what to say/what to avoid,” and mom-first strategies like leading by example and using preventive care long before a crisis. Sophia Vale Galano is a licensed clinical social worker serving teens and adults in California. With experience across residential, inpatient, outpatient, and school settings, she specializes in adolescent anxiety and parent coaching. Her new book, Calming Teenage Anxiety, gives parents concrete tools and phrases to support anxious teens with clarity and compassion. Three takeaways: Listen before you fix. Validation opens the door; advice can slam it shut. Boundaries beat restrictions. Curate tech (mute/restrict/positive follows) rather than blanket bans to protect self-esteem and trust. Model what you want to see. Your therapy, rest, limits, and self-care quietly teach your teen how to manage anxiety. Learn more at: https://sophiagalano.com/book/ Follow at: https://sophiagalano.com/book/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Voir plus Voir moins
    33 min
  • #341 Help Teens Transform Stress into Growth

    #341 Help Teens Transform Stress into Growth
    Oct 6 2025
    Do you ever feel like stress is running your life? And are you worried about how stress is affecting your teen’s confidence and resilience? In this episode of Power Your Parenting: Moms with Teens, Colleen O’Grady welcomes stress expert Dr. Rebecca Heiss, author of Springboard: Transform Stress to Work for You. Dr. Heiss shares her powerful, research-backed approach to using stress as a source of energy and growth rather than something to avoid or suppress. She explains why trying to “calm down” often backfires, why stress can actually be a sign of meaning and purpose, and how parents can model healthier responses to stress for their kids. With humor, science, and practical tools, Dr. Heiss breaks down her Fear Less Stress Formula—helping moms and teens recognize stress, reframe it as an adventure instead of an ordeal, and take small steps forward instead of freezing or avoiding. She also highlights how storytelling, mindset shifts, and psychological safety at home can empower both parents and teens to thrive. Stress isn’t the enemy—it’s energy your body gives you to rise to challenges. Stories shape outcomes—choose the one that best serves you and your teen. Model the response you want—your emotional tone sets the “symphony” at home. Find out more at: https://rebeccaheiss.com Follow on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/drrebeccaheiss/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Voir plus Voir moins
    38 min
  • # 340 Empowering Teens from the Inside Out

    # 340 Empowering Teens from the Inside Out
    Sep 29 2025
    Do you ever wonder how you can help your teen truly love themselves from the inside out? Or how you as a mom can stay grounded and respond from love instead of fear when your teen pushes your buttons? In this empowering episode of Power Your Parenting: Moms with Teens, Colleen O’Grady talks with Debra Beck, founder of Empowered Teens and Parents and award-winning author of My Feet Aren’t Ugly and What If Your Teen Isn’t the Problem?. Debra shares her own stories, practical tools, and compassionate wisdom for raising confident teens while staying steady as a parent in today’s fear-driven culture. Together they explore self-acceptance, social media’s impact, conscious parenting, and how to turn emotional triggers into opportunities for connection. About Debra Beck Debra Beck is a mentor, retreat facilitator, and bestselling author who has dedicated decades to helping families heal, reconnect, and thrive. Through her retreats, mentoring, and books, she empowers both teens and parents to shift from fear to love, building stronger relationships rooted in authenticity, compassion, and trust. Takeaways Model self-acceptance — Teens absorb how you speak about yourself, so practice compassion toward your own body and choices. Shift from fear to love — Recognize when you’re triggered, pause, breathe, and return with calm energy before addressing your teen. Guide through experiments — Instead of strict control, invite your teen to try small experiments (like putting their phone away) so they can feel the difference themselves. Find out more at: https://empoweredteensandparents.com/ Follow on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/debra.beck.1806 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Voir plus Voir moins
    35 min
  • # 339 Life of AND: Thriving at Home and Work

    # 339 Life of AND: Thriving at Home and Work
    Sep 22 2025
    Have you ever felt like you’re running on empty—giving everything to your family, your work, and your home, yet never feeling caught up? Do you wonder if balance is even possible for moms in today’s world? In this episode of Power Your Parenting: Moms with Teens, Colleen O’Grady talks with Tiffany Sauder about what it really means to redefine work–life balance. Tiffany shares her journey from burnout to creating a sustainable rhythm where career, family, and self can thrive together. Through practical examples and honest stories, she helps moms understand how to clarify priorities, reduce guilt, and find peace in the middle of busy seasons. Tiffany Sauder is a wife, mom of four daughters (ages 5 to 16), entrepreneur, podcast host, and keynote speaker. After years of chasing big dreams while burning out, she developed a new framework she calls “Life of AND”—where family, career, and self-care coexist in harmony. Tiffany now equips women to own the ordinary so they can unlock extraordinary lives, showing them how to be intentional, present, and ambitious without losing themselves. Balance is alignment, not perfection — True balance happens when your time and money reflect your priorities and values, not when you split time evenly. Get clear and intentional — Ask your kids what matters most to them, set boundaries, and let go of unnecessary guilt. Outsource the ordinary — Don’t waste precious energy on tasks that can be delegated; save your time for connection, growth, and joy. Learn more at https://www.tiffanysauder.com/ Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tiffany.sauder/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Voir plus Voir moins
    45 min
  • # 338 How to Handle School Avoidance

    # 338 How to Handle School Avoidance
    Sep 15 2025
    Is your tween or teen suddenly refusing school—or saying they’re “sick” every morning? How do you tell what’s normal pushback versus a red flag that needs support? In this conversation, Colleen and pediatric psychologist Dr. Ariana Hoet unpack school avoidance—what it is, why it happens, and how moms can respond without escalating morning battles. You’ll hear how anxiety fuels avoidance (and why avoidance strengthens anxiety), the power of gradual exposure and tiny “wins,” and how to get granular: identify the real barrier (safety fears, social stress, learning struggles, sleep/screens), co-create a stepwise plan, and partner with the school. They offer concrete scripts, role-plays, and motivation-finding questions so your teen feels both validated and capable—and you’re not stuck at 7 a.m. stalemates. Dr. Ariana Hoet is Executive Clinical Director at the Kids Mental Health Foundation and a pediatric psychologist serving primarily immigrant families in primary care. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Pediatric Psychology/Neuropsychology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University, training the next generation of behavioral health professionals. A trusted national voice, Dr. Hoit has been featured by USA Today, CNN, Good Morning America, and Newsweek. Her passion is translating research into practical, family-ready tools. Three takeaways: Validate, then move forward: Empathize with the real feeling (“This is hard and scary”) and avoid the “just get over it” trap. Then use graduated exposure—tiny steps toward school—to shrink anxiety’s power. Get specific to solve: Pinpoint the blocker (safety fears, bullying, skill gaps, not knowing where to sit at lunch, sleep debt, screens, or possible learning differences). Specific problem → specific plan (role-play scripts, identify “safe people/places,” consider tutoring/evaluation, adjust sleep and tech). Build the village & motivation: Coordinate with teachers/counselors, connect your teen to belonging (clubs, teams, arts), and discover their reasons to go (friends, activities)—not just adult reasons like grades. Learn more at: https://www.kidsmentalhealthfoundation.org/about/our-team/clinical-director Follow on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/kidsmentalhealthfoundation/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/arianahoetphd/?hl=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Voir plus Voir moins
    36 min
  • # 337 Foster a Growth Mindset in Teens

    # 337 Foster a Growth Mindset in Teens
    Sep 8 2025
    Are your teens labeling themselves—“I’m just bad at math,” “I’ll never get this”? What if one small language shift could help them persist, problem-solve, and bounce back? In this conversation, we unpack Growth Mindset through the lens of real classrooms and real homes. We explore why praising “smart” backfires, how to swap outcome praise for process praise (effort, strategies, persistence), and how to make “not yet” part of your family vocabulary. We dig into the Pygmalion effect (kids rise to expectations), the line between Growth Mindset and toxic positivity, and why frustration is often the signal that learning is happening. You’ll leave with concrete scripts, dinner-table routines that normalize mistakes, and simple ways to turn goals into daily practice steps your teen can control. Guest bio: Annie Brock is a former high-school English teacher and library director turned learning-experience designer. A long-time advocate of Growth Mindset, she co-authored The Growth Mindset Coach (over 200k copies sold) and continues to write and speak on practical ways educators and parents can cultivate perseverance and love of learning. Annie lives in Kansas with her husband, Jared, and their two kids. Three takeaways: Praise the process, not the person: Swap “You’re so smart” for “I can see the strategies you used and how hard you worked.” Make “not yet” a house word: Reframe “I can’t do this” to “I can’t do this yet,” then choose one next step. Normalize mistakes: Share your own flubs and fixes; make home the safest place to struggle, analyze what didn’t work, and try differently. Find out more at: anniemaebrock.com Follow Annie on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-brock-690889132/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Voir plus Voir moins
    44 min
  • # 336 Raise Conscious Teens Through Creativity

    # 336 Raise Conscious Teens Through Creativity
    Sep 1 2025
    Want your teen to swap scrolling for soul-filling creativity? Curious how “mind-watching” (kids’ word for mindfulness) can calm thought-storms and build resilience? In this episode, Colleen talks with artist and youth-mental-health advocate Rafael McMaster, founder of Indivisible Arts. Rafael shares how a 30-minute “Fundamental Life Tools” practice—taught in kid language and paired with an hour of hands-on art—helps teens regulate emotions, focus, and reconnect with purpose. You’ll hear how peer mentorship supercharges buy-in, why phones naturally disappear when real-life creativity is compelling, and how gratitude “G-flips,” intention setting, and compassion turn chaos into clarity—at home, in school, and even for foster youth. About the guestRafael McMaster is a creative director, photographer, and founder/CEO of Indivisible Arts, a nonprofit in LA County dedicated to cultivating one million conscious youth through art, mentorship, and practical mindfulness. His forthcoming book, Fundamental Life Tools, distills seven everyday practices—awareness (“mind-watching”), acceptance, intention, gratitude (“G-flip”), compassion, forgiveness/resentment work, and connection—developed with teens and used in after-school labs and high-school classrooms (including Da Vinci Rise). He also pilots Stream of Consciousness • Life, a teen-taught micro-lesson platform. Teach the tool, then do the art. A short, concrete practice (“mind-watching”) before creative time helps kids notice thoughts instead of obeying them—lowering anxiety and boosting self-control. Make IRL more interesting than the phone. When spaces are playful, social, and soulful (music studio, fashion lab, spray-paint alley), teens forget their screens—no rules required. Prioritize the soul over performance. Reframe art as “the language of the soul.” When kids reconnect with joy, presence, and gratitude, grades, sports, and auditions become more tolerable—and often improve—without fear-based pressure. Learn more at: https://www.indivisiblearts.org/ Follow Rafael at https://www.instagram.com/mcmaster.peace/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Voir plus Voir moins
    47 min