Discover the real reason your teenage son complains more during busy seasons (hint: it's not ingratitude), plus 5 practical strategies to respond with connection instead of combat. We're breaking down the neuroscience behind his pushback, when complaints spike the most, and exactly what to say when he's melting down over something that seems ridiculous.

Because you're working so hard to make things special for your family, and when your son complains about dinner or the WiFi going out, it feels personal. You're tired of the same arguments every day, walking on eggshells, and wondering why he can't just appreciate what you're doing. You want connection with him, not constant conflict.

This episode gives you a completely different lens to see his complaining, not as defiance or ingratitude, but as communication from an overwhelmed nervous system. You'll learn the 5 hidden reasons behind his complaints (overstimulation, lost independence, brain development, poor communication skills, and lack of ownership) and get specific scripts to de-escalate tension in under 5 minutes. No more resentment. No more taking it personally. Just practical tools that create lasting change.

Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.

👉 Join “Raising Boys, Building Men” on Facebook

Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE

Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE

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Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE

Every mom has a picture in her mind of how motherhood will feel… and then real life shows up. Today’s conversation goes deep into something most moms of teenage boys feel but rarely name: grief in motherhood, specifically, the kind that comes from expectations not matching reality.

In this episode, Heidi sits down with Margo Fordonski, a master-certified life coach and grief educator, to talk about non-death grief, the grief that comes when your son makes choices you didn’t expect, when connection feels harder than you thought it would, or when you miss the little boy who used to curl up on your lap.

You’ll learn why this grief is normal, how it silently affects your relationship, and how to move through it so you can reconnect with your teenage son without shame, panic, or over-controlling. You’ll hear practical, compassionate strategies for creating connection, holding boundaries, and staying grounded even when your heart aches.

Guest Details and gift:

Margo Fordonski is a Master Certified Life Coach, Certified Grief Educator, and a twice-bereaved parent. After losing both of her children—most recently her son Andrew, who lived with brain cancer for 24 years—Margo has walked the long, complex path of grief firsthand. Her personal journey led her to a powerful calling: to support other mothers navigating life after the unthinkable.

Margo helps grieving moms find peace, resilience, and renewed hope—not by “moving on,” but by learning how to carry their grief with love. Her 1:1 coaching approach is deeply personalized, meeting each mother where she is with compassionate guidance and tools that support nervous system regulation, emotional processing, and holistic healing. She guides her clients in healing at their own pace, rediscovering who they are now, and gently rebuilding a life that honors both their child and their continued growth.

Her work is trauma-informed, heart-led, and rooted in the belief that grief is not something to fix—it’s something to tend to with care, courage, and support. Through her coaching, writing, and lived witness, Margo offers a safe and understanding space for grieving moms to feel less overwhelmed, more connected to themselves, and begin to rebuild a life that holds both sorrow and joy

Make sure to grab Margo's FREE Holiday Grief Support Guide HERE

Want more conversations like this?

Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.

👉 Join “Raising Boys, Building Men” on Facebook

For Additional Support:

Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE

Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE

Follow us on Instagram HERE

Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE

If one more person tells you to “just practice more self-care,” you might lose it, and honestly? Same.

This week’s episode of Raising Boys, Building Men takes that guilt-filled phrase and flips it on its head.

In today’s conversation, we dig into why traditional self-care often feels impossible for moms of teenage boys and why it’s NOT the answer you actually need. Instead, we talk about self-awareness, the simple, doable shift that keeps you from drowning, even during the busiest seasons of motherhood.

You’ll hear the story of the moment Heidi realized she had completely lost herself (yes… the crying-in-the-car moment) and the three self-awareness practices that helped her take her power back:

This episode will help you breathe again no spa days required.

Want more conversations like this?

Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.

👉 Join “Raising Boys, Building Men” on Facebook

For Additional Support:

Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE

Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE

Follow us on Instagram HERE

Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE