Welcome to

Speaking of Teens

The science of parenting teens and tweens.

Hey there! I'm Ann Coleman, attorney turned parent educator, and host of the Speaking of Teens podcast. When my son struggled as a teenager, I made a real mess of things. The information we needed was out there, but certainly not easily discoverable...and not one of the professionals we'd consulted pointed us in the right direction until he was almost 18-years-old. Luckily, we turned things around. Since 2018, I've emersed myself in the science of adolescence and parenting adolescents. I'm here to help you better understand and parent your teen. Consider me your very well-read friend, here to help you get this right.

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#1: Why Trying to Control Your Teen Will Backfire
#2: Is Your Teenager Under Too Much Pressure to Succeed?
#3: You Can Blame Your Teen’s Irrational Behavior on Their Changing Brain
#4: Why Your Teen Does Stupid Stuff (Even When They Know Better)
#5: After the Divorce: Minimizing the Impact on Your Teen
#6: Teaching Teens to Tame Their Emotions
#7: Beyond Weekly Therapy: Options for a Teenager in Crisis
#8: Your Emotional Skills Directly Affect Your Teen’s Mental Health and Wellbeing
#9: Is Your Teen’s School Helping or Hurting Their Mental Health?
#10: Our Family’s Story of Discovery and Hope
#11: Ever Let Your Teen or Tween Drink Alcohol? Let’s Talk.
#12: HOUSE PARTY!!! Parents, Teens, Alcohol, Parties and the Law
#13: Yes, Your ADHD Teen’s Emotions are “EXTRA”: You Can Help
#14: Good Intentions with Poor Outcomes: Overparenting Your Teen
#15: Control, Conflict, And Your Teen’s Autonomy:Balancing...Autonomy...
#16: Settling Conflict While Supporting Your Teen’s Autonomy
#17: Teen Dating And Emotional Abuse: How To Recognize And Discuss It
#18: Your Teen’s “Bill of Rights”: What They Want You To Know
#19: Your Teen and Anxiety: How to Spot it and How to Help
#20: Teens, Tweens and Allowance: Not What You Think
#21: What You Need To Know To Talk To Your Teen About Fentanyl
#22: “Disciplining” Teens Without Rebellion (How To Handle Consequences)
#23: Popularity, Friend Groups, and “Mean Girl Behavior”
#24: Part 1 of 2 - Teenagers, “Rape Culture”, Sexual Assault, and Consent
#25: Part 2 of 2 - Teenagers, “Rape Culture”, Sexual Assault, and Consent
#26: Maintaining a Deep Emotional Connection with Your Teenager
A Brief Message From My "Sick Bed"
#27: Helping Your Teen Overcome Negative Thinking
#28: Things Your Teenager Really Wished You Understood
A "Thanksgiving" Message
#29: 5 Ways To Assure The Most Accurate Mental Health Diagnosis For Your Teen
A Brief Holiday Reminder About Your Teen
#30: How Your Thoughts Have A Huge Impact On Your Teen’s Behavior
#31: “Minisode” - Cheating Your Way To Being The Parent You Want To Be
#32: Teens, Sexting, Revenge Porn, and Sextortion (Yikes)
#33: Teen Sexting, “The Talk”, and Potential Legal Implications
#34: Parenting To Combat Teen and Tween Cyberbullying
#35: The Incredible Power of Self-Compassion in Teens and Tweens with Dr. Karen Bluth
#36: Teen Violence; Why It Happens And What We Can Do
#37: Teenagers and Eating Disorders; What Are Parents To Do?
#38: Teaching Teens To Respect Authority Is Dangerous
#39: Why Teens Lie, What Helps, And How To Talk To Them About It
#40: Andrew Tate. The Cult-Leader-Type Influencer Radicalizing Teens
#41: Parenting Teens With ADHD (and without) Through A Different Lens with Dr. Mark Bertin
#42: The True Risks Of Teen Substance Use And How You Should Approach It with Kriya Lendzion
#43: What To Do When We Discover Our Teen’s Using Addictive Substances, With Kriya Lendzion
#44: Teenagers and Homework Overload. Is All The Stress Really Necessary? With Christine Kaplan
#45: Your Teenager and Gaming; Is There A Problem? And What If There Is? With Jeremy Edge
#46: Using Motivational Interviewing...With Your Teen, With Dr. Emily Kline
#47: The Sexualization of Teen and Tween Girls. What Parents Of Both Girls and Boys Can Do
#48: The Healing Power of Emotional Awareness with Vincent VanOhm
#49: The Truth About TikTok; Teenagers, Data Privacy and National Security
#50: Your Teen has a creepy new friend on Snapchat: My AI
#51: The Adolescent Depression Crisis – Myths, Truths, Signs, and Symptoms
#52: How To Reduce Conflict With Your Teen While Strengthening Your Relationship
#53: How To Best Support Your Teen or Tween Through Their Depression
#54: “Big Social Media”, The Surgeon General And Teen Mental Health
#55: How To Protect Your Teen’s Mental Health From Social Media
#56: This Story Has Two “Morals”; Teens Don’t Always Turn Out The Way We Think They Might
#57: Biggest Teen Parenting Mistakes That Lead To Conflict And Behavior Issues
#58: Why Teens Are Sleep Deprived, The Ramifications And How To Help
#59: Helping Your Teenager Discover Their Potential Future Career
#60: Is Your Teen Using Substances? How Can You Know and What Should You Do?
#61: How to Strike A Balance and Make a Plan for Teens, Screens and Social Media
#62: Your Teen's Brain Is A Long Way From Functioning The Way You Think It Should
#63: The Science Behind Why Teenagers Can Often Be Such Major Boneheads
#65: How To Create A Calmer More Co-operative Relationship With Your Teens
#66: Teen Anxiety – How to Recognize It, Support Them, And Avoid Pitfalls
#67: Would You Know If Your Teenager Was Struggling With Their Sexuality?
#68: Parenting to Avoid Conflict And Behavior Issues With Your Teenager
#69: Middle School (Tween) Friendships And The Added Stress of Smart Phones
Ep #70: Teens, Tweens and School Avoidance or School Refusal (Jayne Demsky)
Ep #71: Teens, Tweens and School Avoidance or School Refusal (With Jayne Demsky) Part 2
Ep #72: Emotional Freedom Technique (aka: EFT Tapping) For You And Your Teen
#73: A Teenager’s Mental Health Journey-Culminated in a Podcast For Other Teens
#74: What To Do When You Don’t Like Your Teenager’s Boyfriend or Girlfriend
Ep #75: Attachment Parenting With Teens; We’ve Gotten It Wrong For Generations (with Laurie A. Couture)
Ep #76: How To Keep Your Teenager From Sneaking Out And What To Do If They Do
Ep #77 Stop Stressing About Your Teenager’s Homework, Schoolwork and Grades
Ep #78 One Of The Keys To Staying Calm When Your Teenager Is Anything But
#79: What All Parents Need To Understand About Teen Suicide And Prevention (with AnneMoss Rogers)
#80: The Tougher You Are On Your Teen, The Less Likely You’ll See Positive Results
#81: What To Do When Your Teenager’s Behavior Seems Out Of Control (with Aaron Huey)
#82: Should I Let My Teenager’s Boyfriend or Girlfriend Sleep Over?
#83: Internet Porn, The Impact On Teens And Tweens And What You Can Do (with Amy Lang)
#84: Just How Much Should You Snoop, Monitor, And Track Your Teen
#85: Can Parents Learn to Let Kids and Teens Have Their Sports Back? (with Linda Flanagan)
#86: Teenagers, Guns And School. Which Word Doesn’t Belong?
#87: Why Is Your Teenager Cutting Or Self-Harming And What Can You Do About It?
#88: Just A Few Things You Need To Know About Parenting Teens
#89: How to Stay Connected to Your Teenager And Why It Matters So Much
#90: High Potency Cannabis THC Edibles Are Making Unsuspecting Teenagers Sick
#91: Stepping Back So Our Teens Can Learn How To Function In The Real World (with Keri Cooper)
#92: Why Won’t Anyone Acknowledge Their Teen’s Less-Than-Stellar Behavior?
#93: Your Teenager Isn’t Lazy And That Lack of Motivation Isn’t What You Think (with Dr. Adam Price)
#94: How To Respond When Your Teen Does Something Wrong
#95: Helping Your Teen Learn To Calm Themselves During Emotional Moments
#96: Why You Need Mindfulness. Plus, A “Drop of Zen” from Your Zen Friend Podcast
#97: How to Parent Your Teen Well, Without All the Arguing And Power Struggles
#98: Balancing Your Teen's Need for Privacy With Your Need To Keep Them Safe
#99: Little Changes To Make A Big Difference In The Relationship With Your Teen
#100: Want Your Teenager To Straighten Up? You'd Better Do The Same
#101: Your High Schooler Needs Some Self-Discovery Before Those College Visits
#102: Find Calm with Your Teen: Become More Aware Of Your Thoughts and Emotions
#103: Want to Change Your Teen’s Behavior? Stop Parenting Like Your Grandma! (with Aly Pain)
#104: Connect With Your Teenagers By Showing An Interest In Their Interests
#105: Forming A Values-Based Partnership With Your Teens And Tweens (with Lainie Liberti)
#106: WAY More Positive Interactions Than Negative = Connection With Your Teen
#107: How Do We Move Past Our Own Upbringing To Parent Our Teens “Better?”
#108: How To Connect With A Teenager That Will Have Nothing To Do With You
#109: Your Teen Is Vaping - What To Do And What To Avoid Doing (with Daniel Ament)
#110: How To Deal With Your Teen’s Emotions When You Can’t Deal With Your Own
#111: The Truth About Teenagers And Vaping Related Lung Injury And Illness
#112: Just How Much Should You Snoop, Monitor, And Track Your Teen
#113: Why Can Teens Still Get Their Hands On Desert-Flavored Vape Products?
#114: How To Help Your Teen Avoid Vaping Or Quit If They've Already Started
#115: How Controlling, Managing, and Rescuing Your Teen, Sets Them Up For Failure
#116: Getting Help From The School When Your Teen or Tween Refuses To Go
#117: Are You Struggling with A Teen Who Gives You Attitude and Disrespect?
#118: How To Navigate Parenting Teens With An Ex, Your Spouse, Or Partner (Aurisha Smolarski)
#119: Step By Step - What To Do When Your Teen or Tween Is Bullied At School
#120: Your Anxiety About Your Teen’s Behavior Can Make Their Behavior Worse
#121: Anxiety, Depression, ADHD = Emotional Dysregulation For Your Teen
#122: What To Do When Your Teen Is Using or Abusing Substances
#123: The Nuts and Bolts of Teen Behavior and Parenting Teens For The Best Outcomes
#124: Eye Rolls and Attitude. What to Do and More Importantly, What Not to Do
#125: How Do You Get Your Teens and Tweens To Cooperate With You?
#126: “Gas Station Weed”, Delta-8, THCA-Your Teen Can Get High Legally
#127: Are You Emotionally “Stuck” When It Comes To Parenting Your Teen?
#128: Could Your Teen Become The Subject Of AI Generated Child Pornography?
#129: How Criminals Are Extorting and Abusing Teens and Children Online
#130: The Foundation Series Day 1 - Your Teen's Brain Is The Problem
#131: The Foundation Series Day 2 - The Why Behind Your Teen's Risky Behaviors
#132: The Foundation Series Day 3 – Why Your Teen Does Such Risky Things
#133: The Foundational Series Day 4 – Your Control Versus Your Teen's Control
#134: The Foundational Series Day 5 – Your Emotions And Your Parenting
#135: The Foundational Series Day 6 – Coaching Your Teen Through Their Emotions
#136: The Foundational Series Day 7 – Disciplining Teens Is Not About Punishment
#137: The Foundational Series Day 8 – Connection Is The Final Piece Of The Puzzle
#138: The Truth About Why Your Teen Is Lying To You, And What To Do About It
#139: Teenagers, Alcohol, Permissiveness, Parties. What Parents Need To Know
#140: What Teens And Tweens Really Wish Their Parents Understood
#141: Your Teenager, Substance Use, And Trauma, Including Adoption Trauma
#142: Why Your Teenager Doesn’t Want to Talk To You About Their Mental Health
#143: What To Do When You Don’t Like Your Teenager’s Boyfriend or Girlfriend
#144: What Parents Need To Understand About Screentime, Tweens and Teens
#145: How To Obtain Accommodations For ADHD And Other Issues In College
#146: Why We Clam Up About Struggles With Our Teen’s Behavior and Mental Health
#147: Teens and Tweens, Friendships, Popularity, Mean Girls (And Boys)
#148: How Not To Discipline A Teenager (Bedrooms, Devices And Drama)
#149: Parenting Teenagers With ADHD – Lesser-Known Symptoms You Should Know
#150: Do You Have A Self-Centered, Mouthy, Defiant, Entitled Teen or Tween?
#151: Things Parents Do That Make Their Teens’ Behavior Much Worse-Part 1
#152: Developing Empathy For Your Teenager Is Key In Decreasing Conflict
#153: Things Parents Do That Make Their Teens' Behavior Worse-Part 2
#154: A Mom's Question About A Teenage Son's Out-of-Control Emotions
#155: Things Parents Do That Make Their Teens' Behavior Worse-Part 3
#156: What’s The Difference Between You and Your Teen When Expressing Anger?
#157: Things Parents Do That Make Their Teens' Behavior Worse-Part 4
#158: If You Want Your Teenager To "Straighten Up", You'd Better Do The Same.
#159: Changing How You Parent Your Teenager May Be Hard, But It’s 100% Worth It
#160: I’m Begging You To Stop Putting So Much Emphasis on School And Grades
#161: Do You And Your Spouse Agree On How To Parent Your Teen?
#162: I’ve Waded Through The Science Of Parenting Teens So You Don’t Have To
#164: Making Time For Change: Carving Out Space For Teen Parenting Success
#165: What To Do If You’re Teen’s Behavior Is Out Of Control And You’re Lost
#166: Are You Parenting A “Non-Typical Teenager”? Basic Rules Still Apply
#167: Amazing Things Can Happen When You Stop Telling Your Teen What To Do
#168: From Troubled Teen To Coach For Teens and Young People Post-Treatment
#169: How To Help Your Teen Succeed After Residential Treatment or Wilderness
#170: All The Stuff Your Teenager Would Tell You (If They Knew You'd Listen)
#171: Teens, Devices, Beds, and Sleep. Plus, Vaping Stats for U.S. Teens Looking Up
#172: Emotional Wounds May Be Keeping You From Being The Parent You Want To Be
#173: Communicating With Teens and Tweens About Their Friendship Struggles
#174: Does Your Teen or Tween Need a Mental Health Day Off From School?
#175: What Parents Need To Know About Why Teens Use Substances
#176: Do You Know The Risk Factors For Teen Substance Use or Substance Disorder?
#177: Monitoring and Watching Out For Signs Of Substance Use With Your Teens
#178 What To Do When You Find Out Your Teen’s Using Drugs Or Drinking
#179: Your Teen Is Hanging Out With A Crowd Who Uses Substances? Now What?
#180: An Update On Opioids, Fentanyl, And Teens and Tweens In The U.S.
#181: Does Your Teen Have A Substance Use Disorder, And If So, What To Do
#182: "Gas Station Weed", Delta-8, THCA-Your Teen Can Get High Legally
#183: How To Motivate Your Teen To Change Their Relationship With Substances
#184: Positive Reinforcement, Negative Consequences, And Teen Substance Use
#185: A Mom’s Struggle With Emotional Dysregulation Over Her Teen’s Distress
#186: Understanding And Supporting Your “Troubled Teen” To Help Them Thrive
#187: Manage Expectations To De-Stress The Holidays With Teens And Tweens
#188: Teens, Tweens, Missing Assignments And That Dang Parent Portal!
#189: Is It Super Difficult To Parent Your Teen? Your Mindsets Could Be The Key
#190: Are You Worried About Your Teen’s Angry, Rude, Entitled, Mean Behavior?
#191: What You Should Know About Parental Controls, Screentime, And Teens
#192: Does Your Innocent Teasing Feel Like Bullying To Your Teen or Tween?
#193: Things Parents Do That Make Their Teens' Behavior Much Worse-Part 1
#194: Things Parents Do That Make Their Teens' Behavior Much Worse-Part 2
#195: Things Parents Do That Make Their Teens' Behavior Much Worse-Part 3
#196: Things Parents Do That Make Their Teens' Behavior Much Worse-Part 3
#197: When You and Your Spouse Can’t Agree About How To Parent Your Teen
#198: Why Doesn’t Your Teen Confide In You (When You’ve Told Them They Can)?
#199: How To Change Your Teen’s Behavior When Nothing Else Has Worked
#200: The More You Punish Your Teen, The Worse Their Behavior Will Become
#201: Decrease Conflict With Your Teen While Improving Your Relationship And Their Behavior
#202: Parenting Mistakes That Cause Conflict and Behavior Issues With Your Teen
#203: Your Teen’s Behavior Isn’t Your Fault, But You Play A Role And Have Control
#204: The Pervasive Impact Of Emotional Dysregulation For Teens With ADHD
#205: A Mom’s Struggle With Her Teen = Support For Other Parents Like You
#206: Does Your Teen or Tween Really Need Residential Treatment, Wilderness, etc.?
#207: Is Your Idea Of A “Successful Life” Steering Your Teen Away From Theirs?
#208: Are All Those Emails From School Harming Your Relationship With Your Teen?
#209: Your Teen’s Emotional Dysregulation Could Be Caused By Ultra-Processed Foods
#210: Want To Avoid Arguments With Your teen? Ditch The Constant Corrections.
#211: 5 Core Concepts That Will Decrease Arguments With Your Teen And Improve Their Behavior
#212 How Do You Discipline A Teenager When Nothing Seems To Work?
#213: How To Help Your Teen or Tween With Friendship Issues Without Stepping Over the Line
#214: 3 Ways To Win Your Teenager’s Trust And Maintain Influence In Their Life
#215: How Anxiety Develops And What It Looks Like In Teens and Tweens
#216: Obtaining A Proper Diagnosis And The Best Treatment For Teen Anxiety Symptoms
#217: Strategies And Tools Parents Can Use To Help Their Anxious Teens
#218: How To Get Your Teen To Listen And Do What You Need Them To Do
#219: ADHD and Teens: Lesser Known Symptoms Parents Should Understand
#220: Your Teen or Tween Isn’t Broken: Demystifying Typical Teen Behavior
#221: How You Can Manage Your Teen's Snarky, Rude, Disrespectful Attitude (Without Losing It)
#222: Is Your Teen or Tween Constantly Lying To You? Here’s How To Manage It.
#223: Your Thoughts And Emotions Impact Your Teen’s Behavior More Than You Know
#224: Trying to Make Sure Your Teen Never Messes Up, Is Setting Them Up For Failure
#225: Being Bullied Sucks. What You Can Do When Your Teen Is Bullied At School
#226: Is Your Anxiety About Your Teenager’s Behavior Causing Rebellion?
#227: Why Is Your Teen Always So Angry and Emotionally Dysregulated?
#228: Understanding Your Thoughts And Emotions Will Help You Parent Your Teen
#229: What’s Behind Your Teen’s School Refusal, And How Do You Get Them There?
#230: How To Reduce Chaos In Your Home To Improve Teen Mental Health
#231: Are Smart Phones and Social Media Really Ruining Teens’ Mental Health?
#232: Difficult Teen? Transform Them With This Parent Skill
#233: 5 Parenting Mistakes That Destroy Connection With Our Teens
#234: The Thing You Need To Know About Your Teen's Behavior (Fundamentals series ep. 1)
#235: Why your teen’s so angry, anxious, moody, and “mean” (Fundamentals series ep. 2)
#236: Why Your Smart Teen Does Risky Things, And How To Help (Fundamentals series ep. 3)
#237: Your Teen’s Behavior Isn’t The Problem, It’s Your Approach (Fundamentals ep. 4)
#238: Want to improve your teen’s behavior? Improve yours. (Fundamentals series ep. 5)
#239: Want Your Teen To Actually Calm Down? Do This. (Fundamentals series ep. 6)
#240 Punishment Creates Teen Rebellion. Do This Instead. (Fundamentals ep. 7)
#241: How To Connect To Your Teen To Improve Their Behavior (Fundamentals ep. 8)
#242: Why Home Drug Testing Your Teen Is A Losing Proposition
#243: Stop Overparenting—You’re Sabotaging Your Teen’s Future
#244: What To Do About Your “Lazy And Unmotivated” Teenager (That Actually Works)
#245 – Why Teens Use Substances And How To Help Prevent It
#246: Discovered Your Teen Is Using Drugs Or Drinking? What Now?
#247: Getting Your Teen To Stop Or Decrease Their Substance Use
#248: How To Get Your Teenager To Actually Listen To You
#249: Teenager Friendship Drama--Help Without Making It Worse