Speaking of Teens

Parenting a teenager is the most uniquely challenging thing you’ve ever done. The host of Speaking of Teens, Ann Coleman, understands all too well. After drowning in those challenges, herself, she spent several years transitioning from practicing attorney to expert in the science of adolescence and parenting. Every Tuesday she delivers the most up to date, science-based information, news and advice to help you better understand, relate to, and parent your teen…without the conflict. From navigating relationships and social media to academic pressures and mental health issues, she, along with an occasional expert guest, will help you peacefully parent your teenager with confidence.

Last refreshed: July 27th, 2025 at 12:42 PM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

#7: Beyond Weekly Therapy: Options for a Teenager in Crisis

Whether you’re currently in panic mode about your teen or tween who’s spiraling out of control or just seeing the first glimpses that they may require more than weekly counseling, this episode is for you. Understanding the different levels of mental health and/or substance abuse care for your child and how to navigate that world is not something you want to learn on the fly. Just becoming familiar with the options and the terms can give you a potentially life-changing advantage. Listen in as I e...

Jun 07, 2022•40 min

#6: Teaching Teens to Tame Their Emotions

We know that because of their changing brain, teens and tweens are much more likely than adults or children to succumb to their unpleasant (“negative”) emotions like frustration, anger, nervousness, and gloominess. For the same reason, they’re much more likely to engage in risky behaviors like substance use, reckless driving, posting inappropriately online and sex. The part of the brain that helps make good decisions and use self-control is much weaker than those emotional and risk-taking parts!...

May 31, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 6

#5: After the Divorce: Minimizing the Impact on Your Teen

Unfortunately, when you have kids (especially teens or tweens), getting through the divorce is merely the beginning. Studies show that what happens after the divorce can have a more negative impact on your kids than any conflict they witnessed during the marriage. Learn how to manage life after divorce keeping your teen's best interest in mind. I’ll discuss 6 specific areas where many parents miss the mark and how you can make sure your kid doesn’t suffer needlessly: 1. The details shared with y...

May 24, 2022•35 min

#4: Why Your Teen Does Stupid Stuff (Even When They Know Better)

Our kids not only become more emotional during adolescence, but they may also begin doing things we never thought they would. Vaping, drinking, smoking weed, having sex…these are all very risky behaviors that they may be all too willing to try. Why does a kid who grew up saying they’d “never do XYZ” suddenly do XYZ?! Understanding what’s going on in our teen’s brain that causes them to do the things they do, allows us to shift our mindset so we can parent them more appropriately. Join me as I ex...

Apr 07, 2022•20 min

#3: You Can Blame Your Teen’s Irrational Behavior on Their Changing Brain

Adolescence descends on us so fast! Not only do tweens get bigger and more stinky - they get ruder, moodier, grumpier and more emotional. You can blame most of this on the changes taking place in their brain. These neurobiological changes impact their thoughts, feelings, and behavior. They’re learning to navigate life at the mercy of a brain in flux…and it’s not easy for them. So, we must adjust our mindset regarding our child, who’s no longer a child…but not yet an adult. Just listen! Download ...

Apr 06, 2022•32 min

#2: Is Your Teenager Under Too Much Pressure to Succeed?

WARNING: Although this episode is not about suicide, I do read a portion of a teenager’s suicide letter at the beginning of the show. If you’d rather, you can skip ahead approximately 1 minute. You’re likely well aware that overall teen mental wellbeing has been in decline for years, and the pandemic has made it that much worse. But even before the pandemic one area of research has, over a period of several years, uncovered a surprising trend. More and more teens feel tremendous pressure to not ...

Apr 05, 2022•37 min

#1: Why Trying to Control Your Teen Will Backfire

The scariest thing we will ever do, is to be a mom. As our kids get older, the fear seems to intensify. We’re afraid of doing everything wrong, messing them up, making them hate us, being too strict, being too lenient. And as they move into adolescence, our fear can truly steer us wrong. When they start making more serious mistakes, we begin pushing for more control, demanding obedience, using restrictions and “consequences” or punishments. Unfortunately, more often than not, our attempt to make...

Apr 04, 2022•33 min

This is Speaking of Teens. You're in the right place.

Being the parent of a teen or tween can be complicated, confusing…even scary. We’re no longer the center of their universe (friends slide into that position) and we have to learn a new role - one as trusted guide . And, as you know, Guiding is not easy. Their behavior, their choices now have more serious implications…and so do OURS. Welcome to Speaking of Teens, the podcast that teaches you the science of parenting adolescents so you can be less stressed and more excited about having a teenager....

Apr 03, 2022•2 min

← Prev

Hosted on Buzzsprout

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android