You ask your teenager to put down the phone, start their homework, walk the dog, or get ready to leave.

They do not respond.

You ask again.

And again.

Before long, you are yelling, your teen is defensive, and a basic request has become a full argument.

When teenagers appear to ignore their parents, the answer is not usually a longer explanation or a louder voice.

Your teen may not have shifted their attention toward you. They may be struggling to transition away from what they are doing. They may disagree with the request—or they may have learned that they do not need to respond until you have asked several times.

In this episode, Tess explains how parents can interrupt this pattern without becoming passive or controlling.

You will learn:

• Why your teen may not respond the first time
• How repeated reminders accidentally become part of the problem
• How to get your teenager’s attention before giving a direction
• Five practical scripts for common parent-teen conflicts
• How to validate feelings without changing the boundary
• What calm follow-through looks like
• When withdrawal or unresponsiveness may indicate a larger concern

1. “Pause for a second. I need your attention.”
2. “I’m not going to keep repeating this. I’ll come back in five minutes.”
3. “You don’t have to like this, but I do need you to follow through.”
4. “I’m going to stay calm, and we’re still going to handle this.”
5. “We can talk about the feeling, but the expectation still stands.”

Follow or subscribe to the Single Parenting Reset Podcast for practical parenting support for the tween and teen years.

Join the family through the link below for parenting tools, updates, and upcoming resources.

For individualized support with communication problems, screen battles, family conflict, or challenging teen behavior, schedule a Parent Reset Strategy Session.

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

Is screen time the battle that keeps showing up in your home?

Maybe your teen is on their phone late at night. Maybe gaming turns into an argument every time you ask them to stop. Maybe social media, YouTube, texting, or endless scrolling have started to affect sleep, mood, homework, motivation, or connection.

And if you are a single parent, this can feel even more exhausting because you may be the only one holding the line.

In this episode of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks about how to limit screen time for teenagers in a way that is firm, realistic, and relationship-centered.

This episode is not about shaming teens or pretending technology is going away. Teenagers are growing up in a world where phones, schoolwork, friendships, entertainment, gaming, and identity are all tangled together.

The real question is:

How do we help teens build healthier limits with screens without creating constant conflict at home?

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why screen time with teens is different than screen time with tweens
• Why sleep should be the first screen time boundary parents protect
• How to separate school screens from entertainment screens
• Why screens often become a coping tool for teens
• How to talk to your teen about screen time outside the heat of the moment
• How to create a teen screen time agreement that is clear, calm, and realistic
• What to do if your teen says, “Everyone else is allowed”
• How single parents can hold screen time boundaries even when the other home has different rules

The goal is not to control your teen forever. The goal is to help your teen slowly build internal regulation, responsibility, and healthier habits with technology.

If your family needs a clearer starting point, grab Tess’s Tech Reset Agreement through the link in the show notes.

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

Is screen time already becoming a daily battle in your home?

If your 10-, 11-, or 12-year-old argues every time screens end, asks constantly for more time, sneaks devices, or says “everyone else gets to,” you are not alone.

The tween years are a key window for building healthy screen habits before the teen years bring more complicated challenges like smartphones, social media, group chats, gaming, and late-night scrolling.

In this episode of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks about how to limit screen time for tweens without turning every day into a power struggle.

This is not about making screens the enemy.

It is about helping your tween learn balance, responsibility, emotional regulation, and healthy device habits while you remain the steady parent, guide, and coach.

Tweens are old enough to want more independence, but they are still young enough to need clear structure, support, repetition, and limits.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why screen time feels so hard during the tween years
• Why vague rules like “not too much screen time” often create more arguments
• How to create screen time limits that support sleep, school, movement, and family connection
• Why devices should not be in bedrooms overnight
• How to talk to your tween about screens without shaming or lecturing
• How to create a simple family screen time plan together
• What to do if your tween gets angry when screen time ends
• Why parental controls can help, but cannot replace parenting

If you want help getting started, grab my Tech Reset Agreement through the link in the show notes. It will help you create clearer expectations around devices, screen time, bedtime, and family agreements so you are not trying to make rules in the heat of the moment.

And if screen time has become a bigger battle in your family, or you need more support setting up a plan that actually works for your tween and your home, you can also schedule a free Parent Reset Strategy Call through the link in the show notes.

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

If your child has ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms, you may feel like you are constantly managing meltdowns, screen battles, irritability, impulsivity, emotional explosions, or big reactions that seem to come out of nowhere.

But what if your child’s behavior is not only a discipline issue?

What if their behavior is also communication?

In this episode of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks with ADHD and nutrition expert Dana Kay about how gut health, inflammation, nutrition, sleep, screen time, and nervous system overload may affect ADHD behavior problems in kids.

Many parents are taught to look at ADHD behavior through the lens of discipline, motivation, or compliance.

But in this conversation, we look underneath the behavior.

Dana explains that a child’s nervous system may already be overloaded before the trigger happens. The iPad, homework, bedtime request, or morning routine may simply be the final stressor that causes the explosion.

We talk about why ADHD behavior can be connected to:

• Gut health
• Inflammation
• Poor sleep
• Blood sugar crashes
• Nutrition
• Sensory overload
• Screen time
• Nervous system dysregulation

This does not mean boundaries do not matter. They do.

But it does mean parents can begin asking a more helpful question:

What might my child’s behavior be trying to tell me?

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why behavior is communication, especially for kids with ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms
• How gut health, nutrition, sleep, and inflammation may influence mood, focus, and emotional regulation
• Why screen time can be so activating for children with ADHD
• How to create screen-free pockets without needing a dramatic screen ban
• Why protein at breakfast and balanced snacks may support steadier moods
• How movement, sleep, and connection can help regulate the nervous system
• Where overwhelmed parents can start when they cannot change everything at once

This episode is especially helpful if you are parenting a tween or teen who struggles with ADHD symptoms, emotional reactivity, screen transitions, poor frustration tolerance, or constant conflict at home.

Listen to this episode if you want a more compassionate and practical way to understand ADHD behavior problems in kids.

After listening, choose one small place to start:

• Add protein at breakfast
• Create a screen-free morning pocket
• Remove devices from bedrooms overnight
• Offer movement before screens after school
• Use a timer and clear screen transition plan
• Protect sleep
• Ask, “What might this behavior be communicating?”

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

Single mom burnout is real, especially when you are raising tweens and teens through behavior problems, screen time battles, emotional ups and downs, curfews, money stress, and hard conversations that you may not feel ready to have.

When you are parenting alone, every decision can feel heavier. Every boundary can feel like a battle. And when your teen pushes back, it can be easy to wonder, “Am I doing this wrong?”

In this episode of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, is joined by life coach and fellow solo parent Carrie Spranzi for an honest conversation about single parenting, resilience, burnout, communication, and raising teens through difficult seasons.

Carrie shares her experience becoming a single mom at a young age, navigating financial stress, parenting through major life challenges, and learning how to stay connected with her son through honesty, trust, and open communication.

Together, Tess and Carrie talk about what it means to parent tweens and teens with both boundaries and humanity.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why single mom burnout often shows up during the tween and teen years
• How to stay grounded when your teen is pushing back
• Why trust-based boundaries can work better than constant control
• How to talk honestly with your teen about money, curfews, sex, safety, and real-life limits
• Why showing your humanity as a parent can actually strengthen your relationship
• How to build communication that lasts beyond the teen years

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that your teen does not need you to be perfect. They need you to be honest, steady, respectful, and willing to keep showing up.

If you are feeling burned out, overwhelmed, or unsure how to set boundaries with your tween or teen without constant conflict, this episode will help you reset.

Listen to the full episode, then take one small step this week:

• Choose one boundary that needs more clarity.
• Have one honest conversation instead of avoiding it.
• Let your teen know what you need while still communicating trust.
• Remind yourself that connection and leadership can exist at the same time.

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

If your teen's behavior has been pushing every button lately—attitude, eye rolling, lying, shutting down, refusing to help, or constant battles over screens—you are not alone. Many parents start to wonder if they've lost control, lost connection, or lost influence altogether. When these struggles happen day after day, it's easy to take them personally and feel exhausted.

This episode offers a different perspective: your teen's behavior matters, but it isn't the whole story. Behavior is often a signal of something deeper. When parents focus only on stopping the behavior, they can get trapped in a cycle of arguments, frustration, and disconnection. Instead, the key question becomes: What is this behavior trying to tell me, and what does my teen still need to learn?

To help parents break these patterns, the episode introduces a simple five-step framework.

First, pause before you correct. A regulated parent is far more effective than a reactive one. Even a single breath can change the direction of a conversation.

Next, observe the pattern. Many teen behaviors are predictable when you look closely at when and why they occur. Understanding the trigger often reveals a more effective solution than simply increasing consequences.

The third step is to connect before you correct. This doesn't mean lowering expectations or becoming permissive. It means leading with understanding so your teen is more likely to stay engaged in the conversation.

Once connection is established, set clear boundaries. Effective boundaries are calm, specific, and tied directly to the behavior rather than the teen's character. Consistency creates safety and predictability.

Finally, repair after conflict. Some of the most important growth happens after a blow-up. Repair teaches teens that relationships can survive mistakes, disagreements, and difficult emotions.

This week, choose one recurring conflict instead of trying to fix everything at once. Practice the framework:

Pause → Observe → Connect → Set the Boundary → Repair

Ask yourself:

• What is this behavior telling me?
• What does my teen need to learn?
• What boundary needs to be clearer?
• How can I stay connected while still leading?

If your family needs additional support with communication, behavior challenges, emotional regulation, school stress, or screen conflicts, consider scheduling a Parent Reset Strategy Session to create a personalized path forward.

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

Does every conversation with your teen seem to turn into an argument?

You ask about homework, and they snap back. You remind them about a chore, and they roll their eyes. You bring up the phone, the attitude, the curfew, or the messy room — and suddenly you are in another exhausting back-and-forth.

For single parents, this can feel especially draining because there often is not another adult there to step in. You are the one holding the boundary, absorbing the reaction, and trying to stay calm when your teen knows exactly how to push your buttons.

In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, shares how to stop arguing with a teen without becoming permissive, giving up on boundaries, or losing the relationship.

Teen arguing is often not just about the surface issue.

It is not only about the phone.

It is not only about the homework.

It is not only about the tone.

It is not only about the curfew.

Many times, the argument is about control, independence, respect, emotional regulation, and connection. Your teen is trying to become their own person, but they do not always have the maturity, impulse control, or communication skills to do that gracefully.

That is where your role as the parent, guide, and coach matters.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why your teen’s arguing is often developmental, not personal
• Why timing matters so much when you are trying to talk to your teen
• How to use connection before correction without giving up boundaries
• What to say when the argument starts escalating
• How to come back to hard conversations after everyone calms down
• Why validation does not mean agreement
• How to create a simple Family Communication Agreement with your teen

Tess also shares three practical tools you can start using this week:

1. The Pause Protocol — a way to stop the argument before it becomes a full-blown fight
2. The Two-Question Reset — two questions that help your teen reflect instead of defend
3. The Family Communication Agreement — a shared plan for how your family handles conflict, space, repair, and respect

The goal is not to avoid every hard conversation. The goal is to stay steady, hold the boundary, and keep coming back to connection.

After you listen, choose one tool to practice this week.

You might try saying:

“I care about this conversation too much to have it like this.”

Or:

“I’m not going to argue with you, but I am going to come back to this.”

Or:

“Help me understand what was going on for you earlier.”

You are not failing because your house gets loud sometimes. You are raising a tween or teen. There will be conflict, but there can also be repair.

And remember: the best parenting skill is already inside of you. It is the relationship you have with your child.

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

Summer can make screen time harder for families.

There is less school structure.

There is more downtime.

Kids may be home more.

Parents may be working.

And screens can quickly become the default activity.

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks about how to create screen time rules for kids in summer without turning the whole season into a power struggle.

This episode is for parents of kids, tweens, and teens who want a calmer, clearer screen time plan.

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Download the Tech Reset Agreement

⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses)

📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com

🆘 Need 1:1 Support? Book right here to connect with Tess for a 45-minute FREE “Parent Reset Strategy Session”: Parent Reset Strategy Session

The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection.

#singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication