Your teen is upset, you’re frustrated, and suddenly a simple “no” turns into a full-blown argument. That moment can feel impossible to recover from, especially when you’re trying to hold boundaries and still keep your relationship intact. We wanted a practical, real-life way to bring the temperature down without shutting the conversation down.

We’re joined by Amy Saloner, a parent and teen coach focused on adolescent well-being, resilience, and helping young people grow into confident, on-purpose adults. Amy shares her Five C’s of communication: calm, consent, communicate, curiosity, and clarity. We talk about why you can’t solve problems from an escalated emotional state, how asking “Is now a good time to talk?” prevents unnecessary blowups, and how a simple nonviolent communication map (observations, feelings, needs, requests) can turn blame into collaboration.

We also dig into what many parents need most: rupture and repair. When you react out of fear, you can still go back, take responsibility, apologize, and reconnect. Amy explains why “connect before correct” matters, how reflective listening builds emotional safety, and why these skills shape everything from friendships and college transitions to leadership, negotiation, and healthy boundaries.

Subscribe for more practical parenting tools, share this with a friend raising teens, and leave a review so more families can find these communication skills. What’s the hardest part for you right now: staying calm, getting consent, or staying curious?

Connect with Amy

Get your own copy of The Cs of Communication and The Communication Map here, or find her on Facebook or Instagram.

Welcome to Speak Out Stand Out — the show where we build confidence in our future, one voice at a time. I’m your host, Elizabeth Green.

I grew up shy, so I know firsthand how life-changing it can be when someone helps you find your voice. Now, I get to help kids and teens do exactly that — and this podcast is a place to share those tools with you.

Each week, I talk with experts and inspiring guests about simple, practical and tangible ways to help the young people in

Thanks for listing! Be sure to check out the show notes for additional resources including a free public speaking lesson and 52 fun practice prompts. And if you enjoyed what you heard today, please give us a follow.

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

Your child says “fine,” shrugs, and disappears into their room, and you’re left wondering what you missed. We sit down with international conversation coach Jackie Bailey to unpack why kids and teens often stay quiet even when parents are trying hard, and how small shifts in everyday parenting communication can rebuild confidence fast.

Jackie shares the three conversations every child needs but rarely gets: “I see you,” “Let me try,” and “You’re safe with me.” We talk about how judgment, quick fixes, and big emotional reactions can accidentally silence kids, then we replace those habits with practical tools like curiosity questions, calm responses, and letting kids solve problems with support instead of rescue. You’ll also hear why “How was your day?” is basically a courtesy question, and how better prompts can unlock real stories, feelings, and trust.

We also dig into the modern barrier of phones and social media, including the body-language message we send when we keep a device in our hands. Jackie explains simple connection practices that build self-esteem and communication skills from the inside out: using your child’s name, making eye contact, listening for keywords, and reflecting them back so kids know they matter.

If you’re raising a shy child, dealing with school stress, or just trying to create a home where honest conversations happen, this one gives you a clear path forward. Subscribe, share this with a parent or educator who needs it, and leave a review. What’s one question you’ll ask your child today to help them open up?

Connect with Jackie

Find her on her website here, check out the Speak Feed Lead Facebook page or Instagram page, and listen to the podcast In The Groove with TJ.

Welcome to Speak Out Stand Out — the show where we build confidence in our future, one voice at a time. I’m your host, Elizabeth Green.

I grew up shy, so I know firsthand how life-changing it can be when someone helps you find your voice. Now, I get to help kids and teens do exactly that — and this podcast is a place to share those tools with you.

Each week, I talk with experts and inspiring guests about simple, practical and tangible ways to help the young people in

Thanks for listing! Be sure to check out the show notes for additional resources including a free public speaking lesson and 52 fun practice prompts. And if you enjoyed what you heard today, please give us a follow.

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!

Your family might not have a “communication problem” as much as a nervous system problem. When stress spikes, logic detaches from emotion, tone sharpens, and we start speaking to win instead of speaking to connect. That is where this conversation with Jan Talen, a licensed marriage and family therapist with decades of experience, gets incredibly practical and oddly relieving. We dig into why words are only a small part of the message, and how pacing, eye contact, posture, and tone can either invite cooperation or trigger defensiveness in a partner or a teenager.

Jan walks us through Dan Siegel’s “hand model of the brain” and the real-world meaning of “flipping your lid” so you can spot it in yourself and your kids. We talk about what to do in the heat of a moment: the kind of deep breath that actually helps your brain work again, how long it can take to reset, and why most problems can wait long enough for you to calm down. If you tend to overexplain, rebut, or chase the last word, you will love Jan’s straight question: do you want to be right or do you want the relationship?

We also unpack Jan’s DNA method for family communication: Decide what you need to know and where you want this to end up, Notice what you need to get there (calm, info, alignment with a co-parent, better connection), then Apply your words in a way that fits the person you’re talking to. Along the way, we share simple connection builders, “redo” language you can use immediately, and how modeling healthier communication with a spouse, partner, or ex shapes your kids more than any lecture ever will.

If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a parent friend, and leave a review so more families can find these tools. What’s the hardest moment for you to pause before you respond?

Connect with Jan

Find Jan through her website, take her free Marriage Making Moment quiz or schedule a Conversation Connection.

Want your kids to practice great communication skills? Check out our live virtual classes here.

Welcome to Speak Out Stand Out — the show where we build confidence in our future, one voice at a time. I’m your host, Elizabeth Green.

I grew up shy, so I know firsthand how life-changing it can be when someone helps you find your voice. Now, I get to help kids and teens do exactly that — and this podcast is a place to share those tools with you.

Each week, I talk with experts and inspiring guests about simple, practical and tangible ways to help the young people in

Thanks for listing! Be sure to check out the show notes for additional resources including a free public speaking lesson and 52 fun practice prompts. And if you enjoyed what you heard today, please give us a follow.

Thanks for Listening to Speak Out, Stand Out

Like what you hear? We would love if you would rate and review our podcast so it can reach more families.

Also - grab our free mini lesson on impromptu speaking here. This is ideal for kids ages 6+.

Interested in checking out our Public Speaking & Debate courses? Find more here!