Teen Runaways: What Parents Need to Know

Teen Runaways: What Parents Need to Know

Author: Mark Gregston May 11, 2026 Duration: 26:52

Few things shake a parent more than realizing their teen has run away. In this episode, Mark and Wayne explore the deeper reasons teens leave home. Often, they’re running from pain, conflict, shame or consequences — or running to freedom, attention or a place they believe feels better. You’ll learn how to respond wisely when your teen returns, what family patterns may need to change, and how grace and truth can help rebuild trust. Plus, Heartlight teen Anna shares her story of pain, attention-seeking and healing.

Learn to identify the pain that may be driving your teen’s behavior and some practical steps for getting to the heart of the matter at bit.ly/the-hurt-behind-the-behavior

Parenting Today's Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org.


Raising a teenager can feel like navigating uncharted territory every single day. Parenting Today's Teens is here to walk that path with you, offering a steady voice amid the chaos. Mark Gregston brings more than four decades of direct experience working with families to each conversation, translating complex adolescent behaviors into understandable insights. You’ll hear honest discussions about defiance, screen time, emotional withdrawal, and the search for identity, all framed with a perspective that is both pragmatic and hopeful. This isn’t about quick fixes or perfect formulas; it’s about building a lasting, authentic connection with your teen even when it’s difficult. Mark’s approach is grounded in real-world application, offering strategies you can consider and adapt the very same day. The podcast draws from a well of wisdom that respects the spiritual and personal growth of the entire family, recognizing that parenting a teen often means revisiting your own beliefs and reactions. Tune in for a resource that feels like a thoughtful conversation with a trusted guide, one that acknowledges the struggles while consistently pointing toward practical solutions and renewed understanding for the modern parent.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Parenting Today's Teens
Podcast Episodes
What Your Teen Needs Most from You, Dad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:36
What kind of impact does a father really have on a teen’s life? In this episode, Mark, Wayne and Heartlight Counselor Courtney LaFleur talk about the unique and powerful role dads play in shaping their teens’ identity, c…
A Parent’s Greatest Challenge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:45
Are you trying to guide your teen? Or just frustrated by the culture they’re growing up in? In this episode, Mark shares what may be the greatest challenge parents face today: staying connected in a rapidly changing worl…
Teen Stories: The Battle to Be Understood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:10
Behind every broken rule or secret kept, there’s often a story of a teen who just wants to be seen. In today’s episode, Mark sits down with two young ladies at Heartlight who open up about their struggles with honesty, t…
Raising Socially Awkward Teens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:57
Is your teen struggling to connect with others or retreating into screens instead of real relationships? In this episode, Mark, Wayne and Heartlight Counselor Courtney LaFleur talk about what’s behind social awkwardness…
When Your Teen Thinks Differently Than You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:20
What’s shaping your teen’s beliefs, and why do they sometimes latch onto ideas that create tension at home? In this episode, Mark and Wayne unpack how today’s teens are influenced by culture, peers and a deep desire to b…
When Helping Hurts: Teaching Teens to Carry Their Own Load [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:17
Are you helping your teen — or holding them back? In this episode, Mark shares a powerful story about a young adult unprepared for real life, and the well-meaning parenting that led her there. Drawing from Galatians 6:5,…
Teen Stories: Feeling the Pressure [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:53
When teens seem to have it all — good grades, bright smiles, great families — it's easy for parents to assume things are fine. But what if that perfect image is masking deeper struggles? In today's episode, Mark talks wi…
Breaking Patterns, Building Trust & Beating Boredom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:22
As summer break draws closer, we’re revisiting an episode with Mark and Wayne about setting your teen up for success. Boredom isn’t harmless — it can open the door to unhealthy habits if teens lack structure and purpose.…