164. How to Set Boundaries With Tweens and Teens Without Taking the Phone Away

164. How to Set Boundaries With Tweens and Teens Without Taking the Phone Away

Author: Therese Connolly June 5, 2025 Duration: 32:05

Are you tired of repeating yourself 10 times just to get your kid to brush their teeth or put down the phone?

In this episode, parenting coach Tia Slightham joins Tess Connolly, LCSW, to break down the real reason your kids aren’t listening—and it’s not because they’re defiant. Whether you're parenting solo or just trying to reduce daily power struggles, this conversation offers practical, proven tools to create calm, cooperation, and connection.

Discover the 3-step boundary-setting method that helps kids actually follow through without constant nagging

Learn why switching just one word (from if to when) can transform your child's behavior

Understand the critical difference between punishment and discipline—and why most parents get it wrong

Press play now to learn how to stop repeating yourself and start parenting with purpose using tools that truly work—even for your strong-willed tween or teen.

If you’re feeling burnt out, weighed down by guilt, and wishing there was a way to parent with more peace, more patience, and more connection…

you’re not alone, and it’s not your fault.

You’ve simply been missing the right strategy.

That’s exactly why I want to give you two powerful tools: that have helped over 10,000 parents overcome this

First, you’ll get my 5 ingredient, “Golden Time Guide."

This simple daily plan helps you meet your child’s emotional needs in just 10 minutes a day—so you can break the cycles of nagging, yelling and power struggles. Learn to create a strong connection with your kids all with cooperation and calmness in your home.

Second, I’m offering you a private "Parenting Breakthrough Session."

This is a 50-minute 1:1 call where we’ll take a close look at where you're feeling stuck, uncover the real reasons behind the challenges you’re facing, and create a personalized action plan to help you shift from surviving to thriving.

And during this session, I’ll also walk you through a game changing tool which is inside my Parenting with Purpose Method—the same framework that’s helped thousands of parents break old cycles and build homes full of respect, connection, and confidence.

If you’re ready to stop struggling and start seeing real change, I would love to support you.

To get both the Golden Time Guide and your Parenting Breakthrough Session, just head over to Instagram (@tiaparentingcoach) and DM me the word "RESET"

One more time—just send me the word "RESET" on Instagram @tiaparentingcoach, and I’ll personally get everything over to you.

Find out more about Tia Slightham here 👉 www.tiaslightham.com

📧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” session: Parent Reset Call

⭐Got screen time problems at home? Get the Tech Reset Agreement here 👉Mindful Kids and Families

⭐️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)

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


Navigating the tween and teen years alone comes with a unique set of daily tests, from managing defiance to negotiating screen time in a connected world. Single Parenting Reset Show: For Solo Parents of Tweens and Teens is here for that journey. Hosted by Therese Connolly, a licensed clinical social worker and family coach, this podcast moves beyond theory to offer actionable steps you can use immediately. Therese draws on both professional expertise and a genuine understanding of the solo parent reality, where you’re the only one setting boundaries and mending fences. Conversations focus on turning behavioral challenges into opportunities for growth, finding realistic ways to pull kids from their devices, and fostering a home where communication actually works. You’ll hear strategies for building your own confidence as a parent while strengthening your family’s connections, all without the sugar-coating. This is a space for single moms and dads seeking real-life support, where every episode aims to provide a practical reset for the week ahead. Tune in for a blend of compassionate guidance and concrete tools designed specifically for the solo parent raising adolescents.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Single Parenting Reset Show: For Solo Parents of Tweens and Teens — Manage Behavior Problems, Reduce Screen Time & Improve Communication
Podcast Episodes
205. How Much Screen Time Should Kids and Teens Really Have? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Do you ever wonder exactly how much screen time is too much for your tween or teen — and how to actually make limits stick without daily battles?As a single parent, it can feel impossible to manage phones, tablets, and g…
203. How to Reconnect With Your Teen Without Forcing Conversations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:18
Do you feel like your - once close relationship with your teen is slipping away - and no matter what you try, the distance just grows.You're not alone. Especially for single parents of tweens and teens, the shift between…
202. Screen Time and Teen Anxiety: What Parents Need to Know [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:07
Is screen time quietly fueling your child’s anxiety — and what can you actually do to stop it?If you’ve noticed your tween or teen is more anxious, irritable, or withdrawn after being online, you’re not imagining it. Thi…
200. Screen Time Limits for Kids: Why They Don’t Work Alone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:19
Are you constantly wondering if your tween is ready for social media—or worried about how much screen time is too much?If you’re a single parent trying to navigate your tween’s digital world, this episode breaks down the…
199. Parenting a Child With ADHD: Practical Strategies That Help [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:58
Are you a single parent trying to figure out whether your child’s struggles with focus, emotions, or school might be ADHD — and how to truly help them thrive?In this insightful episode, host Tess Connolly, LCSW, sits dow…
198. How to Set Boundaries With Tweens and Teens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:33
Do you ever feel like setting boundaries with your teen just leads to endless conflict—or worse, silence?Parenting teens is tough because adolescence brings rapid changes in emotions, thinking, and independence. Many par…
197. Tween Mood Swings and Screen Time: What Parents Should Know [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:31
Is your middle schooler’s mood swings, tech obsession, or growing independence leaving you unsure how to parent them?The middle school years bring huge developmental changes—emotionally, socially, and cognitively. Many p…