179. Tween Behavior Problems: What Your Child Is Really Trying to Tell You

179. Tween Behavior Problems: What Your Child Is Really Trying to Tell You

Author: Therese Connolly July 29, 2025 Duration: 12:02

Tired of feeling like the behavior police in your own home?

If your tween or teen constantly talks back, shuts down, or melts down over screen time—this episode is your reset.

In this short solo episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW and parent coach, shares a powerful reframe:

What if your child’s "bad" behavior isn’t the real issue—but a message they’re trying to send?

You’ll learn how to move from reacting to understanding, and how this shift can reduce conflict and strengthen your relationship with your child—especially in single-parent households navigating big transitions and emotions.

  1. How to decode your child’s behavior as a form of communication
  2. Common triggers behind meltdowns and shutdowns (including screen time!)
  3. Simple things to say that open the door to connection instead of conflict

This is a must-listen if you want to stop power struggles, build more trust, and help your tween or teen feel truly heard—even when emotions are high.

🎧 Listen now to The Single Parenting Reset Show

💬 Share this with another solo parent who needs a reset

📧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
186. Teen Attitude Problems: What Parents Often Misunderstand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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185. Good Enough Parenting: Why Teens Don’t Need Perfect Parents [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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182. How to Reset Your Tween or Teen’s Routine for the School Year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:28
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181. Screen Time During the School Year: How Parents Can Set Limits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:41
Feeling anxious about screen time as school looms closer? Wondering how to avoid device drama without becoming the “bad guy”?In this practical and timely episode, we tackle the top screen-time challenges single parents f…
177. 5 Ways to Reduce Screen Time Without Fighting With Your Teen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:25
Tired of constant power struggles over phones, video games and tablets? Feel like your tween is slipping away behind a screen?If you are a single parent dealing with tech tantrums, disrespect, or that sinking feeling tha…
176. Teen Behavior Problems: Why Not Everything Is Trauma [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:27
Are we raising strong, resilient kids—or fragile ones who crumble under pressure?In today’s culture of over-pathologizing every discomfort as “trauma,” many well-meaning single moms are unknowingly disempowering their ch…