189. Screen Time With Tweens and Teens: How Parents Can Reset the Rules

189. Screen Time With Tweens and Teens: How Parents Can Reset the Rules

Author: Therese Connolly September 2, 2025 Duration: 12:23

Are screen time battles with your tween or teen leaving you drained, frustrated, and second-guessing yourself as a single parent?

If you’ve ever felt like screens have taken over your home, you’re not alone. Single parents often feel stuck between wanting to set limits and needing the peace that screens provide. The good news? You don’t need to choose between chaos and total restriction—you can create balance that actually works for your family.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

  1. A simple 5-minute daily check-in that builds connection before correction
  2. The 80/20 boundary rule that reduces arguments and gives kids ownership of their screen use
  3. How modeling small, visible changes in your own tech habits can inspire your kids to reset theirs too

Press play now to learn three practical, real-life strategies that will help you manage screen time without turning your home into a battlefield.

📧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
246. Why Tweens Push Back: What Parents Often Misunderstand [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:47
Why does your once cooperative child suddenly argue about everything?If you're parenting a tween, you may be noticing more attitude, pushback, and emotional reactions. Many parents interpret this behavior as disrespect o…
240.  Teen Vaping: What Parents Should Say When They Find a Vape [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:27
Found a vape, cartridge, or hidden stash—are you about to say something that shuts your kid down for years?When you discover vaping, your fear often comes out as anger—especially if you’re doing this alone as a single pa…
239. Teen Attitude Problems: Why Rudeness Isn’t Always Disrespect [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:50
When your teen snaps, rolls their eyes, or talks back—do you feel like you’re one comment away from losing it?If you’re parenting solo, teen attitude can feel constant and personal—like you’re failing or losing your rela…
238. Teen Mental Health: Why Late Winter Is Hardest for Teens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:34
Does your tweener or teen seem to fall apart every March — more conflict, more screen time, more shutdown, more stress?If things feel heavier at home right now, you’re not imagining it. March is a predictable stress spik…
237. Teen Screen Time Limits: What to Do Before Taking Away the Phone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:33
Does your teen’s phone have more control in your house than you do?If every attempt to set limits turns into a meltdown… if you feel nervous even mentioning screen time… or if your teen seems constantly exhausted, moody,…