229. Better Communication With Teens: Why Parents Should Stop Lecturing

229. Better Communication With Teens: Why Parents Should Stop Lecturing

Author: Therese Connolly January 20, 2026 Duration: 38:20

Are screen time battles, teen backtalk, or constant conflict leaving you emotionally drained as a single parent?

For parents of tweens and teens, everyday moments like bedtime, homework, and phone limits can quickly spiral into major stress. What if there was a simple, science-backed way to reset your energy—and your communication—in real time? In this episode, breathwork coach Arleen Peterzak shares how intentional breathing can help single parents manage conflict, model emotional regulation, and create calmer, more connected conversations at home.

  1. Learn how better communication with your tween or teen starts with regulating your own nervous system.
  2. Discover simple, in-the-moment breathwork techniques to help manage screen time stress and family conflict.
  3. Find out how to model calm through breath—so your child feels safe, heard, and more likely to listen.

🎧 Press play now to learn how just 6 minutes of breathwork a day can help single parents manage screen time struggles, reduce conflict, and build better communication with their tweens and teens.

Arleen Pietrzak is a breathwork guide, movement educator, and longtime personal trainer who helps people restore ease, resilience, and trust in their bodies. With over 20 years of experience in fitness, movement, and high-touch environments, Arleen blends practical physiology with intuitive awareness to support nervous system regulation, posture, and sustainable breathing patterns.

Through her breath adventures, workshops, and one-on-one work, Arleen guides people through simple, accessible practices that help navigate stress, pressure, and change—both physically and emotionally. Her approach emphasizes listening to the body, developing proprioception, and using breath as a reliable tool for self-regulation rather than force or control.

Arleen is especially passionate about helping parents and teens build embodied tools they can use in real life, creating space for calm, connection, and choice in everyday moments.

https://breathadventure.com

⭐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)

📧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
236. Communication With Teenagers: Why It Matters More Than Ever [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:29
Is your teen brushing you off, rolling their eyes, or acting like your words don’t matter anymore? What if the way you speak to them is the secret to reconnecting?As tweens and teens pull away, many parents stop using lo…
234. Gentle Parenting With Teens: Why Boundaries Still Matter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:13
Is your teen pulling away—and every time you try to connect, it only seems to push them further?If you’re a single parent feeling lost in the silence or fearing the distance means you're failing, this episode will refram…
231. Triggered by Your Teen? How Parents Can Stay Calm During Conflict [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:04
Ever feel like your teen’s screen time habits, bad attitude, or boundary-pushing behaviors are personally attacking your sanity?If you’re a single parent raising a tween or teen, you already know how quickly everyday str…
230. Social Media and Teen Behavior: What Parents Need to Know [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:30
Are you tired of the constant battles with your teen over screen time—wondering why they just won’t put the phone down?In this eye-opening episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, explains how your teen’s addiction to scrolling isn…
228.  Struggling With Your Teen Right Now? How to Reconnect [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:59
Are you stuck in constant battles over screen time, routines, and emotional blowups with your tween or teen—and wondering why everything feels harder lately?You're not imagining it. Research shows that high screen time i…
227. 5 Ways to Build Emotional Resilience in Teens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:27
Does every conversation with your tween turn into a power struggle, especially around screen time? You’re not alone—and this episode reveals what’s really going on beneath the pushback.If you’re a single parent dealing w…
226. Your Teen Is Pulling Away: What Parents Should Do [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:39
Is your teen pulling away, spending more time alone, and talking less — leaving you wondering if you’re losing them?If you're a parent watching your teen go quiet or withdraw, it’s easy to panic. But this stage — while s…