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

Duration: 16:08
Are you a single parent lying awake at night wondering, Am I messing up my kids? You’re not alone—and the truth is, perfect parenting doesn’t exist.Parenting tweens and teens as a single parent can feel overwhelming. Bet…
182. How to Reset Your Tween or Teen’s Routine for the School Year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:28
Struggling to get your tween or teen back on track before school starts? Late nights, nonstop screens, and zero structure don’t magically disappear when that alarm clock rings.In this episode, we dive into exactly how si…
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…