Power Your Parenting: Moms With Teens

Have you ever looked at your adult child and wondered, “How did we get here—and how do I love them without losing myself in fear, grief, or control?”

In this powerful episode of Power Your Parenting Moms with Teens, Colleen O’Grady sits down with bestselling author and parenting expert Jim Burns to talk about one of the most painful and confusing seasons of parenting: when an adult child begins to drift—whether from family values, faith, responsibility, or even the relationship itself. Jim shares practical wisdom and deep compassion for parents navigating estrangement, emotional distance, poor choices, or the heartbreak of watching a child struggle in their 20s and 30s. Together, Colleen and Jim discuss how to shift from controlling to connecting, how to set healthy boundaries without pushing your child away, and why staying in the “messy middle” matters more than perfection.

Jim Burns is the founder of HomeWord, a ministry dedicated to helping families thrive, and the author of multiple bestselling books including Doing Life with Your Adult Children and When Your Adult Child Strays: Trading Heartache for Hope. He speaks around the world on parenting, marriage, faith, and leadership, and has more than three million resources in print in over 20 languages. Jim and his wife Kathy have three adult daughters and several grandchildren, giving him both professional expertise and lived experience in navigating the emerging adult years.

In this conversation, Jim explains why parenting adult children requires an entirely different skill set than parenting teens. He discusses the importance of “giving your child the passport to adulthood,” why unsolicited advice often feels like criticism, and how fear can quietly drive unhealthy parenting patterns. Colleen and Jim also tackle difficult topics like estrangement, deconstruction of faith, enabling versus helping, codependency, and the grief many parents experience when their dreams for their child don’t unfold the way they imagined. Throughout the episode, Jim emphasizes that the goal is not controlling your adult child—it’s preserving connection, becoming a safe person, and building bridges instead of walls.

3 Takeaways from This Episode:

Parenting adult children requires letting go of control while staying emotionally connected.

Fear-based parenting often damages relationships, while warmth, listening, and boundaries foster trust.

Estrangement and struggles do not mean you failed as a parent—healing and reconnection are still possible.

Follow at: https://www.instagram.com/homewordfamily/

Learn More at: https://homeword.com/about/jim-burns/

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Do you ever feel like you’re carrying the entire mental load of your family while trying to hold together your work, your home, your relationships, and yourself?

In this episode of Power Your Parenting Moms with Teens, Colleen O’Grady talks with Sarah Armstrong about the reality of modern motherhood, the invisible pressure moms carry, and how to move from merely surviving to actually thriving. Sarah shares practical and deeply relatable wisdom for working moms trying to balance careers, parenting, emotional labor, and self-care without losing themselves in the process. Together, Colleen and Sarah discuss the importance of boundaries, routines, mindset, support systems, and why moms must stop treating themselves like they come last on their own to-do list.

Sarah Armstrong is the author of The Art of the Juggling Act: Bite Size Guide for Working Parents and The Mom’s Guide to a Good Divorce. She is also Vice President of Global Marketing Operations at Google and the proud mom of Grace, now a young adult successfully launched into the world. Sarah has spent decades mentoring working parents and helping families navigate the realities of parenting, career pressures, and life transitions with intentionality and grace.

In this conversation, Sarah shares practical strategies that helped her manage both motherhood and a demanding global career. She talks about the importance of creating an “operating model” for your family, protecting personal time without guilt, and building what she calls a “compartmentalization muscle” so moms can be more present wherever they are. Sarah also discusses powerful routines like her “Sunday List,” creating decompression zones, teaching teens life skills and financial responsibility, and why support networks are essential for moms’ emotional wellbeing. Throughout the episode, Sarah reminds moms that doing the best you can is enough—and that intentionally caring for yourself is not selfish, but necessary.

3 Takeaways from This Episode:

Moms need boundaries, routines, and support systems in order to thrive instead of burn out.

Taking care of yourself is not selfish—it is essential for avoiding resentment and staying emotionally healthy.

Teaching teens practical life skills and responsibility prepares them to become capable, confident adults.

Learn more at: https://thejugglingact.com/
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Welcome back to another episode of Power Your Parenting Moms with Teens. Have you ever wondered if some of the same mental toughness strategies used to train Navy SEALs could actually help us raise more resilient, confident teens? In today’s episode, we explore how allowing our kids to struggle, problem-solve, and experience manageable stress can actually strengthen them for life.

Our guest today is Brandon Webb, a New York Times bestselling author, former Navy SEAL sniper instructor, entrepreneur, and father of three. Brandon spent over a decade training elite operators in performance psychology, mental conditioning, and resilience. In his new book, Puddle Jumpers, he applies those same principles to parenting, sharing practical tools for raising capable, joyful, and emotionally strong kids in today’s challenging world.

In this conversation, Brandon shares why protecting kids from every discomfort can actually backfire and how “ordinary stressors” help build confidence and emotional resilience. We discussed the power of visualization and mental rehearsal, how a parent’s voice becomes a child’s inner voice, why leading by example matters more than lectures, and how asking thoughtful open-ended questions can create deeper conversations with teens. Brandon also opens up about mistakes he made as a father, what he learned from them, and how parents can balance boundaries with independence while still preserving connection with their kids.

Three Takeaways for Moms

Small struggles help build strong roots. Allowing kids to experience manageable stress, responsibility, and discomfort helps them develop confidence and resilience over time.

Your voice becomes your child’s inner voice. The way parents speak to their kids—especially in emotional moments—can shape how teens eventually speak to themselves.

Better questions create deeper conversations. Moving beyond “How was your day?” and asking open-ended, thoughtful questions can help teens open up in meaningful ways.

Learn More at: https://brandontylerwebb.com/

Follow at: https://www.instagram.com/brandontwebb/

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Have you ever felt like your teen is more disconnected than ever—and you’re not quite sure how to reach them?

In this episode we're talking about something so many moms are feeling but may not fully understand—this sense of disconnection with our teens. It can feel like you’re trying, but something just isn’t landing. In today’s world—post-pandemic, with screens, stress, and shifting social norms—connection isn’t as natural as it once was. But here’s the good news: it can be rebuilt, and often in simpler ways than you might think.

My guest today is Amber Chandler, an eighth-grade English teacher, author, and mom of two teens. She recently wrote Reclaiming Connection: How Schools and Families Can Nurture Belonging in a Scared New World. Amber brings both professional insight from the classroom and personal experience as a parent to this important conversation. Her work focuses on helping families, schools, and communities better understand how to foster belonging and meaningful connection in a rapidly changing world.

In this episode, we talk about how the pandemic disrupted teens’ social development and why many are struggling more with in-person connection. Amber shares why it’s too simplistic to blame technology alone and instead encourages us to look at the bigger picture of how connection has changed in our homes and communities. We explore how teens often don’t express their appreciation—but deeply feel it—and why small, everyday moments matter more than big experiences. Amber offers practical ways to connect with your teen, including understanding their unique communication style, knowing when to pause instead of push, and leading with empathy before jumping to discipline. We also talk about the importance of modeling humility through apology and how creating simple opportunities for real-life interaction can help teens rebuild confidence and connection.

3 Takeaways:


Connection begins with empathy. When teens feel understood, they are far more open to influence and guidance.


Small moments matter most. It’s the everyday interactions—not the big events—that build lasting connection.


You have more impact than you think. Even if your teen doesn’t show it, they notice, value, and are shaped by you.

Follow at https://www.instagram.com/amberrainchandler/
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In this eye-opening episode, Colleen O’Grady sits down with Dr. Maree Davies, cognitive psychology expert and author of Teaching Critical Thinking to Teenagers: How Kids Can Be Street Smart About AI, Algorithms, Fake News, and Social Media. Together they explore why critical thinking is one of the most essential life skills for today’s teens—and how parents can help develop it at home.

Dr. Davies explains how social media platforms and AI algorithms are designed to capture attention, influence thinking, and keep teens engaged. She shares practical ways parents can help teens become more aware, more curious, and less vulnerable to manipulation, misinformation, and online rabbit holes.

This conversation is packed with wisdom for raising thoughtful, self-aware, and resilient teens in a digital world.

Key Takeaways:

1. Critical thinking starts with curiosity, not lectures.
Instead of telling teens what to think, ask questions like: Does that sound right to you? What do you think? Where could we verify that? Curiosity builds stronger thinkers than criticism.

2. Parents should model critical thinking out loud.
When parents say things like, Hmm… I’m not sure that’s true. Let’s check another source, teens learn how thoughtful adults process information.

3. Teens need connection, not isolation, to navigate digital life well.
When teens feel safe talking with parents about what they’re seeing online, they are far more likely to ask for help, question misinformation, and make smarter choices.

Memorable Quote:

"Critical thinking is not something we do alone—it grows through talking, listening, and thinking together." – Dr. Maree Davies

Learn More at: https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/mj-davies

Follow at: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/maree-davies-22a39411
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