Power Your Parenting: Moms With Teens

Is your teen really ready to drive—or are you handing them the keys before they've earned the responsibility?

"Driving isn't a right—it's a privilege that has to be earned."

Driving is one of the biggest milestones in a teenager's life—and one of the most dangerous. In this episode, Colleen O'Grady talks with personal injury attorney Brett Jarvis about how parents can prepare teens to become safe, responsible drivers. Brett shares practical advice from both his courtroom experience and his role as a father of three, covering everything from when to begin conversations about driving to family contracts, tracking devices, liability, distracted driving, and what parents should do if an accident happens. This conversation reminds moms that teaching safe driving isn't about controlling teens—it's about protecting lives while preparing them for adulthood.

3 Key Takeaways

1. Driving is a privilege that must be earned—not a right.
Parents should look beyond their teen's age and assess maturity, responsibility, honesty, and decision-making before handing over the keys. Clear expectations and consistent consequences are essential.

2. Start teaching long before driver's education begins.
Safe driving habits begin in childhood. Parents can model attentive driving, explain traffic rules, discuss the real risks of distracted driving, and have ongoing conversations that grow as children mature.

3. Create clear family rules that prioritize safety over convenience.
Written driving agreements, phone-free driving, passenger limits, tracking technology, curfews, and an open invitation to call home for a safe ride can dramatically reduce risks while strengthening trust.

Follow at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettjarvisidaho

Learn More at: https://www.fellerwendt.com/meet-the-team/brett-jarvis/

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Are you raising your child to avoid struggle—or to become resilient enough to overcome it?

In this powerful conversation, Colleen sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Jerry Weichman to discuss the mental health skills every parent and teen needs today. Drawing from nearly three decades of working with over 7,000 families—and his own experience growing up with a limb difference—Dr. Weichman shares practical strategies that help kids build resilience, develop healthy self-esteem, and learn to navigate life's inevitable challenges. He also reminds parents that the best way to raise emotionally healthy kids is to practice these skills themselves.

3 Takeaways

1. Resilience is the foundation of mental health.
Resilience isn't about avoiding hardship—it's about learning how to respond to it. Dr. Weichman encourages parents to teach their children that when life gets hard, they can get stronger. Instead of rescuing kids from every struggle, parents can help them develop the confidence that comes from solving problems and persevering through challenges.

2. Focus on what you can control.
One of the most powerful mental health tools is learning the difference between what you can and cannot control. Parents can help teens shift their energy away from worrying about outcomes, other people, or circumstances, and instead focus on their own attitudes, effort, and actions. This mindset reduces anxiety and increases emotional stability.

3. Model the behaviors you want your teen to learn.
Children learn emotional regulation more from watching their parents than from listening to lectures. Dr. Weichman encourages parents to keep teaching moments brief, create space for conversations, prioritize exercise, reduce screen dependence, and care for their own mental health. When parents practice resilience, balance, and self-care, they give their children permission to do the same.

Learn more at: drjerryweichman.com

Follow on Instagram: @drjerryweichman

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Are you accidentally raising a teen who knows how to spend money—but not how to manage it?

In this episode, Colleen O'Grady talks with real estate investor and financial educator Jonathan Greene about how parents can help teens develop healthy money habits, financial confidence, and long-term thinking. Jonathan shares lessons he learned from his father, practical ways to talk about money at any age, and why financial literacy starts with conversations—not lectures.

Key Takeaways

1. Start Talking About Money Early—and Often
Money shouldn't be a taboo topic. The earlier parents begin discussing how money works, the more comfortable and confident kids become. Even simple conversations about groceries, housing, and family expenses help teens understand the real value of money.

2. Teach Financial Skills Through Everyday Life
Kids learn best through experience. Whether it's comparing prices, selling unused items online, managing an allowance, playing money-based board games, or helping make purchasing decisions, everyday situations create powerful financial lessons.

3. Focus on Learning, Not Judgment
When teens make money mistakes, treat them as teaching opportunities rather than reasons for punishment. Curiosity, conversation, and reflection help teens develop better financial habits far more effectively than criticism or shame.

Learn more at: https://www.trustgreene.com/ 

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

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I’m excited to have Hunter Clarke Fields (AKA Mindful Mama) back with us today, to tell us about her new book, Raising Good Humans Every Day. Hunter shares some very practical tips to help us busy and often stressed moms to come back to calm. Make sure you stay to the end of the episode where she shares a wonderful meditation that you will want to listen to over and over again.

Hunter Clarke-Fields MSAE, E-RYT (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a Mindfulness Mentor, Mindful Mama Podcast Host, Mom, Global Speaker, and Number 1 Bestselling Author of “Raising Good Humans” with a New Book: “Raising Good Humans Every Day” (Aug 1, 2023). Hunter has over 20 years of experience in meditation and yoga practices, and helps moms bring more calm and family cooperation into their daily lives. She is a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, the creator of the Mindful Parenting Course and Teacher Training, and has taught mindfulness to thousands worldwide, including a recent trip to Egypt. Hunter presents talks on parenting, is a certified teacher of Parent Effectiveness Training. In addition, Hunter coaches smart, accomplished, over-stressed individuals on how to cultivate mindfulness. Hunter is the mother of two active daughters, who challenge her every day to hone her craft! Her work has appeared in CNBC Make It, Parade, Paleontology, Motherhood Moment, The Hollywood Digest, along with on ABC Portland, NBC Milwaukee, and CBS South Bend,Kansas Public Radio, and many podcasts. And as part of her self-care, Hunter likes to do Scottish country dancing.

Learn more about Hunter at ⁠https://MindfulMamaMentor.com⁠

Follow Hunter on Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmamamentor/?hl=en
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This is such an important conversation on how to raise our teens with agency so that they have the skills to set boundaries, and know what they want and know what they don't want. This conversation about consent explores all the nuances of a true consent. We address what moms can do to reduce the shame factor so our teens will be honest with us.

Dr. Laura McGuire is an internationally recognized consultant, survivor, researcher, seminarian, and author of the book Creating Cultures of Consent (Rowman & Littlefield, 2021) and The Sexual Misconduct Prevention Guidebook: Consent and Conduct for Higher Education Campuses (Fielding University Press, 2022). They were named as one of the 2022 Champions of Pride by the Advocate Magazine and are regularly featured in media outlets for their expertise and approachability.

Dr McGuire is a certified member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), and The Society of Professional Consultants. Dr. McGuire lives in the United States, where she works as an adjunct professor at Widener & Dominican University and CEO at The National Center for Equity and Agency.

To learn more and contact Laura:

⁠https://equityandagency.com/⁠

⁠https://drlauramcguire.com/
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