Have you ever noticed how easy it is to slip into “fix-it” mode when your teen shuts down or rolls their eyes? You want connection, but fear takes over — fear they’ll pull away, make poor choices, or that you’re not doing enough. In this episode, Terri helps you uncover the real reason behind that reaction and how it’s connected to your identity as a mom.

Through Psalm 139, you’ll discover what it means to be fully known, loved, and seen by God — and how this truth becomes the anchor that steadies you in every conversation with your teen. You’ll learn how being grounded in God’s view of you transforms your words, your tone, and your ability to create emotional safety that invites your teen to open up again.

What You’ll Discover:

• Why your communication style often reflects how you see yourself
• How fear quietly shapes your words and reactions with your teen
• The 5 anchoring truths from Psalm 139 that re-center your heart
• How to respond with calm confidence instead of control

Join the waitlist for my free “Connect With Your Teen” Workshop. I’ll show you how to create a beautiful connection with your teen in 10 minutes a day-without guilt or pressure. 🙌

Get the clarity, strategy, and tools you need to build trust and connection with your teen!

🔗 Sign up now: https://connectwithyourteens.com/opt-in-free-workshop-waitlist-638960-3652

✨ Join the FB Community: Connect With Your Teens Facebook Group

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider for weekly tips, encouragement, and be the first to know of upcoming events: Weekly Newsletter

✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💛 Leave a Review:

If these episodes gave you hope or a new perspective, would you leave a written review? Your words help other moms find this podcast and the encouragement they’ve been praying for.

→ Connect With Your Teens on Apple Podcasts

Have you ever felt like your teen has become a stranger? That the distance between you grows every time you open your mouth?

In this episode, we dig into the hidden weight of regret and grief many moms carry—and how that weight can actually be a pathway to rebuilding connection. We’ll cover two additional types of grief many moms experience, reveal the freedom in forgiveness through Scripture, and walk through 5 practical steps you can begin using right now to rebuild trust and closeness with your teen.

Have you ever felt like your teen has become a stranger? That the distance between you grows every time you open your mouth? In this episode, we dig into the hidden weight of regret and grief many moms carry—and how that weight can actually be a pathway to rebuilding connection. We’ll cover two additional types of grief many moms experience, reveal the freedom in forgiveness through Scripture, and walk through 5 practical steps you can begin using right now to rebuild trust and closeness with your teen.

Join the waitlist for my free “Connect With Your Teen” Workshop. I’ll show you how to create a beautiful connection with your teen in 10 minutes a day-without guilt or pressure. 🙌

Get the clarity, strategy, and tools you need to build trust and connection with your teen!

🔗 Sign up now: https://connectwithyourteens.com/opt-in-free-workshop-waitlist-638960-3652

Resources and links:

✨ Join the FB Community: Connect With Your Teens Facebook Group

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider for weekly tips, encouragement, and be the first to know of upcoming events: Weekly Newsletter

✨ Instagram: @terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💬 Leave a Review so moms can find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. Listen on Apple Podcasts here or wherever you catch podcasts: https://bit.ly/ConnectWithYourTeensPodcast

Has your teenager pulled away and you’re left wondering what happened to the close, easy connection you once had?

In this heartfelt episode, we’ll talk about the often-unspoken grief that comes with parenting teens — the sadness, confusion, and sense of loss when your child grows more distant. It’s part one of a two part series that will help you understand what’s really happening beneath the distance and how those feelings can become the starting point for rebuilding connection and trust.

You’ll learn:

1- The first 3 most common types of grief moms of teens experience

2- Why acknowledging your emotions isn’t weakness—it’s the first step toward rebuilding trust

3- How to begin processing the loss so you can move forward in love and connection

If you’ve ever looked at your teen and thought, “I just want us to be close again,” this episode will meet you right where you are.

One Thing to do this week:

Before next week’s episode, take 10 quiet minutes to journal:

• “What I miss most about our relationship is…”
• “The connection I dream of having with my teen looks like…”
• “When I think about these changes, I feel…”

✨ Part 2 next week we’ll discover two other types of grief and reveal how to move from grief to growth and begin rebuilding connection in a new way.

🎧 EP 28: Has Family Time Turned Into Screen Time? 3 Ways to Reclaim Meaningful Connection

🎧 EP 21: When You Feel Like Nothing’s Working with Your Teen — Start Here

Want more support:

✨ Join the FB Community: Connect With Your Teens Facebook Group

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider for weekly tips, encouragement, and be the first to know of upcoming events: Weekly Newsletter

✨ Instagram: @terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💬 Leave a Review so moms can find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. Listen on Apple Podcasts here or wherever you catch podcasts: https://bit.ly/ConnectWithYourTeensPodcast

Does your “family time” feel like everyone’s just sitting together but living in separate digital worlds? Have screen-time battles left you feeling more disconnected from your teen than ever? What if reclaiming connection didn’t require more rules?

If your family room feels more like a collection of people staring at separate screens than a place of connection, there’s hope for change without the constant conflict.

In today’s episode, Terri shares three practical (and peaceful) ways to reclaim time with your family that build connection instead of creating power struggles. You’ll learn how to shift the focus from controlling your teen’s screen use to creating meaningful moments of presence, curiosity, and trust—because true connection isn’t built by taking things away, but by intentionally creating something better together.

You’ll discover how to:

💛 Create “Micro Moments” that open space for real connection

💛 Shift from pressure-filled “family time” to natural togetherness

💛 Lead with curiosity—not criticism—when your teen’s glued to their device

By the end, you’ll have simple, effective ways to strengthen your relationship and make time together something your teen actually looks forward to.

Resources Mentioned:

✔️ EP 14: How One Couple Used Music To Build Connection With a Teen (Greg & Kim McInturff’s story) Listen Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connect-with-your-teens-conversation-starters/id1826286296?i=1000722896181

✔️ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider:

💌 https://bit.ly/ConnectWithYourTeensInsider — Get weekly encouragement and practical tips to strengthen communication with your teen.

✔️ Join the Private Facebook Community:

💬 https://bit.ly/HowToConnectWithYourTeen — A safe space for moms learning how to communicate with their kids and encourage one another through it all. Once a month, Terri hosts a private Live Q&A Zoom call for members. The October 2025 one will focus on navigating hard, polarizing conversations with grace and connection.

💛 If this episode encouraged you or gave you hope for your relationships, would you leave a written review? Your words help other moms find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. Listen here on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connect-with-your-teens-parenting-teens-family/id1826286296

When was the last time your well-meaning questions turned your teen into a brick wall? If you’re tired of watching your teen shut down, walk away, or give one-word answers, you’re not alone.

In today’s episode, we’re uncovering why the way you ask can actually create more distance—and how one simple shift can open the door to real connection. Every mom wants to know what’s happening in their teen’s life, but even with the best intentions, sometimes our approach makes them pull away instead of draw near.

You’ll learn:

✔️ Why questions make your teen go silent

✔️ Three key shifts that turn questions into safe invitations

✔️ A simple approach that transforms conversation into connection

If you’ve been longing for deeper conversations with your teen, this episode will give you a fresh perspective and practical steps you need to create conversations your teen actually wants to have.

Resources & Links:

✨ Join the FB Community: Connect With Your Teens Facebook Group

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider for weekly tips, encouragement, and be the first to know of upcoming events: Weekly Newsletter

✨ Instagram: @terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💬 Leave a Review so moms can find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. Listen on Apple Podcasts here or wherever you catch podcasts: https://bit.ly/ConnectWithYourTeensPodcast

Is your teen’s constant pull toward devices and friends leaving you feeling shut out? Do you worry that you’re losing the bond you once had with your child? What if their need for connection is actually God’s design calling out to you?

Ever feel like your teen is slipping away—spending more time on their phone, retreating to their room, or turning to friends and social media instead of you? You’re not alone. In this heartfelt episode, Terri opens up about why your teen’s connection tank might be running on empty and what you can do to refill it—starting today.

Discover the biblical foundation for connection, the hidden reasons your teen may be seeking it in unhealthy places, and simple, everyday ways you can rebuild trust, strengthen communication, and create the safe space your child is desperately longing for.

Because connection isn’t optional. It’s part of God’s original design—and when you pursue it, you give your teen the gift of being truly seen, known, and loved.

👉 Inside this episode you’ll learn:

• Why connection is essential to your teen’s well-being (and not just “nice to have”).
• How God models connection through His pursuit of us—even when we mess up.
• What today’s teens are saying about their parents, devices, and what they really want most.
• Five practical ways you can start filling your teen’s connection tank today.

💡 If you’ve been praying for a breakthrough in your relationship, this episode will give you hope, encouragement, and a tangible first step.

Resources & Mentions in This Episode:

✨ Youth wellness expert Katey McPherson → https://www.kateymcpherson.com

Connect With Me:

✨ Join the FB Community: Connect With Your Teens Facebook Group

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider for weekly tips, encouragement, and be the first to know of upcoming events: Weekly Newsletter

✨ Instagram: @terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💬 Leave a Review so moms can find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. Listen on Apple Podcasts here or wherever you catch podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connect-with-your-teens-conversation-starters/id1826286296

Are you tired of repeating your advice to your teen and getting eye rolls or silence in return?

Do you feel frustrated when your teen seems to tune out even the guidance you know could help them?

Wondering why your well-meaning solutions often push your teen further away instead of connecting them to you?

In this episode, we’re diving into a common communication pattern that keeps teens from truly listening—the one many moms unconsciously repeat without realizing it. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a cycle of over-explaining, eye rolls, or your teen shutting down, this episode is for you. You’ll learn how to shift from being a problem-solver to a gentle guide, so your teen feels respected, heard, and more open to your advice. By the end, you’ll walk away with practical tips to strengthen your connection and become the mom your teen naturally turns to for guidance.

💛 Want more support?

✨ Join the FB Community: Connect With Your Teens Facebook Group

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: Weekly Newsletter

✨ Instagram: @terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💬 Leave a Review so moms can find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. Listen on Apple Podcasts here or wherever you catch podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connect-with-your-teens-conversation-starters/id1826286296

Ever feel like one wrong word with your teen can flip the whole conversation?

A slammed door, a sarcastic remark, or the dreaded eye roll—and suddenly you’re caught in a storm of emotions. Your heart races, defensiveness rises, and before you know it, you’ve drifted into frustration or silence.

Mom, I know that storm well. And I also know this: you don’t have to be tossed around by it. You can stay steady. You can stay connected.

In this episode, I’m sharing 5 keys to better communication so that even when the waves rise, you remain grounded and calm. These are simple but powerful practices that create safety—not just for you, but for your teen too. Because when you’re anchored and steady, your teen actually feels it, and it opens the door for them to listen and engage.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

✨ Why anchoring matters when conversations get stormy

✨ How to reset your emotions so you don’t default to fixing, criticizing, or shutting down

✨ 5 practical ways to stay grounded in Christ so your teen feels safe to listen

And as a bonus, I’ve created a Spotify Anchoring Song Playlist—songs that will help you breathe, worship, and reset in the middle of the storm. You can grab it in the show notes.

✔️ 🎶 Get the FREE Spotify Anchoring Song Playlist: https://connectwithyourteens.com/opt-in-ras-anchoring-playlist-638960

✔️ The Pause App by John Eldredge – Apple Store | Google Play

✨ Join the FB Community: https://bit.ly/HowToConnectWithYourTeen

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: riseabovethesilence.com/opt-in-connect-with-your-teens-insider-newsletter

✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💛 Leave a Review

If this episode encouraged or gave you hope for your relationships, would you take a minute to leave a written review? Your words and show rating help other moms find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. → Leave a review here.