Today, I'm sitting down with Sonia Suthar, a 19-year-old entrepreneur and the Founder of Cloud 9, who is helping parents understand why teenagers shut down when we're just trying to help, and what we can do instead to build strong, connected relationships with them. She also shares how we can help our teens build confidence from the inside out, so this conversation is one you won't want to miss!

In this episode, we explore what’s really happening beneath teen behavior and why well-meaning parental responses can sometimes create distance instead of connection. Sonia offers powerful insights into how teens interpret boundaries, advice, and even simple questions and how these moments can either strengthen or erode trust.

Whether you’re parenting a teen now or just want to understand them better, this conversation offers real, actionable insights that can help you strengthen connections, trust, and resilience in your family.

We Talk About:

• Why teens shut down and how to respond as a parent
• How to improve parent-teen communication
• The difference between fixing vs. supporting your teen
• How to build teen confidence and emotional resilience
• What teens actually need when they open up
• The “3 H’s” method: Heard, Helped, or Hugged
• How to create a safe space for your teen to share
• Balancing high expectations with emotional support
• How to stop power struggles and build connection
• Practical tools to strengthen your relationship with your teen

If this resonates with you, share this episode with another parent who could use the support, and don’t forget to follow/subscribe for more conversations that help you build deeper, more connected relationships with your teen.

Connect with Sonia & Cloud9:
Website: cloud9go.com
Instagram: @cloud9go
Watch Sonia's Ted talk on YouTube

Come join us for a Free Info Session to learn more about our two wilderness rites of passage trips for teens this summer. Go to youth.guided-passages.com/wilderness to save your seat!

Are you helping your teen athlete grow, or are you accidentally adding more pressure?

In this episode, I talk about how sports can be one of the most powerful developmental experiences in a young person’s life, and it's one way teens can learn perseverance, teamwork, leadership, and how to bounce back after mistakes.

But there’s something we don’t talk about enough... The role parents play in shaping that experience. What we say from the sidelines, in the car ride home, and during the hard moments can either build confidence or add stress.

Here are some of the powerful reminders for supporting teen athletes that we'll dive into:

• Listen before problem-solving - Sometimes, they need to vent.
• Ask before giving advice. - “Do you want help with this, or do you just want me to listen?”
• Help them reset after mistakes. - Feel it → Flip it → Find the next play.
• Remember the bigger picture. - Sports aren’t just about the scoreboard; they’re about the kind of person your teen is becoming.
• It's a great opportunity for Connection.

These moments with our teens, on the sidelines, in the car rides, during practices, are powerful opportunities for connection and growth.

It’s in these ordinary moments that extraordinary bonds are formed.

I would also love to invite you to join our Free Wilderness Info Session on March 18th at 6 PM PST where you can learn all about our two Backpacking Rites of Passage trips for teens this Summer.

Rites of Passage Trips Info Session
📅 Wednesday, March 18th at 6pm Pacific
🔗 youth.guided-passages.com/wilderness

And if this episode resonated with you, don't forget to subscribe, share it with a friend, and send me a quick note about the insight that stood out most for you.

Come join us for a Free Info Session to learn more about our two wilderness rites of passage trips for teens this summer. Go to youth.guided-passages.com/wilderness to save your seat!

Every summer, I watch teens step into the wilderness and come home transformed.

Out there, they learn they can do hard things, discover strength they didn’t know they had, connect with people outside their usual circles, and feel the freedom of being fully themselves.

Here are seven powerful lessons they carry back from our Rites of Passage journeys:

1. Resilience – “I can do hard things and survive.”
2. Inner Strength & Confidence – uncovering courage they didn’t know they had.
3. Unexpected Friendships – connecting with peers outside their usual circles.
4. Authenticity – embracing their uniqueness and being fully themselves.
5. Gratitude – appreciating comforts after going without.
6. Connection to Nature – feeling at home in the wild.
7. Transformation Through Challenge – growing in ways that shape their future.

💫 If you’d like to learn more, join me for our free Wilderness Info Session on March 18th at 6 PM PT.

Rites of Passage Trips Info Session
📅 Wednesday, March 18th at 6pm Pacific
🔗 youth.guided-passages.com/wilderness

I would love to see you there and answer all your questions.

And if this episode resonated with you, I’d love for you to subscribe, share it with a friend, and send me a quick note about the insight that stood out most for you.

Come join us for a Free Info Session to learn more about our two wilderness rites of passage trips for teens this summer. Go to youth.guided-passages.com/wilderness to save your seat!

In this episode, I explore the powerful lessons in Alyssa Liu’s journey, from stepping away to winning Olympic gold on her own terms, and what her story teaches us about teens, identity, agency, and authentic success.

Her story isn’t just about sports. It’s about joy, ownership, and becoming who you truly are.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why teen motivation strengthens when it feels like their choice
• How to help teens build an identity bigger than achievement
• The difference between support and control (and why it matters)
• Why joy and authenticity actually fuel excellence
• How to help teens define success for themselves
• Why mistakes build real confidence, not perfection

If this episode resonated with you, explore our transformational wilderness experiences that empower teens to build resilience, self-trust, leadership, and lasting maturity.

Rites of Passage Trips Info Session
📅 Wednesday, March 18th at 6pm Pacific
🔗 youth.guided-passages.com/wilderness

Take a moment to leave a review, subscribe, and send me a message with your key insight.

In this episode, I break down what respect really looks like during adolescence, why it matters so deeply, and how we can lead our teens with both firmness and dignity.

When teens feel dismissed, talked down to, or controlled, their brains go into defense mode. But when they feel respected, they’re far more likely to stay open, honest, and cooperative even when the conversation is hard.

So often, we fall into the mindset that respect is something our teen has to earn. But the truth is, with teenagers, respect is often the fastest way to rebuild connection and increase influence.

Here’s what we’ll explore:

• Why respect is the foundation of connection and influence
• How subtle disrespect leads to resistance and shutdown
• Why teens are neurologically wired to care about dignity and status
• The “high expectations + high support” approach from researcher David Yeager
• Why collaboration beats control when setting boundaries
• What teens notice most about respect at school and at home
• How modeling respect is the quickest way to receive it back
• Why repair after conflict builds trust faster than perfection
• One of the most respectful parenting shifts: not rushing in to fix, correct, or advise

Free Support for Parents:

Teen Confidence Breakthrough Workshop (Free Live Training)
📅 Tuesday, Feb 24th at 10am Pacific
🔗 youth.guided-passages.com/workshop

Rites of Passage Trips Info Session
📅 Wednesday, March 18th at 6pm Pacific
🔗 youth.guided-passages.com/wilderness

If this episode helped you, please leave a 5-star review, subscribe, and send me a DM with your biggest takeaway!

I’m sharing a simple but powerful shift that can completely change your relationship with your teenager: learning what’s actually in your control and what isn’t.

When your teen is shutting down, acting out, bringing attitude home, or struggling with motivation, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of trying to control their behavior in the heat of the moment. But the truth is, the more we try to control what we can’t, the more disconnected and overwhelmed we feel.

In this conversation, I break down how focusing on your own response instead of your teen’s emotions is where your real influence and leadership live.

This episode is for parents navigating:

1. Teen attitude and disrespect
2. Emotional meltdowns and big feelings
3. Power struggles and constant conflict
4. Motivation and follow-through challenges
5. Setting boundaries without yelling or nagging

We’ll discuss the Circle of Control (inspired by Stephen Covey), the power of co-regulation, and what it truly means to “Let Them” (from Mel Robbins) without letting everything slide.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, reactive, or exhausted, this episode will remind you that the most powerful thing you can do is return to what you can control: your own nervous system, your boundaries, and your next move.

Want Support Beyond the Podcast?

You don’t have to do this alone.

If you're looking for more tools, guidance, and a supportive community of parents raising teens with connection and calm boundaries, join me in my Parents of Teens Rising Circle

And if this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear your takeaway.

Send me a DM on Instagram or share this episode with a parent friend who needs the reminder.

In this episode, I’m breaking down school avoidance and school refusal in teens, including why it’s on the rise, what’s happening underneath the behavior, and practical, compassionate ways parents can support their teen without escalating conflict.

If your teen is melting down in the mornings, complaining of feeling sick, shutting down, or outright refusing to go to school, this episode will help you understand what’s driving the behavior and how to move forward without shame or fear.

In this episode, I cover:

• What school avoidance and school refusal really mean (and why it’s not laziness)
• The main drivers: anxiety, social stress, academic overwhelm, and burnout
• Why morning power struggles make avoidance worse
• A clear 3-step plan: calm, clarify, and coordinate
• How to support your teen without reinforcing avoidance
• Dr. Lisa Damour’s shame-free “compulsory buffet” reframe
• Practical ways to make school more manageable without lowering expectations

If your teen is struggling with anxiety or school avoidance, get support through my Rise Up and Ignite coaching programs to help them build confidence, take action, and thrive.

✅ Book a free discovery call to learn more and see if Rise or Ignite is a fit.

Sources Referenced in This Episode

1. Stony Brook Medicine – “What is School Avoidance and School Refusal? A Parent’s Guide” (Aug 1, 2025)
2. Kids Mental Health Foundation – “New Survey Reveals Top Reasons Why Kids Avoid Going to School” (Press Release)
3. Children’s Hospital Colorado – “Treating School Refusal in Youth” (Primary Care Article)
4. Children’s Hospital Colorado – “How to Handle School Refusal” (Just Ask Children’s)
5. TIME Magazine – Lisa Damour, “How to Help Teenagers Stay Motivated at School” (Mar 8, 2023)
6. Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) – “4 Strategies When Your Child Refuses to Go to School” (Sep 19, 2024)

In this episode, I’m sharing one of the biggest truths of my life: our children are some of our greatest teachers. I walk you through five lessons my kids have taught me so far, and how these lessons have shaped the way I show up in motherhood, especially in the teen years.

In this episode, I cover:

• Regulate: learning how to stay grounded when I’m triggered or overwhelmed
• Surrender: practicing trust and letting go, one layer at a time
• Service: showing up with devotion while remembering I matter too
• Humility: owning my mistakes, repairing, and learning in real time
• Capacity: expanding what I can hold and handle without collapsing into overwhelm

If this episode resonated, I’d love for you to share it with a friend raising teens, and leave a review on Apple or Spotify. It helps more parents find this support.

Connect with me

Instagram: @jasmyne.guidedpassages