Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

Latest Episodes:

Eps 254: Real Talk with a 15 Year Old Dec 21, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Ian O’Roarty.

Ian is my youngest child, he turned 15 October 30th, and is a freshman in high school. He is the baby in the house, and taller than us all. He is passionate about basketball, loves his friends, and has melted my mama heart since day one. I say that Ian is my “positive discipline” kid because he was the one who was always game to create a routine, or role play a situation, he was willing.

I’d say that Ian and I are very close, I will let him share his experience during the interview… He has always been really open with me, and it doesn’t seem like that is really anything that we haven’t talked about… He loves family time, when we are all together, and is super stoked to have his drivers permit.

I am honored that he is willing to come share candidly with all of you on the podcast.

Takeaways from the show:

Coping with covid
Challenges in the last year
Being a close relationship with your parents
Having a sibling who is going through mental health issues
Messaging on swearing in our house
Reading agreements
Screen time
Thoughts from a teen about watching the Social Dilemma
Video games and limits
Managing screen time with online school
What it means to Ian to “be a man”
Toxic masculinity
Goals for the future
Advice to parents raising sons

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eps 253: Solo Show- Three Ways to Connect to Yourself Dec 14, 2020

Show notes

This week’s podcast is a SOLO show!!!

Takeaways from the show:

Beta group
Introducing the next mini summit
Discovering your most authentic way of being
Being responsible for yourself and how you show up
Connection to self, family, and community
Surrender to being imperfect
Teens teach us that flexibility is imperative
Trust that things are temporary
Create a safe environment so your teen can share what they want from an authentic and open place
Caregiving is always in motion
Owning discovery around money
Trusting the unfolding of life
Be with what comes up, feel your feels

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eps 252: An Honest Conversation with Rowan About Her Journey of Mental Health and Self Discovery Dec 07, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Rowan O’Roarty.

Rowan is my oldest child, she will be 18 in January, and one of my biggest teachers of personal growth. As we all do, we learn who we are as parents, through our relationships with our children. Rowan made me a mom, and continues to influence who I am in the world as I navigate what it means to mother her.

Rowan has been through her own journey of personal discovery over the past few years, maneuvering mental health challenges, dropping out of school, completing her GED, and stepping in to big responsibility while her dad and I were gone for 2 months going through my husband's cancer treatment.

I am honored that she is willing to come share herself and her journey so candidly with you all today.

Takeaways from the show:

Where the anxiety started
When Rowan became aware of her anxiety
Things we did that helped Rowan cope with depression and anxiety
Panic attacks
Navigating anxiety attacks and how parents can be supportive
What depression feels like
Things parents can do that are helpful to their teen’s mental health
Dialectical behavioral therapy
Realizing only YOU can change your experience
What Rowan has learned about herself these past few years
Mental health and high school
Rowan’s freshman year
Opting into online school
Dropping out of school and gaining parent’s support
The GED test
Plans for the future

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eps 251: Solo Show on Gratitude and Finding Acceptance Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

This week is a SOLO show!

Takeaways from the show:

Gratitude
Grow through what you go through
Shifting to be grateful for the experiences you’re put through
Working on self regulation
Model for your kids what effective problem solving looks like
Embodying the life you’re living
Allowing fear or resentfulness to change into gratitude and strength
Doing the work to be in a different headspace when the same problems show up
Personal growth isn’t linear
Practicing being mindful

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eps 250: How to Navigate Parenting In the Shadow Of the Coronavirus with Dr. Jennifer Variste Nov 23, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Jennifer Variste’s desire for pediatrics began at a very young age because her visits to her pediatrician were usually positive experiences. Later she fulfilled her dream and obtained her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She went on to complete a pediatric residency at UT Houston Health Science Center.

After residency, she returned to practice in her hometown of College Station, Texas. Dr. Variste is grateful for the five years she spent treating families there and for the relationships and connections she made. She now practices in Spring, Texas at Family First Pediatrics.

As a board-certified pediatrician her passion is to empower moms and dads to raise their kids to lead happy, healthy lives full of precious memories and discovery. She desires to create the same positive experiences for her patients that she had with her pediatrician as a young child.

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eps 249: Solo Show: Hope, Trust, Gratitude Nov 16, 2020

Show notes

This week’s episode was a solo show!!

Takeaways from the show:

The emotional experience of this past week
Hope trust and gratitude
Willingness to try something different
Choosing to be your best self
What it means to have hope
Believing you can have what you want
Embodying your beliefs
Being intentional with your thoughts
Manifesting what you want in life
Right now is the time to feel connected
Changing your inner dialogue so it aligns with what you want
Our kids always long for belonging and significance
Trusting the process
Keeping the faith
Being grateful for the challenges in 2020
Focusing on the good coming out of your struggles
There is more than one path and narrative your teens will go on

For more show notes, including transcripts, visit our website here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eps 248: Maureen Muldoon on Raising a Transgender Child Nov 09, 2020

Show notes

I am so excited to welcome my guest, Maureen Muldoon.

Maureen is a a spiritual Pied Piper, shameless storyteller and speaker who is transforming the way people think of church, sex, spirituality, and creativity. Actress, author, activist, she celebrates the miracles that live beneath the mundane and is devoted to helping others to CREATE their most engaged and unapologetic life. Today we are going to talk about her experience of mothering a transgender son.

Takeaways from the show:

Raising a transgender child
Coping with society’s opinions
A parent’s role in understanding
How acceptance changes your child
Kids wanting to be acknowledged for how they seem themselves
Self expression
Sitting with the suicide rate as a mom of a transgender son
Finding a greater peace of mind
Letting go of deciding what identifiers you bring forth in your children
Becoming aware of the ways you tell your narrative
Things parents without transgender kids don’t understand
Being gentle to parents who don’t understand so they can be gentle to your child out in the world
Keeping an open mind and an open space to listen to your child
How you can be more supportive of families with transgender kids

See you next week! :)

Find Maureen:

Website | SpeakEasy Community

What does joyful courage mean to you?

Joyful courage means innocence, where everyone's innocent. No one's guilty. Everyone's allowed to take up as much space as possible.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eps 247: Solo Show About Dealing With Our Triggers Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

Today’s podcast is a solo show!!

Takeaways from the show:

What is a trigger
How our histories determine different triggers
Dealing with situations that trigger you
Making it right after you get upset
Breaking down what it feels like to get triggered
Willingness to reflect on your own emotions
Being a good role model for handling emotions to your kids
Teen’s moods affecting our own
How our teens trigger us like no other
Recognizing your experience
The importance of connecting with your kids
Having compassion and curiosity while in conversation
How crucial it is to stay nonjudgemental

See you next week! :)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eps 246: Bellamy Shoffner On Being a Single Mom and A Revolutionary Human Oct 26, 2020

Show notes

Bellamy Shoffner is a single parent, writer, and equity advocate specializing in fostering thoughtful connection and conversation among communities. Shoffner’s Revolutionary Humans produces a magazine, retreats, and free community events. All for parents and educators committed to social justice.

This past summer the Joyful Courage community raised $800 in support of Bellamy and her work – I am so honored for the chance to connect with her here on the podcast.

Takeaways from the show

Social justice
Passive reading vs. retaining the information
Hold the Line magazine
Teaching our kids to be accepting of each other's differences
Creating a world where kids can are out of harm’s way based on any part of their identity
Acceptance vs tolerance
Challenges of being a single parent
How outside help isn’t always appreciated
Teasing apart tokenization
Putting in the work to understand social justice
Key things parents can do to fold racial awareness into parenting their kids
Taking people as they are and see what happens
Having relationship with vulnerability
Dealing with people who have opposing views