Power Your Parenting: Moms With Teens

Latest Episodes:

# 216 Set Yourself Up for Summer May 08, 2023

Show notes

I recently asked a mom about her summer plans, and she said, "I can't even go there." I completely understand this, we are so busy with the craziness of May that we can't see past the end of school.

We may think about signing our kids up for camp or planning the family vacation and that's about it.

But if you want to set yourself up for success this summer you need to be intentional about what you want before you are in the middle of the summer. These questions can help.

What do you need to recover from the school year?
What are your top priorities or values for the summer?
What season am I in? (Knowing this helps shape your expectations.)
How can I improve my relationship with my teen this summer?
What does my kid need this summer?

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# 215 Tips From a College Admissions Expert May 01, 2023

Show notes

The college admissions process can be stressful and intimidating for both parents and teens. I've brought in an expert who can help us understand what today's colleges are really looking for. This episode will give you practical and tactical advice.

.Sam Hassell holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California and is a published research scientist, having spent four years in psychology and neuroscience research at Columbia University. In his research, he investigated topics such as vicarious emotion processing; the role of mindset in influencing various domains from physical performance to mental experience; and the effects of misinformation. Building upon his experiences in academia and over a decade in educational services, Sam spearheaded the Great Minds Advising program, a premium college consulting service at Westchester Prep, where he is also currently an owner. His college advising team leverages cutting-edge strategy and insight into the college review process while helping students intricately craft the intellectual depth, niches, and admissions stories that set them apart at even the most elite colleges. For the most recent 2022-23 application cycle, 100% of the Great Minds Advising team’s students applied early decision and were accepted. Over the past 3 years, Sam and his team’s students have earned admission to Columbia, Yale, Stanford, Penn, Duke, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, WashU, UC-Berkeley, and many other top institutions, gained admission to the Ivy League at a rate of 11x the national average, and earned over $1M in merit scholarships.

Episode Highlights:

The unique challenges of students applying in 2023 and beyond
Is taking optional tests an advantage for college applicants
Difference between hard factors or metrics versus soft factors in admissions
Does putting pressure on our teens make any difference
Ideal age for students and parents to start thinking about college admissions and where a child's passions and abilities lie
Encouragement to the listeners

Contact Sam:

website: westchesterprep.com

company email: info@westchesterprep.com

email (mine): sam@greatmindsadvising.com

company phone: (914) 495-8648

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# 214 Keep Teens Safe From Sextortion Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

How do we keep our teens safe from sexting and sextortion? More importantly, how can our kids recover from the utter humiliation and shame when a sext has been shared around school, or a teen has been exploited by a predator?

Parents need to know about the rise in cases of online child/teen “sextortion” in which adult predators posing as minors on social media and gaming networks essentially trick kids into sending them explicit images and then turn around to threaten them with exposure if they don’t pay.

According to the FBI, which recently issued a rare public safety alert to parents about this alarming trend, there were 18,000 reported cases of child sextortion last year alone.

Despite the subject matter, this is an uplifting and comforting episode that focuses on protecting our teens and how teens can recover when they've been exploited.

Our guest today is Jennifer Kelman -

Jennifer Kelman is a mental health expert on JustAnswer, where she has provided online support to those in need since 2012. In addition to her work on JustAnswer, Kelman has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for more than 30 years and maintains a private practice specializing in relationships, parenting, and children’s mental health issues. She is also a children’s book author having written three books that delicately weave in themes of trust, vulnerability, and hope in her stories. Kelman has lectured extensively around the country and appeared on news and television programs covering a range of issues including relationships, parenting, body-image, eating disorders and children’s mental health. For more information about Jennifer’s work on JustAnswer, visit

You can contact Jennifer at:

https://www.justanswer.com/relationship/expert-therapistjen/

https://www.jenniferkelman.com/

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# 213 Does Your Teen Have ADHD? Apr 17, 2023

Show notes

Today we are going to talk about all things ADHD. If you have a child that has problems focusing, frequently forgets things, and procrastinates, well they may have ADHD. In this episode, I interview an international expert on ADHD. We talk about the best treatment for ADHD. We discuss medications and their pros and cons. We even talk about why there was an Adderal shortage. You will find this podcast very helpful.

Dr. Ann Childress, MDDr. Childress is president of the Center for Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Inc. where about 80% of her practice is research-based. She also has adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Nevada Las Vegas School of Medicine and Touro University of Nevada College of Medicine. She is board certified in psychiatry, with a subspecialty in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Dr. Childress has authored more than 80 articles in scientific journals and a book chapter. As a co-principal investigator, she has participated in more than 180 clinical trials. Her research has focused on the treatment of children and adolescents with mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, autism, and Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder.

Dr. Childress is President-elect of the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders, Education Director for the Nevada Psychiatric Association, a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Childress is an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of ADHD.

You can contact Dr. Ann Childress at https://www.drannchildress.com/

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# 212 How to Beat Test Anxiety Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

Does your tween, teen, or college student struggle with taking tests? Are they struggling with the ACT or SAT?

Today more and more teens struggle with test anxiety. It’s a real thing. A little anxiety can help your performance but too much anxiety will hurt your test scores. One of the reasons that test anxiety is on the rise, is there is so much pressure over test results. It feels like it's high stakes and when something feels high stakes, you feel anxious. The higher the stakes the more anxiety you have.

Our guest today is ASHLEY HARLOW, PH.D., MB

Dr. Ashley Harlow is a licensed child and adolescent psychologist and a nationally-certified school psychologist on the Behavioral Health team at Children's Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. He has served in his role at Children's since 2010 and provides individual and family therapy to children, adolescents, and parents in primary care and school settings. Dr. Harlow works with families facing common behavioral and psychological concerns, including tantrums, aggression, noncompliance, toileting, and sleep disruption, as well as anxiety, depression, and adjustment distress.

Dr. Harlow received his Ph.D. in school psychology from Indiana University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Learn more about Dr. Harlow at https://www.childrensomaha.org/provider/ashley-harlow-phd-mba/

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#211 The Mother Load Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

I love this next guest. I love metaphors. I love humor. And I love authenticity and she has all three. If you ever have felt buried under a mother load, you will really enjoy this real conversation. We talk about invisible battles, toxic positivity, and how moms crave real.

MEREDITH ETHINGTON is a mother, author, and founder of the Perfection Pending blog, which presents mothers with encouragement, humor, and heart. Her debut book, Mom Life: Perfection Pending was published through Absolute Love Publishing and debuted online as the #1 choice in the motherhood category. She is the co-owner and editor at FilterFreeParents.com.

Meredith resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, and you can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, where she encourages mothers to laugh at themselves and admit that while parenting is the best thing ever, it’s also the hardest job on earth.

Learn more about Meridith and her newest book Mother Load at https://perfectionpending.net/about-meredith-ethington/

Follow Meridith at https://www.instagram.com/perfectpending/

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# 210 Gaining Control Over Addictive Technologies Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

"Our society has a technology problem. Many want to disconnect from screens but can’t help themselves. These days we spend more time online than ever. Some turn to self-help-measures to limit their usage, yet repeatedly fail, while parents feel particularly powerless to help their children."

Gaia Bernstein

Gaia Bernstein is a Law Professor, Co-Director of the Institute for Privacy Protection and Co-Director of the Gibbons Institute for Law Science and Technology at the Seton Hall University School of Law. She writes teaches and lectures in the intersection of law, technology, health and privacy. Gaia is also the mother of three children who grew up in a world of smartphones, iPads and social networks. Her recent book: Unwired: Gaining Control Over Addictive Technologies shatters the illusion that we can control how much time we spend on our screens by resorting to self-help measures. Unwired shifts the responsibility for a solution from users to the technology industry, which designs its products to addict. The book draws out the legal action that can pressure the technology industry to re-design its products to reduce technology over-use.

Gaia has academic degrees in both law and psychology. Her research combines findings from psychology, sociology, science and technology studies with law and policy. Gaia’s research has been featured extensively by the media including the New York Times, Forbes, ABC News and Psychology Today. Gaia has spearheaded the development of the Seton Hall University School of Law Institute for Privacy Protection’s Student-Parent Outreach Program. The nationally acclaimed Outreach Program addresses over-use of screens by focusing on developing a healthy online-offline balance and the impact on privacy and online reputation. It was featured by the Washington Post, CBS Morning News and Common-Sense Media.

To find out more about Unwired go to : https://gaiabernstein.com/

Follow Gaia at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaia-bernstein/

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#209 Protect Teens on Apps and Devices Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

When should I let my teen have a smartphone? When can they have social media apps? When are they ready to handle the social media world? How do I prepare them and most importantly how do I protect them?

In this episode I bring you and expert and a mom of an 8th grade boy. So she lives in this stuff professionally and personally.

· Titania Jordan is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Parent Officer of Bark Technologies, an online safety company that helps keep kids safe online and in real life.

· A renowned thought leader on digital parenting, Titania has contributed to pieces in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Huffington Post, Fox Business, Daily Mail, USA Today, Vogue, and more. Her first book, Parenting in a Tech World, was published in 2020 and quickly became a bestseller on Amazon. Titania was also featured in the 2020 documentary Childhood 2.0. She also frequently appears as a subject matter expert on nationally broadcasted programs such as the TODAY Show, Steve Harvey, The Doctors, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, Fox News, Sirius XM Radio, and CNBC.

Follow Titania on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/titaniajordan/

Learn more about Bark at: https://www.bark.us/

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#208 The Epic Journey of Motherhood Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

How do you make sense of your life as a mom?

In our culture today we often think of motherhood as one continuous report card where each day we ask ourselves, "Am I a good mom or bad mom?" But this report card has no B’s, C’s or even D’s . It's either we give ourselves a "A" for good mom or "F " for being a bad mom.

So what is the criteria for our daily grading scale of "A" or "F" ? Most often our grade is based on how well our teen is behaving or performing. The reasoning here is that if your teen is doing well you are a good mom if they aren't then you are a bad mom.

This is a terrible way to assess our effectiveness or worthiness as a mother. It's full of judgment.

As you know the life of a mom is complex. Parenting is complex, It's more like a 10,000 word puzzle.

The only way to make sense of your life as a mom is through story. And each of our stories has multiple chapters. Your story is not over when your teen graduates from high school or even college. Actually there are more chapters with your son or daughter after they graduate from high school than before.

I believe your life as a mom is really an epic adventure. There are tests, trials and ordeals to navigate through but there are also hidden treasures and a reward to discover.

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#207 Why Social Skills Help Teens Succeed Mar 06, 2023

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Would you like your teen to smile more? Could your teen improve their social skills? Does your teen have the social skills needed to be successful in their job. And what can parents do to help improve these much needed life skills.

My guest today has some great advice for us and he models what he talks about.

Kirt Manecke is the author of the book, audiobook and online course Smile & Succeed for Teens: Must-Know People Skills for Today’s Wired World, and the Parent’s Guide for Smile & Succeed for Teens. Winner of the Mom’s Choice Gold Award, and Teachers’ Choice Award Smile & Succeed for Teens is a quick, easy read to help teens master social and career skills for success. Kirt is the former owner of an award-winning start-up specialty retail business and is an expert in sales and fundraising. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Northville in Michigan and enjoys volunteering with animal welfare and land conservation organizations.

To learn more go to https://www.smilethebook.com/

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