Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam

Jaksot

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  How to Raise a Teen Who Wants to Come Home 15.09.2026 33min

  How to Stay Connected With Your Teen Without Smothering Them | Zara Kadir Does it feel like the more you try to protect your teen, the more they pull away? Finding the balance between staying involved and giving teens independence can be challenging. In this episode, Dr. Cam sits down with child, adolescent, and family psychotherapist Zara Kadir to explore why strict parenting can create secrecy and how collaboration can build trust. They discuss giving teens freedom safely, responding to mistakes without punishment, and becoming the person your teen feels comfortable calling when something goes wrong. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE Why strict rules and punishment can make teens more secretive How to give your teen independence while remaining their safe home base Why collaboration builds responsibility better than automatically saying ”no” How to respond to mistakes in ways that strengthen trust 🎧❤️ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Don’t keep it to yourself! Share your favorite episode and leave a rating and review to help other parents find the support they need. Your feedback helps me create even more episodes filled with practical tips for you and your family! Thanks so much for your support! 🙏💫 🔔 Remember to hit SUBSCRIBE so you never miss another solution-packed episode! 🙌 **RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE** Zara Kadir’s Courses on Awkward Conversations Discount Code: CAM for 20% off upcoming courses Dr. Cam’s Free Masterclass: The Connection Reset askdrcam.com/reset CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST: Zara Kadir Instagram: @thetherapyshed CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST: Dr. Cam Caswell Website: askdrcam.com Instagram: @DrCamCaswell TikTok: @the.teen.translator YouTube: Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam Facebook: @DrCamCaswell EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Parenting Teens and Zara’s Background 02:47 Common Misconceptions About Teenagers 05:01 The Problem with Overprotecting Teens 07:02 Changing Parenting Strategies 09:39 Parenting in the Digital Age 12:18 Supporting Teen Identity and Exploration 15:24 Teen Behaviors and Parental Reactions 18:09 Teen Decision-Making 20:09 Supporting Teens Through Mistakes 22:09 Creating a Safe Space for Exploration 23:10 Balancing Freedom and Connection 25:00 The Power of Thoughtful Responses 26:19 Understanding Teen Brain Development 27:23 Teaching Respect and Empathy Online 28:09 Changing Parent-Teen Relationships 29:08 Engaging in Teen Interests 30:09 Relationship as the Foundation 31:04 Collaborative Parenting and Dialogue 32:00 Resources and Final Tips ABOUT THE SHOW The Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam Podcast is your go-to resource for navigating the challenges of raising teenagers. Hosted by Dr. Cam Caswell, an adolescent psychologist and certified parenting coach, this podcast offers practical strategies, expert advice, and real-world insights to help you build a stronger relationship with your teen. Whether you’re struggling with teenage behavior or looking to improve communication, each episode provides actionable tips to make parenting teens easier and more rewarding. #theteentranslator #drcamcaswell #parentingteenswithdrcam #TeenIndependence #TeenConnection
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  The Secret to Disciplining Teens 08.09.2026 59min

  The adolescent brain undergoes massive development until the mid-20s, particularly in the prefrontal cortex—the region governing empathy, decision-making, emotional regulation, and impulse control. However, this doesn’t mean teens can’t do these things; it means they need practice doing them while you’re still involved. Dr. Tina Payne Bryson, psychotherapist and co-author of The Whole Brain Child, reveals the biggest parenting misconception: that brain development is an excuse. It’s not. It’s a blueprint for how to parent effectively. Instead of punishment-based discipline that backfires (kids hide mistakes rather than learn from them), parents should focus on giving teens repeated, safe opportunities to practice sound decisions, repair mistakes, and build critical skills.
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  Why Your Teen Isn't Listening to You (And It's Not Because They're Defiant) 01.09.2026 39min

  Do you find yourself reacting quickly when your teen makes a mistake, talks back, or seems unprepared for adulthood? It’s easy for fear and frustration to take over, especially when you’re worried about your teen’s future. But those reactionary moments can make it harder for teens to feel understood, develop confidence, and come to you when they need help. In this episode, Dr. Cam sits down with triple board-certified psychiatrist, pediatrician, and Navy veteran **Dr. R.J. Ledet** to explore how parents can move from reacting to connecting. Together, they discuss why teens still need help learning emotional regulation, how our own childhood experiences influence the way we parent, and why modeling the behavior we expect from our teens matters more than simply demanding it. If you’re ready to communicate with your teen more effectively, reduce unnecessary conflict, and build a relationship rooted in love, respect, and understanding, this episode offers practical strategies to help you get there. **WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE** Why parenting from fear and panic can make communication with your teen more difficult How your own childhood experiences and emotional triggers may influence the way you respond to your teen Why modeling respect and emotional regulation is more powerful than simply demanding it from your teen How pausing, listening, and getting curious can strengthen connection while still maintaining clear expectations 🎧❤️ **ENJOYING THE SHOW?** Don’t keep it to yourself! Share your favorite episode and leave a rating and review to help other parents find the support they need. Your feedback helps me create even more episodes filled with practical tips for you and your family! Thanks so much for your support! 🙏💫 🔔 Remember to hit SUBSCRIBE so you never miss another solution-packed episode! 🙌 **RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE** Dr. Cam’s Free MasterClass: *The Connection Reset* September 17 askdoctorcam.com/reset **CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST:** Dr. R.J. Ledet Website: russolidea.com Instagram: @DrRussellLedet Social Media: @DrRussellLedet Organization: 15 White Coats **CONNECT WITH YOUR HOST:** Dr. Cam Caswell Website: askdrcam.com Instagram: @DrCamCaswell TikTok: @the.teen.translator YouTube: Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam Facebook: @DrCamCaswell **EPISODE CHAPTERS** 00:00 Introduction to Modern Parenting Challenges 02:10 Dr. Ledet’s Background and Approach 03:51 Common Mistakes Parents Make with Teens 06:00 The Importance of Self-Awareness in Parenting 08:06 Parenting from a Place of Stress and Responsibility 10:01 Understanding Developmental Stages of Children and Teens 12:09 The Impact of Past Parenting on Current Behavior 14:01 The Role of Modeling and Communication 16:02 The Influence of Social Media and Screens 18:12 Building Trust and Connection with Teens 19:58 Taking Responsibility and Self-Care as a Parent 22:04 The Power of Pausing and Reflection 24:00 Managing Expectations and Responsibility 26:01 Love, Respect, and Understanding in Parenting 27:59 Changing the Narrative: From Control to Connection 29:56 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways **ABOUT THE SHOW** The Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam Podcast is your go-to resource for navigating the challenges of raising teenagers. Hosted by Dr. Cam Caswell, an adolescent psychologist and certified parenting coach, this podcast offers practical parenting strategies, expert advice, and real-world insights to help you build a stronger relationship with your teen and support their emotional growth. Whether you’re struggling with teenage behavior or looking to improve communication, each episode provides actionable tips to make parenting teens easier and more rewarding. Perfect for both new and seasoned parents, this podcast helps you build the confidence to handle teen challenges and thrive together. #theteentranslator #drcamcaswell #parentingteenswithdrcam #TeenCommunication #ParentingTeens
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  The Cost of Over-Parenting Teens 18.08.2026 52min

  Most parents of struggling teens focus on the wrong things. In this episode of Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam, parenting researcher John Fogle reveals a counterintuitive truth: the behaviors parents obsess over—grades, screen time, minor disrespect—aren’t what determine your teen’s long-term success. Instead, the real drivers of teen mental health and life satisfaction are relationship, resilience, and the ability to problem-solve independently. Fogle uses a powerful historical analogy: China’s 1958 sparrow-killing campaign backfired catastrophically when it eliminated the predators of locusts, causing massive famine. Similarly, parents’ attempts to control every risk—restricting sleepovers, monitoring texts, preventing autonomy—often create the very anxiety and depression they’re trying to prevent. The solution? Shift from control to connection. Instead of interrogating grades or policing screens, parents should focus on whether their teen has strong relationships, can think critically, problem-solve, and most importantly, knows they can call home when in trouble. This is the protective factor Harvard research identifies as most critical for teens facing stress. The conversation challenges modern parenting culture’s perfectionism and fear-based narratives, offering evidence-based permission to let teens experience age-appropriate risk. When you reduce control and strengthen relationship, you build the resilience and competence that actually determines life success—not at 19, but at 35, 45, and beyond.
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  Rethinking Teen Phone Use: What Parents Need to Know 11.08.2026 42min

  Parents obsess over teen phone usage, but experts Dr. Cam and Dr. Roseann Capana Hodge reveal the real problem isn’t the device—it’s emotional dysregulation. Teens spend an average of 7.25 hours daily on phones, yet 37 states banning phones in schools misses the point entirely. The core issue: teens use phones to self-soothe and avoid uncomfortable emotions rather than developing genuine coping skills. Passive scrolling, doom-scrolling, and emotional numbing through devices create nervous system dysregulation that worsens mental health long-term—but confiscating phones doesn’t teach kids to regulate themselves.
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  How to deal with your (*&^&*) so your teens don't have to 03.08.2026 45min

  Parents struggling with defiant teens, mood swings, and communication breakdown often focus on changing their child’s behavior. But licensed therapist and attachment expert Eli Harwood reveals a counterintuitive truth: the key to transforming your teen relationship is managing your own unresolved emotional wounds first. Drawing on nearly two decades of clinical research, Harwood explains how generational trauma unconsciously repeats itself in families. When parents grew up without emotional validation, they unconsciously ask their teens to fill that void—creating an ”upside-down” parent-child relationship where children manage their parents’ emotional needs instead of focusing on their own development. This pattern leads to defensiveness, shame-based reactions, and fractured connections. But there’s hope. When parents commit to ”dealing with their shit”—processing past trauma, finding adult support systems, and developing emotional regulation—teens notice. They respond with respect, vulnerability, and genuine connection. The research-backed solution involves balancing two parenting qualities: softness (emotional understanding and validation) and sturdiness (clear boundaries and consistent growth expectations). This isn’t permissive parenting; it’s secure parenting that helps teens develop confidence and independence. Parents don’t need perfection—just 30-50% consistency in attunement creates secure attachment. The goal isn’t compliance; it’s building a relationship where teens willingly stay connected to you as their safe base, even through the messy teenage years. By addressing your own emotional needs through therapy, community support, and self-compassion, you transform not just your teen’s behavior—you break generational trauma cycles.
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  How to Rebuild Trust with Your Teen 21.07.2026 43min

  Struggling with teen defiance, shut-downs, or constant arguments? You’re not alone—and the problem might not be what you think. In this episode, Dr. Cam interviews certified parent coach and bestselling author JoAnn Crohn to reveal why well-intentioned parents accidentally push teens away while trying to help them succeed. The core issue: over-parenting driven by fear and anxiety. Parents often impose excessive rules, constant monitoring, and unsolicited advice—behaviors that erode trust rather than build it. Teens respond by withdrawing, hiding their true selves, and avoiding coming to parents for genuine guidance.
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  How to Tell If Your Teen Has Real Anxiety or Normal Nervousness 14.07.2026 37min

  If your teenager avoids challenges, shuts down under pressure, procrastinates, or melts down over small setbacks, you’re not alone. What looks like laziness or drama is often anxiety or avoidance—and the way most parents respond can actually make it worse. In this episode, Dr. Cam interviews Dana Colthart, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in OCD, anxiety, panic disorders, and eating disorders. Together, they explore how anxiety hides in plain sight and reveal the biggest parenting trap: accommodation and reassurance that strengthen your teen’s fear response.
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  Talking With Teens About Sex (Without Making It Weird) 07.07.2026 48min

  Many parents dread conversations about sex with their teenagers, but avoiding these discussions leaves teens vulnerable to misinformation from peers and pornography. In this episode, sexuality educator Amy Lang reveals how to approach sex talks as preparation rather than prevention—a crucial mindset shift that removes shame and builds trust. The core message: Your teen needs factual information about healthy relationships, consent, pleasure, and safety. Rather than warning them away from sex, help them understand what healthy sexuality looks like so they make informed decisions.
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  How to Get Teens Off Their Phones and Reignite Curiosity 30.06.2026 23min

  Struggling to compete with your teen’s screen time? You’re not alone. In this episode of Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam, award-winning children’s book author and youth motivational speaker Ty Allan Jackson reveals how to spark curiosity, rebuild connection, and help teens discover life beyond screens—without demonizing technology. The core insight: phones aren’t the enemy; they’re a mirror of our culture. Rather than pitting screens against books, relationships, and real-world experiences, successful parents use an ”and” strategy, not an ”or” approach. Jackson emphasizes that the real competition isn’t against devices—it’s about building strong relationships that make teens want to engage with their parents and the world around them.
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  Co-Parenting with a Narcissist: Expert Strategies to Protect Your Children and Your Sanity 30.06.2026 33min

  Co-parenting with a narcissistic partner presents unique challenges that go far beyond typical parenting disagreements. In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Kibby McMahon reveals evidence-based strategies for navigating this complex dynamic while prioritizing your children’s wellbeing. The core issue: narcissists operate from a ”disorder of specialness,” believing they’re inherently superior and requiring constant validation. This manifests as one-upmanship, power struggles, and a fundamental inability to collaborate—even when children’s needs are at stake. Dr. McMahon introduces Gray Rock, a proven technique where you become as boring and unresponsive as a gray rock, eliminating the narcissist’s ability to provoke reactive behavior. She emphasizes that you cannot win a competition with a narcissistic co-parent; stepping out of the ”boxing ring” entirely is the only winning move.
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  How to Support a Grieving Teen While You're Still Grieving 29.06.2026 34min

  Grief in teenagers rarely looks the way parents expect, often masquerading as typical adolescent behavior—irritability, withdrawal, and emotional volatility. In this transformative conversation with grief expert and master certified life coach Krista St. Germain, parents learn that grief extends far beyond bereavement. It encompasses the loss of a parent, friend, or pet, plus developmental losses like the transition from childhood to adolescence that parents themselves experience. The outdated five-stage grief model has given way to the dual process model, which emphasizes healthy oscillation between confronting loss and finding restoration. This framework helps parents understand that healing happens through intentional balance, not linear progression toward ”acceptance.” Critically, grief affects the entire body—not just emotions. Brain fog, hormonal changes, immune system dips, and physical fatigue are normal neurological responses as the brain relearns where loved ones fit in our lives. Parents often inadvertently shut down their teens’ grief by attempting to fix it, offering false comfort (”everything happens for a reason”), or pressuring premature processing. Instead, modeling healthy emotional expression, normalizing grief as a natural human response, and providing presence without judgment creates safety. The most powerful parental strategy: believing in your teen’s resilience. When teens sense parental doubt about their ability to survive grief, they internalize that doubt. Conversely, demonstrating faith in their capability—while sitting alongside them in pain—builds confidence to navigate life’s hardships and opens doors to post-traumatic growth.
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  How Parents Are Accidentally Damaging Their Teen's Mental Health 09.06.2026 38min

  Are today’s teens experiencing a true mental health crisis—or are parents being encouraged to label normal adolescent struggles as disorders? In this thought-provoking episode of the Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam Podcast, adolescent psychologist sits down with renowned child and adolescent psychiatrist , author of Searching for Normal, to unpack the rising diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety, depression, and autism in teens. Parents today are overwhelmed trying to determine when teenage mood swings, defiance, anxiety, and emotional outbursts are “normal” and when they signal something more serious. Dr. Timimi challenges the growing trend of pathologizing ordinary adolescent behavior and explains why over-labeling teens may actually hurt resilience, confidence, and emotional growth. If you’re worried about your teen’s mental health, struggling with constant conflict, or wondering whether therapy, medication, or diagnosis is the right next step, this episode offers a refreshing and deeply practical perspective. Learn how to support your teen without overreacting, how to identify true mental health red flags, and why strengthening your relationship with your teen may be more powerful than trying to “fix” them.
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  The Real Reason Your Teen Pushes You Away — And Why It Has Nothing to Do With You 02.06.2026 36min

  Parenting Teens Without Losing Your Mind — Or Your Relationship If parenting your teenager feels like survival mode, you’re not alone — but it doesn’t have to stay that way. In this episode of Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam, child psychologist Dr. Cam sits down with Aliyah Singh, Hannah Ticajo, and Caitlin Severin — the founders of Cultivate Teen Roots — to reframe what the teen years are really about. These credentialed educators and licensed therapist reveal why the science says the adolescent years (ages 12–18) are actually the foundation of your future adult relationship with your child — not the beginning of the end. They break down why teens push parents away (hint: it’s neuroscience, not personal), how to reconnect without pressure, and why shifting from a ”manager” to a ”consultant” role is the key to raising self-sufficient young adults. Parents will discover how to connect with a teen who seems to want nothing to do with them, why controlling behavior actually weakens trust, how social media distorts parenting expectations, and why the most powerful thing you can do as a parent is regulate your own nervous system first. Packed with practical, science-backed strategies — from reflective listening to side-by-side connection — this episode gives overwhelmed parents the tools and confidence to stop dreading these years and start genuinely enjoying who their teenager is becoming.
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  Simple Wisdom from Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans with Sheinelle Jones 21.04.2026 24min

  In this episode of Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam, I sit down with Sheinelle Jones, co-host of Today with Jenna and Sheinelle and author of Through Mom’s Eyes: Simple Wisdom From Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans, to unpack what she learned from interviewing the moms behind some of the most extraordinary humans, including Lady Gaga, Serena and Venus Williams, Steph Curry, and the Jonas Brothers.
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  Teen Secrecy: Why Your Teen Isn’t Telling You Everything (And What to Do About It) 14.04.2026 11min

  In this episode, Dr. Cam unpacks what teen secrecy actually means and why it is often less about defiance and more about development. You’ll hear why the usual parent response can backfire, what secrecy may be protecting, and how to respond in a way that keeps trust intact instead of pushing your teen further away.
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  What to Do If Your Teen Is In Crisis (Advice from a Sandy Hook Mom) 07.04.2026 27min

  When something feels off with your teen, would you know what to do? Nicole Hockley, co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise and Sandy Hook mom, shares how to recognize the warning signs of teen crisis most parents miss — and the one thing you can do right now to keep your child safe.
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  Why Consequences Stop Working with Teens (And What to Do Instead) 31.03.2026 32min

  If consequences keep leading to more pushback, shutdowns, or power struggles with your teen, this episode will show you why. Dr. Cam and Charle Peck unpack what’s really going on beneath teen defiance—and the simple shift that helps parents get better behavior without more battles.
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  Stop Punishing Your Teen’s Bad Choices What Actually Builds Better Decision-Making Skills 23.03.2026 14min

  When your teen makes a bad choice, punishment feels like the right move—but it often backfires. In this episode, discover what actually helps teens build real decision-making skills so they make better choices—even when you’re not there.
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  Teaching Your Teen to Drive: How to Help an Anxious Teen Driver Build Confidence 10.03.2026 35min

  In this episode of Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam, Dr. Cam talks with Nigel Tunnacliffe, CEO and co-founder of Coastline Academy, the largest driving school in the country, about how parents can help anxious teen drivers feel more confident and capable behind the wheel.