When your teen pushes back, shuts down, or explodes, it’s easy to feel like your only options are to come down hard or back off completely.

You try setting limits, and it creates more conflict.
You try being understanding, and it feels like you’re being walked on.

When your teen is emotional, overwhelmed, or acting out, it can feel like you're walking on eggshells or stuck in the same frustrating conversations over and over again.

You want to help. You want to understand. But what starts as a check-in often turns into a vent session that leaves you both feeling worse.

When your teen comes to you with a problem—whether it's a bad grade, friend drama, or a missed opportunity—your instinct might be to help by offering a solution.

The transition to college isn’t just a milestone for teens—it’s a major shift for parents too. Whether you’re sending your first child off to school or preparing for a quieter house as your last teen launches, it can feel like there’s no roadmap for what this next chapter looks like.

If you’re parenting a teen, chances are you’ve had moments where you questioned everything.

You snapped during a stressful moment. You brushed off something that clearly mattered to your teen. You said the “wrong” thing, even though your intentions were good.

Have you ever watched your teen go from zero to sixty emotionally over something that seemed, at first, like no big deal?

For many adolescents, social situations can trigger intense anxiety. Some experience racing thoughts, struggle to keep them internal, and begin to verbalize every worry aloud. In some cases, these internal storms become so overwhelming that teens turn to self-harm as a way to release emotional pain. While alarming for caregivers and professionals alike, these behaviors are often signals—clear indicators that the teen’s nervous system is overstimulated and struggling to regulate.

You’re sitting across from your teen. They’re angry. Maybe they’ve slammed a door. Maybe they’re crying and telling you they feel alone. Or maybe they’ve gone quiet and withdrawn, refusing to say what’s wrong.