Talking To Teens: Expert Tips for Parenting Teenagers
Kids & Family
Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episode
For parents, technology can be quite the headache. We want kids to stay connected to the world, but is their iphone distracting them from school? Is all the time spent on social media making them depressed or anxious? Should we be limiting their screen time, blocking websites or supervising them while they’re scrolling through Tik Tok? At this point, it’s tempting to just throw their phones in the trash and forbid them from going on the computer at all!
But if we try to set rules or even just tell them to put the phone down, they’re suddenly slamming the door in our faces or rolling their eyes. Even when we have the best intentions, trying to monitor teen’s tech use can turn into a cycle of nagging and arguing. If we’re going to escape all the bickering, we’ve got to convince teens to make the change for themselves, instead of trying to force them to budge.
Our guest this week is not only an expert on how screens are affecting budding minds, but also has some seriously smart tips for talking to teens about it all. Alex J. Packer spent 14 years as President and CEO of FCD Educational Services, the leading nonprofit providing drug education and substance abuse prevention services for schools across the world. His new book, Slaying Digital Dragons: Tips and Tools for Protecting Your Body, Brain, Psyche, and Thumbs from the Digital Dark Side, touches on a new kind of addiction–the compulsive use of screens in our society, particularly amongst young adults.
In our interview, we’re diving deep into the harmful effects of tech on teens, and getting into how to help kids cleanse themselves of toxic tech habits.
Click for full show notes, exercises, and parenting scripts from this episode
Ep 293: Breaking the Stigma of Mental Illness
Ep 292: Why Your Teenager Drives You Crazy
Ep 291: Parenting a "Problem Child"
Ep 290: How to Be an Ally to Your LGBTQ Child
Ep 289: The Art of Detecting Teen B.S.
Ep 288: The Balance of Power in Parent-Teen Relationships
Ep 287: The Science of Raising a Genius
Ep 286: Embracing Self-Compassion in Parenting
Ep 285: Breaking the Cycle of Teen Drama
Ep 284: Understanding Your Tween: The Journey of Growth
Ep 283: Soothe Anxiety with...Food?
Ep 282: The Opportunity Gap - How Schools Perpetuate Inequity
Ep 281: Empowering Teen Girls
Ep 280: The Surprising Power of Hanging Out
Ep 279: "What Were You Thinking?" - Inside the Teenage Brain
Ep 278: The New Faces of Teen Addiction
Ep 277: Understanding Our Kids' Online World
Ep 276: Your Teen's Bullsh*t Brain
Ep. 275: Empowering Teens to Stay Alcohol-Free
Ep 274: Escaping the Villain Role
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