Connect With Your Teens | Conversation Starters, Parenting Tips, Screen Time, Build Connection, Communication Skills

15 | The Power of Listening: How Young People Find Belonging When We Truly Hear Them With Greg and Kim McInturff (Part 2)

What began as a small group in Greg and Kim’s living room grew into a safe haven where young people could wrestle with their faith and discover God’s truth through the power of being heard. In this episode, we continue the conversation and go even deeper into what makes listening transformational.
🎧 In Part 2, you’ll hear:
Why listening is the key to unlocking hearts closed off by doubt, fear, or past hurt.
How to hold space for conversations you don’t have answers to.
Practical lessons from Greg and Kim that moms can apply right at home.
👉 Their journey is a beautiful reminder: when we listen with the Spirit’s guidance, we don’t have to fix—we simply create a place where God can speak and heal.
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14 | The Power of Listening: How Young People Find Belonging When We Truly Hear Them With Greg and Kim McInturff (Part 1)

What happens when two parents step into the unknown and simply offer listening ears to young people who feel disconnected, lost, or unsure of their faith? In this episode, my good friends, Greg and Kim McInturff, share how a simple invitation turned into five+ years of transformational community for young adults—where their questions were welcomed, doubts were voiced, and hearts were healed.
🎧 In Part 1, you’ll hear:
How their college group unexpectedly started.
A powerful story of a skeptical student who discovered truth simply by being heard.
What it looks like to listen without fear, even when you disagree.
👉 The beauty of their story? It’s not just for group settings—it’s encouragement for every mom, reminding us that the gift of listening creates connection and opens the door for God to move in our homes.
✔️ Want more support?
✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/
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✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com
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13 | The Secret to Effortless Connection With Your Teen (And How to Break the Hidden Barrier)

If criticism from your teen—or even from someone you deeply love—shakes your confidence, this episode is for you. You don’t need thicker skin or a perfect track record to have peace in conflict. Instead, I’m sharing a life-changing truth from God’s Word that will anchor your heart no matter what’s said… and when you live from this truth, connection with the people you love becomes effortless.
What if the secret to effortless connection with your teen had nothing to do with what you said to them… and everything to do with what you believed about yourself? In this episode, you’ll discover the truth that will free you from self-criticism and make peace possible—even in conflict.
One Thing You Can Practice This Week To Live Loved:
💛 Use this simple “Identity Anchor” practice to start your day - Read Psalm 139:1-6 and insert your name to lock in how you are created and loved. 
💛Living loved changes the way you communicate and handle criticism
💛Join us in our private Facebook group where in community, there’s grace, compassion, and wisdom waiting for you. Links are below.Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:
✔️ Want more support?
✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/
✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://connectwithyourteens.com/insider-newsletter-connect-with-your-teens
✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach
✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com
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💬 If this episode encouraged or inspired you to go deeper into anchoring in Christ, would you leave a written review? Your words help other moms find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. → Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

12 | Back to School Parent Guide: Turn Stressful Teen Conversations Into Trust-Building Moments

Are mornings already turning into a race against the clock?
Do your questions about your teen’s new friends shut the conversation down?
Have homework talks already blown up into arguments?
Back-to-school can be one of the most challenging times for moms and teens—but it can also be a fresh start. If some of your conversations about routines, friendships, or time management haven’t gone well, there’s good news: there’s grace for a do-over.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to:
1- Shift from “referee” to “coach” so your teen actually wants to talk with you.
2- Approach 3 common back-to-school conversations—morning routines, friendships, and time management—in a way that builds trust instead of tension.
3- Reset after a rough conversation so your teen knows you’re for them, not against them.
You’ll walk away with practical phrases you can start using today—and a fresh perspective that will help you parent from connection, not control.
One thing to try this week: Pick one upcoming conversation with your teen and prepare by:
Anchoring in God’s truth and asking Him to set your intention for connection.
Choosing a question that invites your teen’s perspective.
Listening without interrupting or rushing to fix.
When you approach your teen like a coach instead of a critic, you open the door for trust, openness, and deeper relationship—not just this school year, but for years to come.
✨ Episode Resources
✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/
✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://connectwithyourteens.com/insider-newsletter-connect-with-your-teens
✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach
✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com
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💬 If this episode encouraged you or gave you hope for your relationship, would you leave a written review? Your words help other moms find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. → Apple Podcasts Review Link

11 | Feel Dismissed When Your Teen is on the Phone? Try This 3-Step Connection Strategy

Moms, ever feel invisible when your teen’s on their phone?
You ask a question and get a grunt, a hand wave, or maybe nothing at all. It’s easy to feel hurt—or frustrated—when your teen acts like their screen matters more than you.
But there’s a better way.
In this episode, I’m giving you a simple 3-step connection strategy to use in the moment—one that invites your teen to respond without creating conflict. You’ll walk away with practical steps and a Spirit-led mindset shift to help you move from reacting to reconnecting.
👉 What if technology didn’t have to be the enemy?
👉 What if your tone, timing, and posture could change everything?
👉 What if you stopped pushing and started building the kind of connection they want to respond to?
Let’s trade control for connection, and start shaping how your teen shows up in the relationship—without a fight.
✨ Episode Resources
✨ Get the free resource Demolishing Strongholds in Your Thinking when you join our FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/
✔️ Want more support?
✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://connectwithyourteens.com/insider-newsletter-connect-with-your-teens
✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach
✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com
💛 Leave a Review
If this episode encouraged you or gave you hope for your relationship, would you take 60 seconds to leave a review? Your words help other moms find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connect-with-your-teens-parenting-teens-family/id1826286296

10 | When Your Teen Pulls Away: How to Rebuild Connection Through Invitation, Not Control

Your teen pulls away. Conversation slows. Silence settles in. What now?
In this episode, I share the continuation of my personal story with my daughter Bre—how I missed the signs of emotional disconnection during her early teen years and stayed in “support mode” by doing when she needed something deeper: emotional presence.
You’ll hear the story of the kitchen table moment that exposed just how disconnected we’d become—and what God began to show me about myself.
This wasn’t about fixing my daughter. This was about me shifting from performance-driven parenting to Spirit-led connection—anchored in my identity as God’s daughter.
You’ll leave this episode with:
An honest look at what causes “good” kids to emotionally withdraw
The turning point that shifted everything in my relationship with Bre
A simple but powerful phrase you can begin using today to rebuild trust
If your teen has emotionally checked out, or if you’re afraid it’s too late to reconnect—this episode will give you both hope and a place to start.
✔️ Want more support?
✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/
✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider:https://connectwithyourteens.com/insider-newsletter-connect-with-your-teens
✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach
✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com
💛 Leave a Review
💬 If this episode encouraged or gave you hope for your relationships, would you leave a written review? Your words help other moms find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connect-with-your-teens-parenting-teens-family/id1826286296

9 | I Did Everything For Her…So Why Weren’t We Close?

Have you ever looked around your home—your schedule, your sacrifices—and wondered: Why don’t we feel close?
Why does it still feel distant, despite everything I’ve done “right”?
In this heartfelt episode, Terri Lee shares a powerful and deeply personal story about her oldest daughter, Bre—and the quiet unraveling that can happen when we spend years doing for our kids, but not truly being with them.
From tantrums she didn’t know how to handle, to a homemade coupon book left unused, this episode walks you through the slow realization that presence and emotional availability—not productivity—are what truly build connection.
You’ll walk away with:
The surprising truth about what your teen’s “disrespect” or withdrawal might really be saying
The difference between parenting with love and parenting from connection
The moment that changed Terri’s relationship with her daughter forever
A journaling prompt and reflection practice you can try this week
If you’ve ever whispered, “I gave her everything… so why doesn’t she come to me?”—this episode is for you.
✔️ Reflection Homework:
This week, pause in one moment where you’re tempted to manage, fix, or correct—and choose connection instead.
✨ Ask: What would it look like to show up WITH my child instead of just FOR them?
🖊 Journaling Prompt:
“What distortion of connection am I ready to surrender, so I can begin showing up with my child instead of just for them?”
💛 Want more support?
You don’t have to figure this out alone—come be part of a community of moms walking this road together.
✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/
✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider:  https://connectwithyourteens.com/insider-newsletter-connect-with-your-teens
✨ Follow on Instagram: @terricommunicationcoach
✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com
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Your words help more moms find the connection they’ve been craving.
📝 Leave a review here

8 | 3 Communication Patterns That Push Your Teen Away (Instead of Creating Connection)

If you’ve noticed your teen shutting down more and more during conversations, and every interaction feels like an uphill battle, this episode is for you.
We’re diving into 3 communication patterns that often come from love—but unknowingly push your teen further away. More importantly, I’ll show you how to shift those habits into connection points that help rebuild trust and invite real conversation again.
You’ll learn:
Why trying to fix things too quickly can undermine your teen’s confidence
How questions meant to “check in” can feel like interrogation
The hidden cost of frequent correction—and what to say instead
A simple mindset shift that helps you become a safe place again
❤️ Your teen doesn’t need you to be perfect—they need you to stay present and anchored.
✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://connectwithyourteens.com/insider-newsletter-connect-with-your-teens✨ Instagram instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

7 | Breaking the Blame Cycle: How to Move Toward Connection Without Waiting for Them to Change

Ever feel stuck in a cycle where both of you keep blaming, defending, and waiting for the other person to go first? In this short episode, we talk about what it looks like to step off the merry-go-round of conflict—not because you’re wrong, but because you’re ready.
I share a story of a mom who chose connection over correction in her marriage—and how that shift led to a completely different kind of conversation. When you know who you are in Christ, you don’t have to keep fighting to be heard. You can choose peace—even when it’s hard—and trust God with the rest.
✔️ Thought reversal for today:
“I don’t need them to agree for me to walk in peace.”
“I don’t need to be right to bring God’s presence into the room.”
“I can go first—and trust God with the rest.”
God's got you and you've got this! 
I hope this blesses you!
If this encouraged you you can help more moms find the support they've been praying for by leaving a review! 💛
Want to stay connected?
✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://connectwithyourteens.com/insider-newsletter-connect-with-your-teens✨ Instagram instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

6 | Flying Off The Handle With Everything Your Teen Says? How To Stay Grounded In Christ

Ever feel like you’re starting calm but ending up frustrated or completely shut down when talking with your teen? Like you’re getting tossed around by their moods, words, or silence?
In this episode, I walk you through the power of anchoring in Christ—and how it changes not only the way you parent, but how you connect, communicate, and stay grounded when the emotional waves start crashing.
You’ll learn:
✔️ Why anchoring matters for your spiritual and relational life
✔️ What anchoring in Christ actually looks like
✔️ The 3 “Be’s” of Anchoring—simple truths that help you parent from identity, not insecurity
If you’ve ever thought, “I just need something to hold me steady,” this episode is for you.
Because before we can offer a safe place to connect, we have to become that safe place—anchored in who God says we are.
Try Anchoring with the 3 Be's:
✔️ Set a 5-minute timer and be still with God this week.
✔️ Choose one of the 3 Be’s (Be Still, Be Present, Be True You) to focus on.
💬 Want extra support? Join the free How To Connect With Your Teens Facebook Community where I just dropped a Spotify playlist to help you anchor in Christ through worship.
✨ Join here: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/
📥 Want weekly encouragement and tools? Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://connectwithyourteens.com/insider-newsletter-connect-with-your-teens
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✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com