Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens Into Adulthood

The recent case out of Cornell has brought up some really hard conversations for parents of teens and college students.Dr. Ken and Cynthia talk about whether parents should bring cases like this up with their kids, how much detail is appropriate, and how to talk about alcohol, consent, and safety without turning it into a giant lecture.They also get into the importance of teaching our kids to step in when something isn’t right—even if it means calling an adult, upsetting a friend, or being the unpopular one in the room.It’s a heavy topic, but also one that opens the door to some necessary conversations. If you have a minute, please leave us a review. We love hearing listeners encouraging other listeners. You can order Dr. Ken's book "Feeding The Mouth That Bites You" hereYou can order Cynthia's book "Life Is Messy, God Is Good" hereYou can pre-order Cynthia's book "How'd I Miss That" here Got questions or feedback? We want to hear from you! [email protected] Music provided by the great John David Kent - https://www.johndavidkent.com/Our Sponsors:* Check out Amazing Generation: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com* Check out Quince and use my code FEEDING for a great deal: https://www.quince.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Are you walking on eggshells around your teen? Lecturing when you meant to have a conversation? Reminding them of everything because you’re afraid they’ll drop the ball—or getting pulled too far into problems they need to learn to handle themselves? You’re not alone. Parenting teenagers has a funny way of bringing out communication habits we swore we’d never have.This week, Dr. Ken and Cynthia unpack four common communication pitfalls: the Path of Least Resistance Parent, the Parent Struggling to Stay in Their Lane, the TED Talk Parent, and the Reminder Machine.If communication with your teen feels tense, exhausting, or just plain ineffective, this episode will help you recognize what may be getting in the way—and hopefully laugh a little at yourself along the way.If you have a minute, please leave us a review. We love hearing listeners encouraging other listeners. You can order Dr. Ken's book "Feeding The Mouth That Bites You" hereYou can order Cynthia's book "Life Is Messy, God Is Good" hereYou can pre-order Cynthia's book "How'd I Miss That" here Got questions or feedback? We want to hear from you! [email protected] Music provided by the great John David Kent - https://www.johndavidkent.com/Our Sponsors:* Check out Amazing Generation: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com* Check out Quince and use my code FEEDING for a great deal: https://www.quince.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

How much should parents actually expect from their teenagers?Good grades. A clean room. Trying hard in sports. Going to church. Being grateful. Making good choices. And preferably doing all of it with a great attitude. 😂This week, Dr. Ken Wilgus and Cynthia Yanof are talking about unrealistic expectations—and whether giving teens more independence means parents are somehow lowering the bar.Spoiler alert: Dr. Ken says parents aren’t necessarily lowering the bar. They’re handing the bar over to their teen.They cover grades, sports and activities, church and faith, and even gratitude—along with why constantly managing kids toward success can sometimes backfire when those kids eventually leave home and have to manage life for themselves.And yes, somewhere in there Cynthia tells the story of discovering ants in her child’s bed thanks to an entire summer’s worth of secret snacks. So clearly, they are not advocating for zero expectations. And stay tuned—there are plenty more expectations to tackle, next week on Part 2 they will cover things like money, laundry, friends and dating, honesty, clothes, tattoos, piercings, and more.If you have a minute, please leave us a review. We love hearing listeners encouraging other listeners. You can order Dr. Ken's book "Feeding The Mouth That Bites You" hereYou can order Cynthia's book "Life Is Messy, God Is Good" hereYou can pre-order Cynthia's book "How'd I Miss That" here Got questions or feedback? We want to hear from you! [email protected] Music provided by the great John David Kent - https://www.johndavidkent.com/Our Sponsors:* Check out Amazing Generation: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com* Check out Quince and use my code FEEDING for a great deal: https://www.quince.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy