You’ve had the conversation. You’ve prayed. You’ve researched. You’ve tried to help. And still, your mind keeps coming back to: What else can I do? What am I missing?

When you see your teen struggling, making choices that concern you, pulling away from their faith, or heading in a direction you desperately wish you could change, it’s hard not to feel responsible for making things better. And without realizing it, loving and supporting them can start turning into trying to control an outcome you simply can’t control.

In this episode, I’m sharing something God has been showing me in my own life about the difference between being responsible TO someone and responsible FOR their outcome—and how that distinction can change the way you parent and communicate with your teen.

You’ll learn:

• How concern for your teen can turn into control without you realizing it
• The question that can help you recognize what’s actually yours to do—and what isn’t
• What Proverbs 3:5 taught me about where I’m putting the weight of someone else’s future
• How trusting God can help you communicate with your teen without every conversation becoming about the thing you’re worried about

Trusting God with your teen doesn’t mean passive parenting. You still guide, set boundaries, seek wisdom, get help when it’s needed, and keep showing up. But you don’t have to believe that if you just say the right thing, find the right solution, or parent perfectly enough, you can guarantee the outcome. You can do what God has given you to do and trust Him with what you cannot control.

💛Want to know what you can begin doing differently to build more connection and trust with your teen?

Join me for my FREE live workshop, The Roadmap to a More Peaceful, Connected & Trusting Relationship With Your Teen.

👉Save your seat here: connectwithyourteens.com/workshop

I pray this episode blesses you and your family.

~Terri

✨ Visit connectwithyourteens.com for free resources, practical support, and more ways to build connection and trust with your teen.

✨ Support the Podcast

If Connect With Your Teens has been helpful to you, you can now support the podcast through Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps with the costs of producing the show and reaching more moms with practical help and hope for their families. Thank you for being part of this work!

👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/connectwithyourteens

✨ Want to work 1:1 with me?

Book a 1-hour Communication Coaching Call. Together, we’ll identify what’s getting in the way of connection with your teen, uncover practical next steps, and create a clear plan so you can stop feeling stuck and start rebuilding trust and connection.

👉Learn More: ConnectWithYourTeens.com/communication-coaching

💌Want weekly encouragement straight to your in box?

Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider for weekly parenting tips, encouragement, and support straight to your inbox Weekly Insider Newsletter

Related Episodes:

5 - From “It’s Too Late To Fix This” To Having Real Conversations With Your Teen

36 - The #1 Sign You’re a Great Mom (It’s Not What You Think)

65 - 3 Lies That Sabotage Communication With Your Teen (Part 1 of 3)

You’ve spent years guiding your kids, so of course you want to share what you’ve learned when you see your teen struggling. But one of the challenges of parenting teens is realizing that as our kids grow, the way we guide them has to grow too.

Sometimes giving more advice—even really good advice—can make communication with teens harder instead of easier. And if distance or shutdown has already begun, learning a different way to guide can become an important part of rebuilding connection and learning how to build trust with your teen.

In this episode, I’m sharing four practical communication skills that can help you move from automatically giving advice to becoming someone your teen increasingly wants to come to for perspective.

You'll learn:

• The surprising reason good advice isn’t always received as helpful
• Four simple teen communication skills that help your teen think without leaving you on the sidelines
• One question you can start using right away to invite your teen to hear your perspective

We don’t have to force every lesson or control every outcome. We can grow in wisdom about when to listen, when to speak, and when to trust that God is working in our teens, too.

I pray this episode blesses you and your family.

~Terri

✨Ready to build more peaceful conversations, stronger connection, and lasting trust with your teen?

Join me for my FREE Connect With Your Teens Workshop on September 15th or September 22nd. Choose the time that works best for you and save your spot at

👉ConnectWithYourTeens.com/workshop.

✨ Support the Podcast

If Connect With Your Teens has been helpful to you, you can now support the podcast through Buy Me a Coffee. Your support helps with the costs of producing the show and reaching more moms with practical help and hope for their families. Thank you for being part of this work!

👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/connectwithyourteens

💬 Not sure how to get your teen talking?

Download Quick-Start Connected Convos for simple ways to take some of the pressure out of conversations and create more opportunities for connection.

👉 Download Quick-Start Connected Convos

🤍Looking for a safe, faith-based community of moms who get it?

Come join us inside the How To Connect With Your Teens Facebook group—we’re waiting to welcome you.

👉Connect With Your Teens Facebook Group

💌Want weekly encouragement straight to your in box?

Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider for weekly parenting tips, encouragement, and support straight to your inbox Weekly Insider Newsletter

Related Episodes:

64 - Stop Arguing With Your Teen: Let Them Have Their Perspective

77 - Why Your Teen Doesn’t Need to Change First to Build Connection

88 - The 4-Step Conversation That Helps Your Teen Feel Heard

Do you ever feel like you’d have a better relationship with your teen if you just had more time? Between work, school, sports, appointments, responsibilities, and everything else competing for your attention, it can feel almost impossible to create the kind of meaningful connection you want with your teen. But what if more time isn’t actually what you need?

In this episode, I’m talking with Sarah Colbert, host of Balanced Mom Life and mom of three teens, about how busy moms can build connection in the small moments they already have—without adding one more thing to their overflowing schedules.

You’ll discover:

• Why more time may not be the answer to building a stronger relationship with your teen
• The mistake well-meaning moms can make that unintentionally creates more distance
• How small, consistent moments can build connection—even when your teen doesn’t respond the way you hoped
• Why taking care of yourself can help you become more emotionally available and present with your family

And I love Sarah’s reminder that we don’t have to get every interaction right. We can continue showing up, planting seeds, and trusting God with what He’s doing in our teens and in our relationships—even when we can’t see the results yet. Listen in, and then share this episode with another busy mom who could use the reminder that building connection doesn’t require finding more hours in her day.

I pray this episode blesses you and your family.

~Terri

Connect with Sarah Colbert:

Download Sarah’s free Time Audit to get an honest, judgment-free look at where your time is actually going. This simple, fillable worksheet will help you identify where you can create space for what matters most — including finding your way back to you.

👉Go to https://westmetromom.com/resources

Podcast - Balanced Mom Life

✨Want some practical help creating more connection and less tension with your teen?

🎉 My next Free Connect With Your Teen Workshop is September 15th! Details are coming soon. We’ll talk about practical, Christ-centered ways to communicate with more confidence, restore connection, and build lasting trust with your teen. Details are coming soon, and I can’t wait to see you there!

💌 Want to be the first to know when registration opens?

Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider for workshop updates, weekly encouragement, and practical communication tips delivered to your inbox.

👉Join here: Weekly Insider Newsletter

✨Check out my new website and learn more about how you can build trust and connection with your kids. connectwithyourteens.com

🤍Looking for a safe, faith-based community of moms who get it?

Come join us inside the How To Connect With Your Teens Facebook group—we’re waiting to welcome you: Connect With Your Teens Facebook Group

✨Follow or DM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach

✨Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com