Ever wonder what really makes teens feel seen and valued? In this heartfelt conversation with my daughter Bre, we pull back the curtain on the everyday moments that build lasting connection between parents and teens. From playful interactions to deep discussions, we share both sides of the parent-teen relationship - what works, what doesn't, and why.

This isn't just theory - it's real insight from both a mom and daughter's perspective on how to create the kind of relationship where teens feel safe to open up and parents feel confident to lead with love.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• How to use play and humor to connect at any age
• Why affirming identity matters more than praising accomplishments
• The power of showing up and putting distractions aside
• How to enter your teen's world through music, interests, and friendships
• Why asking permission before giving advice builds trust
• Practical ways to support your teen, even when you disagree

✅ One Thing To Do This Week (Choose One):

Option 1: Notice & Affirm:

Take a moment to notice and affirm something about who your teen is, not just what they do. Look for their kindness toward a sibling, creativity in solving a problem, or perseverance in a challenge. Speak it out. Let them know you see them.

Option 2: Practice Intentional Presence:

Enter their world – Ask your teen to share a favorite song, game, or story from their day and engage with genuine curiosity. Let them feel seen.

Choose whichever option feels most natural to you - both are powerful ways to start building deeper connection today.

Bre’s Podcast Links and Interview with her pastor:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/me-myself-and-why/id1778954356

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3FiT9YvhDF1bPIwXSzABRw?si=d5jmrlLCTSard9L3r3qfDg

Interview on One On One:

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/one-on-one/id1797863869?i=1000724844022

YouTube: https://youtu.be/qfNuVRrYeIY

Related Episodes:

14 | The Power of Listening: How Young People Find Belonging When We Truly Hear Them With Greg and Kim McInturff (Part 1): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connect-with-your-teens-parenting-teens-family/id1826286296?i=1000722896181

15 | The Power of Listening: How Young People Find Belonging When We Truly Hear Them With Greg and Kim McInturff (Part 2): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/connect-with-your-teens-parenting-teens-family/id1826286296?i=1000723151231

Want more support?

✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://riseabovethesilence.com/opt-in-connect-with-your-teens-insider-newsletter

✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

Moms, when your teen pulls back, it can feel discouraging and even scary. But what if behind the silence is a longing to be known?

In this powerful conversation with my daughter Bre, now 35, you’ll hear straight from her heart about her experiences as a teen and young adult — what made it hard to talk openly with us, what shifted when we learned new communication skills, and what she wishes moms understood about holding a safe space.

In her early twenties, she spent four years in youth ministry, so she has a unique view on how teens think and what challenges they face in communicating with parents.

This episode is full of parenting teens insights that will encourage you to slow down, set aside the agenda, and use gentle conversation starters that build trust instead of shutting it down.

We talk about:

• Why teens often believe the pattern of past reactions more than the parent in front of them
• How “unexpected kindness” made a bigger impact than any correction
• The difference between talking to your child vs. connecting with a person
• The power of invitations: “I’m here to hold your story”
• Why vulnerability as a mom builds trust more than perfection ever could

💡 Questions to reflect on as you listen:

• Do you know what patterns your teen has come to expect from you?
• How do you usually respond when you see your teen holding back?
• What would it look like to lay aside an agenda and enter the conversation with openness?

✔️ Want more support?

✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://riseabovethesilence.com/opt-in-connect-with-your-teens-insider-newsletter

✨ 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.

What happens when you finally push past your biggest fear?

In this follow-up episode, I share the powerful story of what happened after I left a trembling message that changed my life—a reunion 55 years in the making.

Moms, if you’ve been waiting on the other side of silence, hoping your teen will open up, this episode will encourage you that connection is always worth the risk.

You’ll learn:

💛 How fear tells us stories that keep us stuck—and how to move past them

💛 Why connection doesn’t require perfect circumstances

💛 The simple, brave steps that can open your teen’s heart—even in messy, imperfect moments

✨ Related Episodes:

18 – E 18 The Vault: When Fear Blocks Connection With Your Teen And 4 Insights That Will Help You Break The Silence - Listen Here

Moms, do you ever walk away from a conversation with your teen feeling like they just don’t respect you? Maybe it’s the eye rolls, the sarcasm, or the silence that leaves you hurt and wondering if things will ever change.

Here’s the surprising truth: most of the time, these conflicts aren’t really about respect at all. They’re about something deeper—something that can shift the entire dynamic once you understand it.

In this episode, I’ll share a simple but powerful process I call the Listen Capture Feedback Loop—three steps that will help you foster mutual respect, rebuild connection, and open the door for your teen to actually listen in return.

If you’ve ever thought, “They don’t hear me, and I don’t know how to reach them,” this episode will give you fresh hope and practical tools to start turning things around.

✨ Related Episodes:

14 – The Power of Listening: How Young People Find Belonging When We Truly Hear Them With Greg and Kim McInturff (Part 1) → Listen here

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

✨ Resources & Links

✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://riseabovethesilence.com/opt-in-connect-with-your-teens-insider-newsletter

✨ 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. → Leave a review here

What if the deepest connection with your teen is locked behind an iron vault of fear?

In this deeply personal episode, I take you behind the scenes of my own story—55 years of silence, a hidden identity, and how fear of rejection nearly kept me from one of life’s most precious connections.

If you’ve ever:

• Felt like you’re walking on eggshells with your teen…

• Tried to connect, only to be met with silence or resistance…

• Wondered if fear—yours or theirs—is the real barrier between you…

Then this episode will give you hope. Together, we’ll uncover 4 insights about fear and connection that can help you break the silence and open the vault to your teen’s heart.

Remember—protection without connection creates distance. But with courage, honesty, and God’s help, you can move past fear into deeper relationship.

Resources & Links:

✨ Join the free FB Community: How to Connect with Your Teens and grab your free gift: 6 Conversation Starters That Open Hearts when you join.

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://riseabovethesilence.com/opt-in-connect-with-your-teens-insider-newsletter

✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💛 If this episode encouraged you, would you take60 seconds to leave a written review? Your words help other moms—who may feel alone—find the hope and encouragement they need.

💬 Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts *Scroll down to Ratings & Reviews to leave yours

Moms, have you ever caught your teen in a white lie—or felt that sinking gut feeling that they aren’t telling you the whole truth? It can feel frustrating, even scary, when honesty doesn’t come easily in your relationship.

But here’s the thing: lying is rarely just about the lie itself. Behind every dishonest moment is a story—a deeper reason that your teen might be afraid to tell the truth.

In this episode, I’ll share three powerful truths that will help you shift from control to connection so you can start building trust, even when lies show up.

You’ll discover:

✔️ Why control often creates more distance instead of more honesty

✔️ The hidden fears and struggles behind your teen’s lies

✔️ How your response to small truths can shape future honesty

What if honesty in your home became less about fear of consequences and more about safety, curiosity, and grace? That’s the shift we’ll walk through together today.

Important Note: If lying feels chronic or the situations are more serious, seek God’s guidance and consider connecting with a licensed counselor, especially if mental health concerns may be involved. You don’t have to navigate this alone.

Scriptural Reminder:

“Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and healing to the bones.” – Proverbs 16:24

💛 Moms, you don’t have to parent perfectly to connect deeply.

Resources & Next Steps:

✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://riseabovethesilence.com/opt-in-connect-with-your-teens-insider-newsletter

✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💛 If this episode encouraged you, would you take60 seconds to leave a written review? Your words help other moms—who may feel alone—find the hope and encouragement they need.

💬 Leave a Review: Apple Podcasts

***Scroll down to Ratings & Reviews to leave yours

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.

✔️ Want more support?

✨ Join the FB Community: www.facebook.com/groups/connectwithyourteens/

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://riseabovethesilence.com/opt-in-connect-with-your-teens-insider-newsletter

✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💛 Leave a Review

💬 If this episode inspired or encouraged you to listen more, would you leave a written review? Your words help other moms find this podcast and the support they’ve been praying for. → Review Here

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/

✨ Become a Connect With Your Teens Insider: https://riseabovethesilence.com/opt-in-connect-with-your-teens-insider-newsletter

✨ Instagram: instagram.com/terricommunicationcoach

✨ Contact: support@connectwithyourteens.com

💛 Leaving us 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. → Review Here