Have you ever looked at your child and thought, “I love you, but I don’t like you very much right now”, and then immediately felt guilty for even thinking it?

It’s one of those thoughts parents rarely say out loud. But when you’re raising a struggling teen, there may be times when everything you’ve been carrying becomes incredibly heavy.

In this episode of Empower My Teen, I talk openly about the complicated emotions that can come with parenting a teen who is struggling.

Maybe it’s another phone call from school. Another broken promise. Or maybe it’s just one more hard day after months of hard days.

And somewhere in the middle of all of it, you find yourself thinking:

“I just don’t like you right now.”

Then the guilt shows up.

Almost immediately.

But having that thought doesn’t mean you’ve stopped loving your child, and it doesn’t make you a bad parent.

We talk about the guilt and shame that can follow these feelings and why parents often have such a difficult time believing that two things can be true at the same time:

You can love your teen with your whole heart and still have moments when you don’t like them very much.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why these feelings can surface after carrying so much for so long
• The guilt and shame that can follow thoughts parents are afraid to admit
• Why loving your child and liking them in a difficult season are not the same thing
• Why these feelings don’t erase the love that has always been there
• How two seemingly conflicting feelings can exist at the same time

If you’ve quietly carried these feelings and wondered what they say about you as a parent, this conversation is for you

Sometimes parenting a struggling teen brings thoughts and feelings we never imagined we would have.

Talking about them doesn’t make the love any less real.

Need Support?

If your teen is struggling and you’re unsure what to do next, schedule a complimentary consultation with me and talk about your family’s situation.

Connect with Mary Warren at https://empowermyteen.com

Have you ever looked at your child and thought, “I love you, but I don’t like you very much right now”, and then immediately felt guilty for even thinking it?

It’s one of those thoughts we don’t usually admit. Not to our friends. Not to our family. Sometimes, not even to ourselves.

But if you’re raising a struggling teen, you know how heavy life can become.

Your mind is almost always on your child. You’re thinking about them while you’re working, having dinner with your family, or lying in bed at night hoping tomorrow will be just a little bit different.

Then something else happens.

Another phone call from school. Another broken promise. Another difficult moment, or simply one more hard day after months of hard days.

And suddenly you find yourself thinking:

“I just don’t like you right now.”

Then the guilt arrives.

In this episode of Empower My Teen, I want to talk openly about that guilt and the shame that can follow it.

Because I don’t believe having these thoughts means you’ve stopped loving your child.

In fact, I think the shame often shows up because you care so deeply.

I believe you can love your teen with every part of your heart and still have moments when you don’t like who they are in that moment. Those two feelings can exist at the same time, and having them doesn’t make you a bad parent.

In this episode, I’ll talk about:

• Why difficult thoughts can surface when parenting becomes overwhelming
• The guilt and shame we can experience when we feel frustrated with our children
• The difference between loving your teen and liking their behavior in a difficult moment
• Why having these feelings does not mean you’ve failed as a parent
• Giving yourself grace during some of the hardest seasons of parenting
• Why one difficult thought cannot erase years of loving and caring for your child

If you’ve been quietly carrying these feelings and wondering what they say about you as a parent, I hope you’ll listen.

I want you to hear this:

One guilty thought doesn’t get to define years of loving your child.

Give yourself a little grace. Hang in there. Keep breathing.

And remember, you are not alone.

Need Support?

If your teen is struggling and you’re unsure what to do next, I invite you to visit EmpowerMyTeen.com and schedule a complimentary consultation so we can talk about your situation and explore possible options for your teen and family.

Support. Connection. Encouragement. Hope.

You are not alone.

Connect with Mary Warren at https://empowermyteen.com

Is everything supposed to change when your child turns 18?

In this episode of Empower My Teen, we explore the pressure and fear that often surrounds this milestone, for both parents and teens. Society tells us that 18 is the moment everything clicks… but for many families, it doesn’t feel that way at all.

If anything, it can feel heavier.

We talk about the quiet anxiety parents carry as the clock seems to tick faster, the grief of unmet expectations, and the reality that emotional growth doesn’t follow a calendar. For teens, the pressure to suddenly “be an adult” can feel overwhelming, and that fear often shows up as anger, shutdown, or pushing parents away.

This episode offers a grounded, compassionate perspective on what turning 18 really means. You’ll learn why structure still matters, how to balance boundaries with connection, and why this stage is less about letting go, and more about recalibrating your role as a parent.

Because adulthood isn’t created overnight… it’s built over time.

There is no deadline for growth, only a path, and you’re still on it.

Connect with Mary Warren at https://empowermyteen.com