In this episode of Name What Works, Ashley Radzat talks with Dr. Cameron Caswell about parenting teenagers with more understanding, less fear, and a stronger focus on connection.

Dr. Cam explains that teenagers often get labeled as disrespectful, lazy, unmotivated, or difficult when parents are only seeing the behavior and not understanding what is happening underneath it. She encourages parents to stop treating their teen like a problem to fix and instead get curious about what their child is trying to communicate.

A major theme of the conversation is learning to let go. Ashley and Dr. Cam discuss how parents often feel pressure to protect their teens from mistakes, but stepping in too much can prevent teenagers from building responsibility, confidence, and independence.

They also talk about creating a relationship where teens feel safe being honest. Dr. Cam shares her “I see you, I get you, I got you” approach, which helps parents communicate understanding, validation, and unconditional support.

The conversation also explores boundaries, respect, emotional regulation, and the shift from managing a child to guiding a growing adult. The goal is not to control every decision, but to build a relationship your teen wants to return to. In this episode:

• Why teens are often misunderstood
• Why parents should stop trying to “fix” their child
• How letting go helps teens step up
• Why connection matters more than control
• The “I see you, I get you, I got you” approach
• How to separate behavior from character
• Why respect has to go both ways
• How parents can become a trusted first call
• Why mistakes are part of becoming independent

This episode is a reminder that raising teens is less about controlling behavior and more about building trust, understanding, and a relationship strong enough to grow with them.

In this episode of Name What Works, Ashley Radzat talks with her longtime friend Tobi Becerra about the reality of being in the sandwich generation: raising a teenager while also caring for aging parents.

Tobi shares how her life changed when her parents lost expected income and her mom’s medical needs increased. Instead of her parents being the active support system she imagined, Tobi now finds herself helping manage their lives while also being a wife, mother, and professional.

Ashley and Tobi talk about the identity shift that happens when someone who chose to parent one child suddenly feels like they are “mothering” their parents too. Tobi explains that the different roles can bleed together, making it impossible to be her best self everywhere at once.

A major theme is honest communication. Tobi explains that her family does not hide the hard moments. Instead, they talk about misplaced anger, emotional overload, and what everyone needs. Ashley connects this to the importance of helping kids fill in the story instead of leaving them to guess.

The conversation also explores self-care, boundaries, and taking life one step at a time. Tobi shares that she tries to protect her energy through exercise, sleep, good food, a calming space, and permission to shut down when she needs to.

In this episode:

● What it means to be in the sandwich generation

● How caregiving changes your identity

● Why parents do not have to be perfect

● How honest conversations create safety

● Why kids need context, not secrecy

● How to respond instead of just react

● Why self-care is not a deficiency

● How to take one bite at a time

This episode is a reminder that family life does not require perfection. It requires honesty, compassion, boundaries, and the willingness to keep showing up, even when life feels messy.

What happens when you are raising children in different stages of life and realize the same parenting approach does not work for everyone?

In this episode of Name What Works, Ashley talks with Gloria Lewis, parent educator, speaker, author, and founder of the Forever Parenting Project.

Gloria shares her experience raising three sons with six and seven year age gaps between them. At first, she thought parenting was simply getting harder with each child. Over time, she realized the age gap was creating different needs, different stages, and different responses from

her as a parent.

The biggest turning point came when her oldest son became a teenager and started pointing out that she was parenting his younger brothers differently. Gloria admits that at first, she reacted instead of responding. She took it personally, felt challenged, and moved into control.

But that moment eventually helped her see that she needed to grow, learn, and shift the way she parented.

Ashley and Gloria talk about parenting styles, yelling, being triggered, listening, birth order, developmental stages, and the humility it takes to admit to your children that you are changing.

Gloria reminds parents that raising teenagers is not just about helping them grow. It also grows the parent. When parents become more aware of themselves, their child’s stage, and the family dynamic, they can respond with more intention and less stress.

In this episode:

● What changes when children have a significant age gap

● Why the same parenting style may not work for every child

● How teens notice differences in parenting

● Why parents react when they feel challenged

● The difference between reacting and responding

● How Gloria moved away from yelling

● Why parenting teens requires self-awareness

● Why developmental stages and birth order matter

● How parents can pause before reacting

● Why safe communication is one of the biggest things that works

If you are parenting children in different stages, this episode is a reminder that you do not have to get it perfect. You can learn, adjust, apologize, grow, and create a home where your child feels safe enough to communicate with you.