Is your son glued to his screen and telling you, “you just don’t get it”? But as a parent nowadays, you are navigating a world that looks very different from the one you grew up in. Video games double as social spaces. Screens shape friendships and status. And many teen boys are quietly struggling with anxiety, uncertainty about the future, and pressure they don’t always know how to talk about.

So how do you stay connected to your son when it feels like you’re speaking completely different languages?

In this episode, I sit down with licensed professional counselor Jarrod Hoffman, who specializes in working with teen boys. Jarrod shares what he sees every day in his counseling practice, from the hidden pressures boys face online to the misunderstandings that often happen between parents and sons.

Together, we explore why many boys say their parents “just don’t get it,” how video games and online spaces shape teen friendships today, and why anxiety is showing up so frequently in the lives of young men. Most importantly, we talk about how you can support your sons without rescuing them, but instead help them build the competence and confidence they need to become independent adults.

Jarrod also shares a simple but powerful communication tool parents can start using immediately to open up better conversations with their teen.

If you're raising a teenage boy and wondering how to stay connected while still helping him grow into his own independence, tune in. It’s a good one!

In this episode on parenting teen boys, we discuss:

• Why many (teenage) boys feel misunderstood by their parents;
• How video games and online spaces have become a central part of teen boys’ social lives;
• The rising levels of anxiety many boys are experiencing today;
• Why confidence grows through competence, failure, and real-life challenges;
• The difference between keeping kids safe and helping them become capable;
• How parents can avoid rescuing and instead support healthy independence in their sons;
• A powerful listening technique that helps teens think for themselves;
• How reflective listening can strengthen communication and trust with your teenage boy.

More about Jarrod Hoffman

Jarrod is a licensed professional counselor. He believes that teens are resilient and that parents are valuable. He was a teenage boy himself from 2004-2011. He loves reading books and is still on the fence about Messi or Ronaldo. He's experienced many life-changes, like his parent’s divorce when he was 10 and his dad's death when he was 28. He strives to help others find healing from wounds and triumph through suffering.

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:

Leaving a review

Subscribing to the show

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

You step in because you love your child.
You pay for treatment again because you’re scared.
You cover the rent because you don’t want them on the street.
You call to check in because something feels “off.”
You offer solutions because you can’t stand watching them struggle.

Of course you do.

But here’s the hard question:

What if, sometimes, the helping is reinforcing learned helplessness?

What if the message, completely unintentionally, becomes: “You can’t handle this without me.”

Learned helplessness doesn’t develop because parents don’t care. It often develops because you care so deeply that you rush in to protect, soften, fix, or prevent discomfort.

If you’ve ever felt torn between protecting your child and preparing them for real life, this conversation is for you.

Seth and I talk about how learned helplessness can form when tasks are repeatedly taken over, when consequences are softened too quickly, or when rescue becomes the pattern. We explore what it actually looks like to allow your teen or young adult child their discovery process, even when that means sitting in your own discomfort.

Because sometimes the most powerful message you can send your struggling teen is:

“I believe you can handle this.”

In this episode on learned helplessness, we discuss:

• What learned helplessness is and how it quietly develops in your teen or young adult child;
• How loving, generous parenting can unintentionally reinforce helplessness;
• The difference between necessary support and rescue;
• Why sitting with your own anxiety can change everything;
• How to evaluate when to step in, and when to step back;
• The long-term impact of allowing your teen to build capability;
• And more!

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:

Leaving a review

Subscribing to the show

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

You’ve heard me say it over and over again: You have to let go of what is out of your control. But does that mean you just stop parenting? Are you just supposed to sit back and watch your teen or young adult fail and make mistakes?

When you start stepping back from micromanaging, rescuing, and constantly stepping in, it often doesn’t feel like relief. It feels like you’re doing something wrong. You’re not the only one feeling like this. Today’s society reinforces helicopter parenting and letting that go can feel unnatural, confusing, and emotionally intense.

That’s why Seth and I unpack today why this shift feels so uncomfortable, what teens and young adults actually experience when parents pull back, and how to stay emotionally present while still holding boundaries.

Letting go doesn’t mean disappearing. It means learning how to support without rescuing, guide without controlling, and stay connected even when things are hard.

In this episode on parenting without helicoptering, we discuss:

• Why letting go often makes parents feel like they’re doing nothing;
• What teens and young adults experience when parents stop micromanaging and helicoptering;
• The difference between emotional support and rescuing;
• Why boundaries without follow-through break trust;
• How kids sometimes test connection by making it “all or nothing”;
• Why consequences can be powerful teachers (even when they’re hard to watch);
• How to stay present and supportive without fixing everything;
• What it means to parent in the gray area instead of going black-and-white;
• And more!

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

You can support the show by:

Leaving a review

Subscribing to the show

And remember parents, the change begins with us.