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.