What if connecting with your kid didn’t require a big heart-to-heart or even a lot of time?

Teacher and parent Buffy Sallee aims for something much more manageable: 15 minutes daily of real connection - time together that isn’t about grades, schedules, college applications, or getting something done.

In this episode of Parenting the Mental Health Generation, Buffy joins CATCH founder Amy Oberholtzer to talk about what she’s seeing in teens at school and at home. After more than two decades in the classroom, she has some tried and true ideas about what parents can do to help kids slow down, get curious, and figure out what matters to them.

Amy and Buffy, explore how parents can model curiosity instead of rushing to provide the “right” answer, thus allowing our kids to understand their own values and opinions more authentically. They also discuss why kids need opportunities to sit with disagreement and uncertainty rather than immediately dismissing what makes them uncomfortable.

You’ll also hear practical ideas for creating more connection at home, including:

• Finding small, realistic opportunities for one-on-one time
• Asking questions instead of immediately correcting
• Helping kids identify their values through everyday choices
• Modeling humility, vulnerability, and repair
• Making room for conversations that don’t have easy answers

It's noisy and chaotic out there. Come in and connect with your kids. You don’t need hours. You don’t need the perfect question. Sometimes, 15 good minutes is a meaningful place to start.

Try this after you listen

• Name one emotion out loud. Share something you felt that day or week, and give your child space to do the same without judgment.
• Lead with curiosity. When you hear something you disagree with, try asking, “I wonder what I don’t know yet?”

Music Credit: Line Up/Pond 5

CATCH 2026

To find all of the resources CATCH provides to caregivers of young people struggling with their mental health, go to www.catchiscommunity.org.

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CATCH, Community Action Together for Children's Health, is a 501(c)3 that provides support and education for families around mental health topics. Original content and materials from CATCH and its collaborators are for informational purposes only. They are provided as a general resource and are not specific to any person or circumstance.