In this episode of The Parenting Pair Podcast, Dr. Suzanne Allen and Dr. Annalise Caron discuss how parents can help their teens navigate unfair situations in school, sports, and daily life. They consider different ways to manage disappointment, and how to consider the gains (vs. losses) of how they could respond.

From being overlooked by a teacher, to losing a spot on a team, unfairness is a part of growing up, and of living life.

Dr. Allen and Dr. Caron offer practical strategies for validating your teen’s feelings, guiding them in considering the options, and also recognizing when the best response is to let go and accept a situation that may feel unfair.

Together, they explore:

• Making sense of your role as a parent: advocate vs. coach
• The gains and losses of intervening vs. holding back
• How to validate feelings without jumping to fixes
• How acceptance can be an “active (and effective) choice” and not “giving up”
• Balancing support with independence as teens grow
• Parent self-care: venting safely and seeking support
• A quick & helpful radical acceptance practice you can try today

If you’ve ever worried about your teen feeling discouraged, left out, or defeated by unfair situations, this episode will give you tools to support them, model acceptance, and help them grow stronger through life’s challenges.

Key Topics Discussed

00:00 – When unfairness touches your teen’s life
02:31 – How parents usually get affected by their teen’s distress
04:55 – Supporting your teen: Step in or Step back?
07:05 – Considering the possible benefits of “not intervening”
07:55 – One “mantra” for parents to stay steady – “Be the Buddha in the road”
09:43 – A second “mantra” to consider – “It’s theirs”
11:45 – Let your teen vent and get in touch with their emotions
13:50 – Teaching acceptance: when to let go and move on
16:08 – Key takeaways for parents
16:48 – How to deal with our own emotions, as parents
19:14 – Daily habits to protect ourselves -as adults- from big emotions
20:18 – The practice of radical acceptance and half smile

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In this episode of The Parenting Pair Podcast, Dr. Suzanne Allen and Dr. Annalise Caron thoughtfully discuss sexual assault prevention for teens and young adults. As teens and young adults head to college and/or spend more time with friends in new environments, parents can worry about how to best prepare them for real-world risks of assault, while also supporting their growing independence. This episode helps parents gain a nuanced understanding of current factors related to sexual assault and ways to minimize risk. Suggestions are provided regarding how to communicate with their teens and empower them to make planful, confident, and informed choices.

Dr. Allen and Dr. Caron explore:

• Why open conversations about safety are critical for teens
• How to talk about sexual assault prevention in a clear, age-appropriate way
• The role of alcohol and parties, and its relation to risk of assault
• Strategies for setting boundaries and recognising red flags
• What healthy peer support and bystander intervention look like
• Actionable suggestions that parents can share with teens.

Here are some highlights from this episode:

00:00 – College parties can be fun and risky at the same time
03:08 – How Dialectical Thinking helps parents handle tough topics with teens
05:10 – Campuses tend to be very safe, except for sexual assaults
09:00 – Five strategies a teen can do to minimize risk
10:43 – The importance of protecting your drink and how to do so
12:15 – What healthy peer support looks like
14:42 – Teaching teens to speak up and step in
16:28 – How to protect friends and peers, safely
18:33 – Recap of 5 strategies to decrease risk of sexual assault
19:48 – Sexual assault prevention starts at home
21:32 – Dialectical thinking helps parent-teen communication and problem solving
23:15 – Acknowledging difficult subjects when feeling unprepared

If you’ve ever worried about your teen being vulnerable in college or social settings, this episode will give you actionable tools to keep them safe and empowered.

⬇️ For downloadable resources for teens/young adults and parents, based on this episode:

📝 Tip Sheet for Parents: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGxSkkYrF4/p5LmYFhAgSxHrXLxER54fA/view?utm_content=DAGxSkkYrF4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h2f7135e34d

📝 Tip Sheet for Teens/Young Adults: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGxSmKgl5M/sypKA3FbWrFbS5n2Ds2Keg/view?utm_content=DAGxSmKgl5M&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=hd70254b9fa

#ParentingTips #TeenSafety #CollegePrep #ConsentEducation #ParentingPodcast #RaisingTeens #TeenWellbeing #SexualAssaultPrevention #parentingsupport

👉 Follow us for more tips and support on parenting teens
https://www.instagram.com/theparentingpair

🌐 Visit https://www.theparentingpair.com to listen and learn more.

In this episode of The Parenting Pair Podcast, Dr. Suzanne Allen and Dr. Annalise Caron unpack how parents and teens experience stress—both healthy and unhealthy—offering practical insights and actionable advice for families who want to build resilience and balance at home.

Together, they explore:

• How the way we think about stress shapes how we manage it
• Why some stress is healthy and helps kids grow
• When stress tips into overload and becomes unhealthy
• The warning signs of burnout in teens
• The role of comparison and perfectionism in fueling stress
• Practical tools to prioritise and scale back commitments
• How parents can model healthy stress management

If you’ve ever worried about your teen being overbooked, anxious, or struggling to keep up with unrealistic expectations, this episode will give you tools to reframe stress, set healthy boundaries, and support your teen’s well-being.

🎧 Listen now and discover how to raise more resilient, confident, and balanced teens.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe and follow us for more parenting tips, expert insights, and real talk about raising teens in today’s world.

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🌐 Visit https://www.theparentingpair.com

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The Parenting Pair podcast is designed for informational and educational purposes only. Do not rely on the information presented in this podcast as a substitute or replacement for professional -- psychological or medical -- advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have concerns about you or a family member's well being, please contact a licensed mental health professional or physician

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Chapters:

00:00 – Back-to-school stress for parents and teens
02:14 – The way we think about stress shapes how we manage it
03:41 – Why some stress is healthy and helps kids grow
04:50 – Real-life examples of healthy stress in teens and tweens
06:40 – How parents can reframe stress for their kids
08:30 – Temporary healthy stress vs. unhealthy stress
10:05 – Unhealthy stress and achievement overload
11:33 – Comparison, Perfectionism and Unhealthy Stress
15:30 – Warning signs of unhealthy stress: sleep, irritability, burnout
18:20 – Tool: The 24-hour reality check for overloaded schedules
21:00 – Deciding what to scale back and saying no
23:06 – Shifting the community narrative and supporting kids’ well-being
25:50 – Parents modeling healthy stress management