When your teen enters a rebellious stage, it becomes painfully apparent that you now have little or no control over their decisions.
At that point, your best option is to stay connected to them.
Being connected to your teen can give you some sense that they still hear you at pay attention at least *sometimes,* even if they’re making their decisions independently.
They’ll also be more inclined to voluntarily share things with you or ask for help if they’re really in trouble with something–which can ease your anxiety about their safety.
This webinar offers strategies for parents who are:
- Worried about decision teen is making - and the outcomes, now and long term
- Worried about teen safety - especially risk-taking behaviour
- Dealing with a teen who won’t listen (e.g., maybe they're disregarding the info you’re giving about risks, or your opinion about what they should do)
- Concerned about a teen who’s pulling away and doesn’t talk much.
Skills for connecting with teens are a bit different because unlike in the younger years, they don’t *need* you to survive in the same way as a toddler does.
They’re also more drawn to and influenced by their peers as they follow the developmental urge for independence. Thus, the ability to connect with your teen is totally reliant on your connecting skills–you can’t rely on them listening to you because they need you.
Connecting may be even harder if:
- You grew up in an authoritarian home you may not have learned skills for connecting with teens
- You were a rebellious teen yourself, you may be more easily triggered by your teen’s behaviour because of your own past experiences.
In this webinar, you’ll receive:
- An overview of the factors that impact your ability to connect
- 6 concrete actions you can take to connect with your teen
- 3 guided exercises to help you apply the new knowledge to your specific situation
- Tips for recognizing your triggers and calming yourself
- Tips for what *not* to do (e.g., parent actions that fracture your relationship)
- An opportunity to ask questions
- Webinar Notes - 8pg document, replay is 66 min length
$10CAD
Testimonials
“I loved Colleen’s webinar on teens. She had a very organized material that was easy to understand and follow. She also provided great examples and short exercises to work on our situations.”
-Mom of 2 teens
“I recommend this, especially for all parents/guardians to watch together, so you can be on the same page with your strategies. Thanks Colleen!”
-Mom of 2 pre-teens
Parenting a teen is, in some ways, a rite of passage for parents.
It involves letting go of your teen (in tiny increments) who is testing the waters for how to become an adult, while at the same time holding on and staying connected enough that they’ll hear you when their safety is at risk, and trust you enough to call you when they’re in trouble.
Letting go and acknowledging inwardly that we don’t have the ability to totally protect our child often brings up anxiety and grief. At the same time, maintaining some connection can ease the anxiety because you can have more trust that they’re still taking in a little of what you tell them, and that they’ll come to you if their safety is at risk.
Even though we don’t have a ceremony or event that marks this rite of passage, it’s a time during which parents often require additional skills and support. So this stage of parenting can be a tender but transformative stage in which both you and your teen grow and change.
This webinar will be a good fit for you if:
- You’re committed to attachment or connected parenting
- You’re willing to self-reflect and make changes in yourself to shift the relationship with your teen
- You know that you can’t control your teen’s behaviour, and you’re willing to learn to focus on connection and relationship
- You *may* have had authoritarian parents who tried to control your behaviour or used rewards/consequences, and as a result, skills for connecting with your teen are unfamiliar.
This webinar is not a good fit for you if:
- You're looking for a "quick fix" to change your teen's behaviour. While many parents report that their teen is more responsive right away to their new approach, connected parenting is a practice that is learned over time.
Your teen never wants to be totally disconnected from you...
After parenting my own son & stepson, and mentoring other parents, I know that while we can’t change our kids’ behaviour, surprising changes in behaviour and awareness often happen in parents, their teens, and their relationships with them when they learn new skills and do healing work as needed.
Even if your teen has pulled away and feels very disconnected from you, it’s never too late to use connecting strategies and shift the relationship.
Your teen never wants to be totally disconnected or alone, no matter what they say or how much they push you away.
about colleen adrian
Why learn from me?
I’m a parent mentor, educator and author. I’ve been researching, writing and teaching workshops about parenting for over 10 years. Prior to having my son, I practiced and taught nursing for over 20 years. I have a Masters Degree in Nursing (and several other trainings you can read about here).
As someone who was a spirited and rebellious teen myself, I know firsthand the determination to be independent and find my “self” and my own footing in the world as a young adult, and also the pain of feeling alone when I didn’t have adults I could trust to not judge me when I misstepped. Those experiences drove my passion to parent my teens differently. I also know the anxiety of watching my teen make decisions that brought panic and kept me awake at night. I’ve navigated the rebellious stages with both a stepson and a son, now 18yo, and maintained a connected relationship with both of them.
My teachings all draw on the literature on attachment and connected parenting, trauma and nervous system regulation, non-violent communication, and other current literature on parenting.
Will there be a recording? Here’s how that works:
If you are able to attend live, and fill out the feedback form afterwards within 24hr, you will receive the recording and summary notes free of charge. The recording will be available to you until April 3, 2022.
If you can’t attend live, you can later buy the summary notes plus the recording of the live session for approximately $20CAD.
If you have more questions, please email me at colleen@colleenadrian.com
