Mind the Gap. Teens Talk We Listen

Our resident teens wanted to discuss a hot topic: curfews.   What is a fair curfew?   Why do our parents sometimes ask us to come home earlier?   Have you sat down to have a conversation with your parents about your curfew or have you always assumed your curfew is a certain time What is the science and connection between staying up late and the decisions we make? Jeremy explains some of the reasons that go into a parents decision making process when determining a curfew.  Including how our brain works when we are tired, who we are with, and what we are doin.   Above all communication and respect is going to help guide the conversation in a way both parents and teens can be satisfied.

This episode Caden McKnight joins our resident teen guests, Luke, Clara and Audrey to discuss teen mental health and how distance learning is affecting them a year after their schools were closed. Caden recently had the opportunity to stand before his school board to express how distance learning is affecting him and his classmates.  He wanted to represent the voice of all the teens who are not being heard.  We love his bravery and leadership to call for change in his education. Listen as we discuss how one year later how the pandemic is affecting them mentally, socially, and in their academic learning. For more content on how to help teens today follow us @mindthegap.teenstalk and https://www.facebook.com/Mindthegap.welisten

This week we had teens Luke, Clara, and Audrey take the love language quiz for teens.  Listen as we discuss the importance of knowing our own love languages, as well as those in our family and our circle of friends.   This show is all about how to show love for your teen by using their own love language and what makes them feel loved. If you want to know how to really connect with your teen and help them feel loved you can have them fill out the love language for teens quiz here:https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/teen-quiz/

This week we discuss the topic of rejection with teens Luke and Audrey.  How do we teach our kids to handle the uncomfortable emotions surrounding not getting picked for a team or a job, losing the Student Council election, loss of friends, or being rejected asking someone out.  On the flip side we also address how to have uncomfortable conversations if we need to end a friendship, or say no to a request for a date.  

Discussing the difference between "peer influence" and "peer pressure" with teens Luke and Audrey this week on Mind the Gap.   The three most important things about peer pressure and teens: How do you help your kids to make friends from different backgrounds and still stay true to their values?   How can you teach your kids to back out of a possible unsafe or uncomfortable situation?  The best way to respond to your teen if they ask you to save them from an unsafe or uncomfortable situation. We discuss this and more on this week of Mind the Gap: Teens Talk, We Listen. Follow us on instagram @mindthegap.welisten and facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Mindthegap.welisten

We talk a lot on the show about minding the gap in communication between you and your teen, but the truth is that our time with our teenagers will be easier if we start when they are younger.  On this episode we have our pre-teens Alyssa (12), Remi (10) and Deacon (10) talk to us about communication, expressing their emotions and sharing hard things. Listen to find out more about asking open ended questions, naming feelings, and using play time to receive insight on what's going on deeper.

Consequences can be hard to navigate as a parent of teens, whether you are deciding what is an appropriate consequence for your teen or you're worried how they will react.  Sometimes setting a consequence feels like a punishment to us as the parent as we then have to deal with the outcome, but overtime setting boundaries and consequences will teach your teen valuable lessons to be successful in life.   If you are looking for additional resources how to discipline to match the behavior, we love the book Parenting Teens With Love and Logic by Foster Cline M.D. and Jim Fay.  In the book the idea of natural consequences is discussed often.  A natural consequence is simply what naturally occurs as an outcome from the behavior.  Sometimes natural consequences are enough for a teen to learn a lesson, but sometimes a further consequence by the parent needs to be set to help them learn and grow.   Listen and let us know your thoughts on consequences. @mindthegap.welisten

During this pandemic it may have seemed more obvious than ever that you have different things in common with your teens/kids.  How can you find ways to connect with them when they are just not interested in the things you love?  How can you find a way to be interested in things that you have no interest in order to connect with them?  Listen as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Jeremy Leavitt, Sherry Anderson, her son Luke and niece Clara discuss this topic in this hilarious episode.  

Round table discussion with 4 teens, Austin, Callin, Clara, and Viv with host Sherry Anderson and Marriage and Family Therapist Jeremy Leavitt. Listen as they discuss what they learned from watching The Social Dilemma and how Social Media is affecting and even controlling how we use our phones.  We share practices and habits we can implement to not feel like our phones and checking social media is having a strong hold on our lives. You can view the documentary The Social Dilemma on Netflix - "This documentary-drama hybrid explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations" If you would like us to discuss a certain topic please email us at: [email protected]

As Austin gets ready to head off to college this week we discuss how we are feeling with him leaving home.  When kids head off to college for the first time you may worry if you prepared them enough, how the family dynamic will change, filling the new void at home and how to keep your relationship strong with this new physical distance between you. Austin leaves his brother Luke and all teens listening with his words of wisdom in how to get through the teenage years. If you have a topic you would like to hear us discuss on a future episode you may email us at [email protected]  Follow:   Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Mindthegap.welisten Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/accounts/onetap/?next=%2F&hl=en