Parents Navigating the Teen Years

Jon Mattleman received his B.A. from Clark University in 1978, and his MS in Counseling from the University of Hartford in 1981. Jon’s workshops and presentations are geared to give participants tools they can implement immediately, strategies that work with children and youth, and approaches which have proven to be critical to building healthy relationships. Jon frequently consults with schools, parent groups, mental health organizations, and in workplace settings regarding the issues of anxiety, stress, depression, suicide, parenting, and the emotional consequences of technology. Jon is a certified trainer in QPR Suicide Prevention and has worked with professionals in schools, with state organizations such as the Massachusetts Probation Department, as well as with hundreds of parents regarding self-harm and suicide prevention. Jon is best known for his talk “The Secret Life of Teens and Tweens” and has presented this to thousands of parents all over New England. Jon has appeared on numerous radio and television shows lending his expertise on anxiety, depression, suicide, teens, and parenting. When teenagers are giving their parents an attitude, how should they deal with that? Parents shouldn’t take an attitude from their teens personally. Be Patient. Never change your expectations of your teen, however you may need to change your timeline. Parents can practice giving themselves a time-out so they don’t say something they wish they could take back. What do you do if a kid gets in trouble, for example- smoking in the bathroom at school? What do you do when you learn that your son/daughter is having sex, do you confront them? “In the dark conversations” can be very effective when having challenging conversations as facial expressions can alter the outcome. Jon talks about a teen’s brain and what motivates them at different stages, and how to prepare and recognize these shifts. Sponsored by EdGerety.com Resources Website: https://www.jonmattleman.com Twitter: https://x.com/Jonmattleman

Karleen Savage, Conflict resolution expert and certified hostage and crisis negotiator shares the tools that work during an argument with our teens. As a trailblazer in the realm of parent-teen relationships, Karleen Savage’s insights are not confined to theory, but are forged in the crucible of real-world challenges and triumphs as a parent herself, and from her experience navigating complex conflicts as a crisis negotiator.  As the creator of the Savage Theory of Resolution®, a five-skill model that can be used to resolve any conflict, Karleen knows that peaceful and amicable resolution is possible. Karleen has been featured on MSNBC for her knowledge in hostage negotiation. She holds a Masters in Conflict Resolution & Negotiations, and she is a certified hostage and crisis negotiator. She has been married for more than 30 years and resides in Utah with her family. Universal skills that experts use to resolve conflict Curiosity when you and your teen don’t see eye to eye Attitude-how do you show up in conflict? Master listening-this is essential and Karleen shares how to master this Connection Reframing & phrasing: what are the words we’re using? Are you “holding” in the conversation? Over-arching philosophies: what do you want for your teen? How do you create that as a possibility in them? How to create parenting mantras and why it’s important? Sponsored by EdGerety.com Resources Website: KarleenSavage.com Free Download: Get a digital download of The Confident Teen Blueprint  

Rhonda Chadwick is a trained archivist who has written a book called “Secrets from the Stacks: an archivist reveals how to store, digitize, and preserve documents to create a family archive and leave a personal legacy. She has a dual MLIS/Archives Management and MA History degree. She is the owner of a personal history business called LenaSalina Legacy Preservation. The teenage years contain some of our best times that teens will want to preserve, but also, sometimes tragedy strikes and teens may be in a position to want to save items from a loved one who has left this life too soon. Save pictures in non-proprietary format such as jpegs and word documents in pdf. Relying on the cloud for storage can be risky as the data lives on their service. It’s best to back up everything using 3-2-1: two local options (computer & flash drive) and one off-site service (cloud). What do to with all the photos on your phone: Keep photos and documents that have enduring stories. It’s a great practice to go through your saved photos on a regular basis and delete what is not necessary to save. The digital world is unstable, so printing photos is still a great idea. Social media, email, and text messages can also be saved Sponsored by EdGerety.com Resources Email: [email protected] Website: LenaSalina.com Information provided by the Library of Congress: https://guides.loc.gov/family-history-for-kids/preservation https://digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/

Jeannie Burlowski is a full-time academic strategist, podcast host, and speaker for students ages 12–26, their parents, and the professionals who serve them—and she is the author of the book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward. Jeannie helps parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free, ready to jump directly into careers they excel at and love. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Huffington Post, USA Today, Parents Magazine, and US News and World Report, and on CBS News. Most commonly known ways to pay for college: government loans, scholarships, and saving $ in advance. There are other options… Students can get a tuition reimbursement job while they’re in college. Jeannie shares lots of resources. It’s important for teens to figure out their strengths and interests while they’re in high school so they can begin to think about companies that offer tuition reimbursement. College is expensive-help your teen be as prepared as possible for what they want to study. Jeannie’s research indicates that 48% of kids who take an AP class in high school do not end up getting college credit for it. Real college classes in high school for real college credit: these are called - Dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment. Typically, the state pays for these classes and all of the material and books. Jeannie shares tips and ideas to help teens create a savings plan that works long-term. Sponsored by EdGerety.com Resources Website: JeannieBurlowski.com. Article: Got a College-Bound Teen? AP Classes in High School May Not Be His or Her Best Option Article: Got a Teen Headed to College? Here's Why a State University May Not Be Your Bargain Option Article: Does Elite Education Lead to a Happier Life? What Does the Research Say?

Jill Grimes, MD, is a board-certified family physician who specializes in college health. She is a nationally recognized medical media expert & author of award-winning book, “The ULTIMATE College Student Health Handbook: Your Guide for Everything from Hangovers to Homesickness”. Teen & college age partying is NOT what parents remember! Beer (with perhaps, worst case, beer bongs) have given way to successive vodka shots and intentional “blackout” drinking, and the mellow “Cheech N Chong” joint sharing version of “pot” is a far cry from today’s high THC concentration “weed”. Dr. Grimes shares the inside scoop about the medical challenges and risks of today’s party culture. Late middle school and early high school is when you want to begin talking with your teen about managing their health care. If they take medication, schedule a weekly time to work with them on filling a pill organizer so they are prepared. Dr. Jill covers what your teen will need when filling out their own medical forms. Talk with your teen about the process and help them gather information they’ll need so they are prepared when they’re on their own. Hear from Dr. Jill on the most common illness and medical concerns that your teen may encounter, and how they can be prepared to get the help they need. About inking, Teens can get a temporary tattoo and live with that for a week to see how they feel about it before getting the real deal. Learn how to empower your teen to have a successful conversation with their doctor to be sure their needs are being addressed in the time given, and how to handle medication that’s prescribed: cost, side-effects, if they don’t feel better, etc. Sponsored by EdGerety.com Resources Website: https://jillgrimesmd.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@TikTok.CollegeDoc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillgrimesmd Purchase the Book on Amazon: The ULTIMATE College Student Health Handbook: Your Guide for Everything from Hangovers to Homesickness

Karleen Savage, Conflict resolution expert and certified hostage and crisis negotiator shares the tools that work during an argument with our teens. As a trailblazer in the realm of parent-teen relationships, Karleen Savage’s insights are not confined to theory, but are forged in the crucible of real-world challenges and triumphs as a parent herself, and from her experience navigating complex conflicts as a crisis negotiator. As the creator of the Savage Theory of Resolution®, a five-skill model that can be used to resolve any conflict, Karleen knows that peaceful and amicable resolution is possible. Karleen has been featured on MSNBC for her knowledge in hostage negotiation. She holds a Masters in Conflict Resolution & Negotiations, and she is a certified hostage and crisis negotiator. She has been married for more than 30 years and resides in Utah with her family. Embracing Genuine Curiosity When You and Your Teen Don’t See Eye to Eye Are we listening in a way to learn from our teens? As our kids grow older, we shift as having control to being along side them as a partnership. Attitude-be careful not to solve your teen’s problems and challenges. Become a master listener – Karleen shares a blueprint of how to do this effectively. Parents need to have only a few rules, and they need to stick to them. Sponsored by EdGerety.com Resources Website: https://www.karleensavage.com/ Free Digital Book: https://www.karleensavage.com/parents 

A former middle school English teacher and parent of two, Emily Cherkin, MEd., The Screentime Consultant, witnessed the simultaneous rise of technology use for school, and smartphone and social media use for kids. Today, Emily consults with parents, offers school presentations and professional development training, and writes about parenting and screentime to bring her tech-intentional approach to as many people as possible. Emily’s work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, The Today Show (twice), the BBC, Good Morning America, and more. Chuck Norris has quoted her. Emily is also a co-founder of The Student Data Privacy Project, an activism group dedicated to pushing back on excessive EdTech and screens in schools. Emily's book "The Screentime Solution: A Judgment-Free Guide to Becoming a Tech-Intentional Family" is an Amazon bestseller and available everywhere books are sold. What does it mean to be “tech-intentional”? Why don’t you recommend parental controls, and what do you recommend instead? Would you give your 11 yr. old keys to the car? To get a drivers license, it’s a process of learning, it doesn’t happen right away. It should be the same way in teaching your kids about safe and respectful social media engagement. Be careful about your teen’s use of apps and games. They are focused on hooking the watcher and keeping their attention, and on selling. Teens can feel judged about what they’re engaging in; be curious instead of judgmental when asking teen’s about what they’re plugged into. Be aware as parents of how predators seek out victims on social media and have these conversations with your teens. Parents often buy a phone for their teen to keep them safe, and yet it’s opens the teen up to other dangers like bullying, mental health concerns, predators, etc. At the end of the day, we want our kids to be safe and we want to protect them. Ask yourself: Do I know what my child is doing online? Do I have a good relationship with my child so we can keep the line of communication open? Sponsored by EdGerety.com Resources Website: https://www.thescreentimeconsultant.com Book Order: https://www.amazon.com/Screentime-Solution-Judgment-Free-Becoming-Tech-Intentional/dp/B0CB9JS5KB/ Instagram: @thescreentimeconsultant LinkedIn: @emily-cherkin Facebook: @thescreentimeconsultant Youtube: @thescreentimeconsultantllc6072 Twitter/X: @ScreentimeLllc

Many mental health therapists are seeing an increase in anxiety, depression, procrastination, panic and self harm in teens. Today, we will talk about ways parents can help their teenagers live happier and healthier lives regarding social media, screen time and why it is important to monitor the amount of time your child is spending on their device.  Denise Schonwald, LMHC, is a licensed mental health counselor, mental intuitive, and public speaker specializing in holistic well-being. With 30 years of experience as an ICU nurse, she witnessed the impact of stress, anxiety, and fear on patients and families. Denise integrates mental and physical health, providing comprehensive support for anxiety, depression, trauma, and more. Her approach combines therapy, meditation, and hypnotherapy. Denise, along with her therapy dog Henry, helps clients achieve optimal health. As a sought-after public speaker, Denise educates and inspires audiences on mental health topics. Why teens need social media & screen time rules and structure What can happen when the mind is exposed to too much screen time and how it affects our physical and mental health The mind can crave more and more screen time; it’s important as a family to set and stick to guidelines you’ve created Lead by example: model want your expect from your teens Having regularly scheduled family meetings is a great way to listen and learn how your teen is feeling It’s important to schedule rest and recovery time for teens as they work to manage their time, activities, and social media. Allowing teens to take responsibility for their choices.  Appropriate extracurricular activities for teens.  Sponsored by EdGerety.com Denise is a published Author of three books. Healing Your Body by Mastering Your Mind Insightful Self-Therapy Her latest is a Children’s book: Getting Back to Happy Resources Quiz: https://deniseschonwald.com/quiz/ Website: https://deniseschonwald.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deniseschonwald/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deniseschonwaldllc/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denise-schonwald/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@deniseschonwald


The dangers that exist in the world of social media today and how predators use it to put your child at risk. Lt. Kinsman has been in law enforcement for 24 years and the last 20 of those years at the Portsmouth Police Department. In 2020, Lt. Kinsman accepted an offer in the Investigations Division as the Commander of the NH Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. NH ICAC is one of 61 total ICAC Task Forces across the country and is responsible for a complex approach to investigating and prosecuting internet-based child sexual abuse cases. Lt. Kinsman is a veteran of the US Air Force and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Counseling. Parents should start the conversation about social media when they’re children are young to create an open dialogue about use and safe practices, and not wait until they are in the height of their teenage years. Kids use social media to connect and if they’re growing friendships based on someone’s social media ranking, it’s a red flag. Because social media is an instant gratification when people like or give a thumbs up, kids can begin to crave more or more. Teens can find themselves trusting someone they don’t know while believing that it’s a real person who genuinely wants to get to know them. There are multi-billion dollar conglomerates across the world that make a living off of this. They create a false profile and send out a wide net to fish for responses. Kids can fall into being comfortable with these new connections and end up sharing personal photos and information. That can be used against them in an extortion-type method to get $ with the false promise that they won’t share the information. As parents we can let our teens know that we are here for them no matter what comes up. Keeping the door open on dialogue with your teen about social media will help keep them informed about possible dangers. Knowledge is powerful. Parents need to work WITH their children on this issue, not AGAINST them. S.M.A.R.T. acronym: be the parent who is aware of what’s going on. Sponsored by EdGerety.com Resources Email: [email protected] Internet Crimes Against Children: www.icactaskforce.org [email protected] 

Jack Blackwell is a leader in the field of family constellation work. He has 15 years of experience leading lineage and family healing events and training facilitators. As the founder of Healing Family Trauma, Jack offers resources and guidance to those seeking healing and resolution in their lives. His work emphasizes the role of ancestry and generational patterns in shaping our lives, and how these patterns can be addressed and transformed through family constellation work. Through his facilitation, Jack helps individuals and families unravel the complex patterns and dynamics that have been passed down through the generations, enabling them to move towards greater harmony and connection. With his expertise and compassionate approach, Jack has helped hundreds of clients overcome the challenges of family trauma and find greater peace and fulfillment. As a mentor and trainer, Jack is dedicated to empowering others to share in the benefits of family constellation work, spreading healing and transformation to communities across the globe. Childhood trauma can be impacted by the imprint of what happened to our ancestors. Children inherit the unresolved trauma that happened to their ancestors. Children can manifest a reoccurring pattern of behavior and not understand why, and they may be unable to break the cycle, even though they have family love and support. The trauma our ancestors were unable to heal can be passed down and cause generational behavior issues. The child can pick up the unresolved pain of their ancestors and act it out and recreate it. The trauma pattern begins to heal when parents honor the experiences their ancestors had and raise their children without resistance to that trauma. Family constellation work is based in love and as we open up to the trauma our ancestors faced, we can do it with love and respect for their experience knowing that they did their best. Jack shares his own powerful experience of family generational trauma and how love healed the past. Jack shares ways to begin to discover family history to uncover and heal from generational trauma. Sponsored by EdGerety.com Resources To Experience a Family Constellation event for FREE - Email me. Events happen weekly. Email: [email protected] Website: HealingFamilyTrauma.com YouTube: @JackBlackwellConstellations