Parenting Teenagers Untangled - Understand and Talk to Your Teenager
Rachel Richards
Hello, I'm Rachel Richards, former BBC Correspondent, CNBC Europe World News Anchor and mum, on a mission to make parenting teens much less stressful, and even enjoyable. Do you ever feel like you don’t know what you’re doing?Firstly, have a big hug from me.Secondly, you’re doing better than you think you are. No, really, you are. There’s too much talk about what a parent should be, and how we can optimise and perfect ourselves, and not enough about how well you’re coping in this complicated world as you hold your shizzle together.I mean it, the most important message is that you CANNOT be perfect. You’re going to lose your rag, you’re going to get upset and say stupid things and make mistakes and hate your kids and your partner and your life from time to time.Take it from me, if you’re going to worry about anything make it: ‘Am I being curious enough?’Asking questions will get you everywhere as a parent of teenagers, and the place to do most of your practice is… yourself and your own thoughts and beliefs.So, welcome, pull up a chair, drop your baggage, and make yourself comfortable. Let’s learn together.The Podcast:A fellow mum begged me to start my podcast because she wanted someone she trusted to help her through the teen years, and I’ll be forever grateful to her because the journey has transformed my own parenting and benefited my family beyond imagination.Here’s the good news, this podcast is free and you can learn everything I learned just by starting at the beginning and going through every episode.If you want to go a bit faster then scroll through and pick subjects that cover what you need right now. If you can’t find what you want then message me and I’ll tell you which one will help you most. If it’s not something I’ve covered then I’m like a dog chasing a stick, so you’ll soon get your answers.My main aim is to help you stop trying to be perfect, or comparing yourself and your kids with others. Your only real job is to focus on getting to know the amazing people you have in your life, loving them unconditionally, and showing them you believe they can do hard things.JOIN ME ON SUBSTACK:For those of you who want more, or who just want to help me feel like the pebbles I have dropped in the ocean of life are making a difference, why not join my paid community? You’ll get one-to-one support and printable PDF’s that give you the top tips from each podcast episode so you have your own little, bespoke manual.ASK ME ANYTHING: I’m very busy behind the scenes reading everything so you don’t have to, and when you subscribe you have the chance to ask me anything. If I don’t know the answer I’ll head out like an eager truffle pig, ready to snuffle out the best for you.COMMUNITY: I’ll be offering regular extras, including tips and thoughts, that help you tune into what matters.All of the community notes, and tips, will remain available to paid subscribers. I want to make this more about fun and less about fear.PDF NOTES: So many listeners say they have rewound the episodes to write down notes, well now there’s no need. Paid subscribers will have a weekly, downloadable, summary of the top tips from each episode, so you don’t have to take notes.Please let me know if there are any old episodes for which you’d like the notes. I’m very happy to supply them.POINTERS: Ask me if there’s something you’re struggling with, I can tell you which episode is most suitable for you, because there are a lot to trawl through.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 25, 2026 • 36min
When your teen gets rejected: How we parents can help
Ask Rachel anythingA listener wrote to say both she and her son felt pretty stunned after he was rejected from the university he'd set his heart on. She asked for the best way to help our teenagers cope with this sort of disappointment. I thought it was a great question and a good opportunity to also look at how we parents best navigate when your teen has worked for years toward a dream - a top university place, exam results, a team, a part - and it doesn’t happen. The disappointment can feel earth‑shattering for them and gut‑wrenching for you.In this episode I talk with Dr Dominique Thompson, award‑winning GP and young people’s mental health expert, about how to support teenagers through big disappointments such as university rejection, exam failure, and missed opportunities – without rescuing them or minimising their feelings.We explore:What teens are actually grieving when things go wrong – including the loss of an imagined futureHow to validate their emotions while gently stopping catastrophic thinkingThe difference between building resilience and teaching kids to suppress their feelingsWhy today’s culture of perfectionism and “being the best” is driving anxiety, burnout and fear of failureHow to help teens separate self‑worth from grades, offers and achievementsPractical ways to prepare teens for university life, academic stress and independenceWhen dropping out isn’t the only option – how to press pause, get help and return strongerWhat to do if your teen feels “left behind” while friends move on to university or big opportunitiesHow parents can be a “safe harbour”: supportive, boundaried, and not adding their own disappointment to their teen’s loadIf you’re a parent wondering how to respond when your child says, “I’ve failed you,” or “There’s no point trying,” this conversation will give you concrete language, mindset shifts and step‑by‑step strategies to help them cope, reframe, and find a new path forward.Dr Dominique Thompson: is a multi-award winning former GP, young people's mental health expert, TEDx speaker, author and educator, with over two decades of NHS clinical experience.She is author of The Student Wellbeing Series for young people, and co-author of How to Grow a Grown Up (PenguinRandomHouse) for parents.dominique.thompson@me.comwww.buzzconsulting.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/drdomthompson/https://www.facebook.com/drdomthompson/https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominique-thompson/Support the showPlease hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:www.teenagersuntangled.comFind me on Substack: https://teenagersuntangled.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk
Mar 23, 2026 • 7min
Discover Your Values - Parenting Advice
A lively catch-up about defining family values and why they matter in a world shaped by algorithms. Short explanations contrast intrinsic values like kindness with extrinsic pulls such as popularity. Practical exercises and a worksheet help uncover your values. Games and family rituals are suggested as ways to rebuild shared stories and guide tough parenting choices.
Mar 18, 2026 • 33min
Raising Boys In The Age of the Manosphere - Vintage
A deep look at how online movements like the manosphere shape boys' identities and why certain influencers appeal to them. Discussion of the groups within this space and how algorithms amplify risky content. Practical ideas for talking with teens, spotting manipulative language, and offering healthier male role models. Tips for checking facts and keeping conversations open and nonshaming.
Mar 11, 2026 • 1h 18min
Cutting it as a parent? Life as a surgeon, author and mother of four with Gabriel Weston
Ask Rachel anythingIf you’ve ever lain awake at night wondering whether you’re getting this parenting thing horribly wrong, you need to hear this conversation with surgeon and author Gabriel Weston.Gabriel is a mother of four – including tween twins – a prize‑winning writer and a working surgeon. She talks with disarming honesty about:How she parents without pretending to be endlessly patient or perfectWhy it’s okay to have limits to how much joy you get from parentingThe very real ways she sometimes gets it wrong, and how her kids now call her outWhat her son’s life‑threatening brain condition and her own health scares have taught her about seeing all of us – including our teens – as “beautifully broken” humansHow she and her husband navigate very different parenting styles, from strict boundaries to snacks and softnessWhat I love about Gabriel is that she says the quiet things out loud – the thoughts so many parents have but feel too guilty to admit. She’s funny, wise, and completely unpretentious, and by the end you may feel surprisingly lighter about your own “failings” as a parent.If you’ve ever worried that you’re too controlling, not present enough, not soft enough, or simply not “motherly” in the way you think you’re supposed to be, this episode will help you see that you are probably doing far better than you think. Find Gabriel here:https://www.instagram.com/gabrielwestonalive/Buy her books:https://www.waterstones.com/author/gabriel-weston/6579https://amzn.eu/d/0cGm5jnKSupport the showPlease hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:www.teenagersuntangled.comFind me on Substack: https://teenagersuntangled.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk
14 snips
Mar 4, 2026 • 33min
Teenagers, AI, Nudes and Online Blackmail: What You Need to Know
Emma Hardy, Director at the Internet Watch Foundation, who leads efforts to trace and remove child sexual abuse imagery. She discusses how teen nude sharing can become criminalized, how the Report Remove service works, grooming and sextortion tactics, and new risks from AI and nudifying tools. Practical advice includes family tech rules, TALK conversations, and where to get urgent help and takedowns.
36 snips
Feb 25, 2026 • 27min
The Thing We All Need Most: Mattering
Jennifer Wallace, award-winning journalist and author of Mattering, explores why feeling valued matters for teens and adults. She explains how adolescence and achievement pressure erode worth. Practical ideas include reducing criticism, prioritizing affection, strengthening adults’ own sense of value, and leaning into intrinsic values over social media‑driven comparison.
Feb 18, 2026 • 35min
Why Some Kids Stop Talking to Their Parents
Ask Rachel anythingWhen Brooklyn Beckham publicly announced he didn't want to reconcile with his parents he was joining a painful catalogue of family stories that have gone wrong. Estrangement is reportedly on the rise in Western societies but what's behind it? Dr Joshua Coleman spends his life working with estranged parents so he sees, first hand, the main factors that can lead to it. He highlights that while emotional abuse is often cited as a cause, it's often a matter of unmet expectations and generational differences. Some of the core drivers are divorce, children marrying someone who doesn't get on with your family, social media ideals, therapy culture and individualism. Given that estrangement can be emotionally devastating for parents, leading to feelings of isolation and loss, he advises parents to take their children's complaints seriously and to be open to therapy and family discussions. Dr Joshua Coleman:Family Troubles: https://joshuacolemanphd.substack.com/https://joshuacolemanphd.substack.com/p/how-to-not-become-estrangedhttps://www.drjoshuacoleman.com/Teenagers Untangled Community Substack:https://teenagersuntangled.substack.com/Support the showPlease hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. There's no shame in reaching out for support. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits.My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:www.teenagersuntangled.comFind me on Substack: https://teenagersuntangled.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk
Feb 11, 2026 • 31min
Body image, and getting teens to do chores. Vintage
Susie Asli, a mindfulness coach and mother of three teens, brings practical mindfulness and parenting wisdom. They explore how cultural pressure and social media warp body image. They discuss praising body function, spotting warning signs, and simple, teachable ways to get teens doing meaningful chores.
15 snips
Feb 4, 2026 • 55min
Why teen friendships feel so intense, and the most important thing to say
Megan Saxelby, an early-adolescent parent coach and former middle-school teacher, explains why friendships feel so intense for 10–14 year olds. She explores the neuroscience of belonging and social pain. Short, practical ideas on validating feelings, avoiding rescue, naming behaviors instead of calling kids dramatic, and small school nudges that boost connection.
Jan 28, 2026 • 39min
Positive Parenting: Using Strengths to Motivate and Understand our Kids
Naomi Glover, an applied neuroscientist focused on neuroinclusion and strengths-based parenting, offers practical strategies for ADHD, anxiety and focus. She explains leading with strengths, using curiosity instead of blame, naming specific praise as powerful recognition, and simple brain hacks like routines, single-tasking and breath or nature resets to reduce overload.
