I have been seeing a lot of posts on the socials lately from parents struggling as their teens leave to go away to college for the first time.  

What is the advice for how to deal with this? Do I get a dog?  Do I find a new hobby?  

Before you do any of that listen to this episode.  You can do these things but you need to let your absolutely normal feelings about this be there and feel what you are feeling.  In this episode I offer some of my own personal ways that I dealt with this. 

I am a life coach and I work with clients on evenings and weekends EST.  Please contact me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com to schedule a free consult

Learn more about me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Do you find yourself frustrated with your teenager because you have all the best advice but they just don't listen?  

There is a principle rooted in health education called the "righting reflex" and we do it all the time as parents.

Guess what? It doesn't work very well.

Listen to find out what can work better and how it has you doing less as a parent.  I love a principle that can help me do less :)

Email me to set up a 1:1 coaching consults at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Learn more about me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Welcome to Part 3 of this series! I'm exploring some parenting thoughts I have had in my own life that I now recognize as leading to no good outcome.  

This week the thought is "This shouldn't be so hard!"

I will explore why it makes sense that we think this, why it is NOT helpful and ideas about what to think instead.

Changing one thought can be so powerful.  Listen in to make some shifts today.

E-mail me to schedule a 1:1 consult at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

I'm back with Part 2 of the Unhelpful Parenting Thoughts series!

This week we are looking at the thought "They should know better". Sounds like an OK reasonable thought but again we will be looking below the surface of this to see how it's working against you and your relationship with just about anybody you think this about.

I will go through why it makes sense we think this, when we think this most often and some ways to come up with a slightly more helpful thought.

I am a 1:1 life coach for parents of teenagers.  Please email me if you would like to set up a free consult to discover how I could help you Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

There are so many thoughts we have as parents that were handed to us and sound like the truth.  What if these thoughts are not helping us out as parents at all?  

Over the next few episodes I'm going to explore some of these unhelpful thoughts, how they could be hurting you and your teenager.  I will also offer you some other thought options to help you with all relationships.

Learn more about me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Want 1:1 coaching? I offer 6 week coaching packages, e-mail me at Jessica.swrt@gmail.com for more information

Lost it on your teenager grab a helpful video here

We've all heard about creating action plans, but what about creating a plan for how to think?  I get it, I always want to know what to do in any situation.  What I have found though is that it is more important for me to know what I am thinking about any situation that comes up.  This can then lead to better outcomes because I'm taking action from a more managed emotional state.

Here's the plan I talk about in this episode

1. What is the situation that triggers you?

2. How do you want to feel about this situation?

3. What could you think about this that could lead you to feel this way?

4. What actions would you be able to take if you were thinking and feel this way?  How might these actions be better than those you have taken in the past.  

5.  How might this thought and feeling help you show up the way you want to as a parent?

E-mail me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com for more information about 1:1 coaching and my free 6-week coaching program.

Learn more about me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Why are my old ways of parenting not working anymore?  What's happening now that I have a teenager that I feel like I've lost all of my parenting skills? You are not alone in this thinking.  

As our teenagers grow and change, so must we. It's not easy though and we can be so resistant to this.  It makes sense that we resist it but it also doesn't help make our parenting journey any easier.

In this episode I will share a helpful metaphor for this changing role and the reasons we may be revisiting this change.  I will also share some things you can do right now to bring some awareness to this.  Change is hard and it's hard for our teenagers and us alike.  Take heart, you are both going through massive changes in your relationship with each other. 

Want some help with this transition for free?  E-mail me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com for more information on how  to take part in my free for a limited time 6-week coaching progarm.

Book a 1:1 coaching consult here

Grab your triggered by your teenager video here

Love yourself and others unconditionally they say..... This is simple in concept but harder in practical terms.  There is so much that comes up in our brains when we are told to love ourselves.  My hope for this episode is that you can begin to see a glimmer that this is possible for ourselves.  We are usually the hardest people to love.  

Who else can be tough to love at times? Well, teenagers, I mean we love them but sometimes we don't love them, love them.  If you want to practise unconditional love, your teenagers will give you plenty of opportunity to practise.

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Want to try out coaching and be part of my test group for my 6 week 1:1 coaching program? Email me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Why don't people come with an instruction manual?  Especially our teenagers. Well they do, but the kicker is that we have made it up for them ourselves.  We have ideas about everyone we interact with according to our own world view.  

In this episode I explain this concept and how it has helped me view and improve the relationships with all of the people in my life.  

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Want to be part of my 6 week 1:1 coaching program for free. E-mail me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com for more details

Anger feels good sometimes.  We usually don't continue doing things that aren't working for us in some way.  This episode is looking at the ways in which we like to keep our anger and the ways anger helps us feel empowered sometimes.

What about when it doesn't work though and it is harming our most important relationships?  What do we do then. In this episode I teach you how to identify and work with righteous anger. We all have it and we all like to be right. I know I do but do we want to be right at the risk of the connection with our loved ones?

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Want to work with me 1:1 for free.  I'm looking for people to beta test my 6 week coaching program for free.  E-mail me for more information and to set up a consult call

Grab your Lost It on Your Teenager Video here

Ever had somebody tell you to calm down when you're angry? Does it ever help? Never has for me that's for sure.  

Anger is normal, natural and universal and we wouldn't want to banish it from our lives forever.  What happens when we are struggling with our anger and what are the best ways to deal with it.  In this episode I share some perspectives on anger and a personal anger story of my own.

Want to work with me for free for 6 weeks?  I'm testing my 6 week coaching program now and have a few spaces available.  E-mail me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com for more details.

Learn more about me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca 

Listen to Tara Brach's talk on anger referenced in the episode here

https://insig.ht/3aiF1xYaGHb

Book a free consult here

If you listen to my podcast, I'm sure you struggle with not being able to remain calm.  I hear you and it's precisely why I'm sharing this work.

In this episode we are going to look at our anger and some different ways to think about it.  If we can reflect on the times we are most triggered and become angry, it will give us valuable clues about our emotions and why we get so triggered when it comes to our teenagers.

Want to be a part of my 6 week coaching program for free?  E-mail me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Book a free coaching consult here

What happens if the other person in your relationship doesn't want to listen to the podcast or read the book on how to improve it?

No problem.  There is so much that can be made better by JUST YOU doing this work.  I have real life examples from my own life that prove the other person does not have to change for your relationship with them to be better. 

I can help you improve your relationship by working with JUST YOU!  

E-mail me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com to set up a free consult and to create a roadmap for where to start

Lean more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Triggered by your teenager? Watch my video on how to mange this here

Remember when they were little and cute?  What happened? Where did they go and when are they coming back?  

I've thought these thoughts and I bet you have too.  What emotion does this bring up for you?  

In this episode I talk about processing difficult emotions, why it helps and why we often don't want to do it.

After listening you will be able to name the emotion that's coming up and have a framework for how to process it and allow it to be there.  This is an amazing skill to have and one that can be learned.

Please e-mail me if you would like to be a part of my Beta testing group for my new 6-week coaching program to improve your relationship with your teenager Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Worrying is a habit that can absolutely be reduced.  Do you describe yourself as a worrier who feels doomed to have to do it forever?  Worrying is not necessary, helpful or inevitable but it does take some practise to reduce it.

In this weeks episode I give you 3 steps to help reduce your worry adapted from Dr. Jud Brewer's work.  www.drjud.com

Want to be part of my 6-week free coaching program? E-mail me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Grab your "Lost it" video here

Check out my other episode about worrying here

Book a free 1:1 consult here

Being future-focused is great right?  Well not always....

Always living in the future can ensure that we miss what's happening right now, which is really all we ever have.  

In this episode I talk about how to use this concept to help with finding your CALM.  Anxiety and worry abounds when we are trying to solve for a future that has not happened and we can't ever be certain about.

Want to be part of my beta-testing for my new coaching program for parents of teenagers? E-mail me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Grab your video here

How do you know when you are resisting what is happening in your life and why does it matter? In this episode I talk about the way you can tell you are in resistance and why this creates so much struggle in our lives.

I will also give you some simple tips you can try today to practise the skill of acceptance.  That's right!! Acceptance is a skill you can learn if you are willing and it is a shortcut off the struggle bus friends!

Want in on my limited free coaching program spots?  E-mail me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com to set up a consult for this free 6-week coaching program.

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Grab your video here

We moved house this past week and was it ever chaotic in my brain!! It got me to thinking about what is going on in the brains of teenagers as we navigate through this challenging time in our lives and in theirs.

I want to snap my fingers and skip past these difficult times but they are a necessary part of growth and change in our lives.  Listen to this week episode as I discuss how we can more fully understand and think about these transition times.

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Grab your video here!

Book a free 1:1 coaching session here

At some point in my parenting journey it came to me that I have been treating my kids as projects to get an A on. When we want to do well on something we become so goal-oriented and "to-do list focused" that we forget sometimes that we are dealing with human beings who are a constant work in progress. 

Join me in today's episode where I discuss my journey with this and the simple solution to seeing parenting from a different perspective.

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Grab your video here

Book a free 1:1 coaching consult here

When someone asks you how you're doing, what do you usually say? 

Fine? Good?

It's easier right, then explaining how we are actually feeling.

If it's true for us, it's true for our teenagers.  In this episode I go over why we do this in some detail and how to encourage an open space for our teenagers to share what's really going on for them.  There are some connection builders in here for sure.  You don't want to miss this and Happy New Year!

Learn more about me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

I do 1:1 coaching as well, book a free consult here

Grab your video here

Happy Holidays!  This episode was recorded on Christmas Eve.  The Eve of when many of you have already been to holiday gatherings or are about to embark on what can be a super busy and overwhelming time of year.

Listen to this weeks episode for some strategies to think about BEFORE you head into these situations.  I share a strategy about deciding ahead of time how you are going to respond to those things that are triggering for you.

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Grab your video here

Book a free coaching consult here

Ever listen to a greatest hits album on repeat?  A record album has grooves that the needle rides along and the album goes round and round.  The thoughts in our brains work the same way.  We have thoughts and return to them over and over again on default.

What are your top 3 thoughts about yourself as a parent?

What are your top 3 thoughts about your teenager?

It's good information to know as it is the cornerstone of your relationship with yourself and with your teenager.

In this episode I share my top 3 in both areas and give you a process to uncover yours.  I also share how you can begin to shift these thoughts today.

Find out more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.

I have coaching spots available in the New Year, Book a Free Consult Here

Grab your video here

Email me at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Find me on Instagram 

Flipped your lid? Lost your cool? Flown off the handle?  

We all do this as parents and it usually doesn't go well.  So why do we do it?  

This episode will talk about the very human reasons we do this and what we can do about it.  It also explains why our teenagers are more likely to flip their lids as well.

Some light neuroscience in here that can help us understand ourselves so much better.  I also give you some guidance on how to catch yourself before you flip your lid.  You don't want to miss this episode.

I'm a life coach and have spaces open for 1:1 coaching Book a free consult here

Find out more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Grab your video here

What if CALM is not somewhere we are trying to get to or strive for?  I've been striving to be calm for awhile now and what I've come to realize is that our calm state is covered up by a lot of false thoughts that are disguising themselves as the truth.  What if we can be like water and rest into calm.  Allow ourselves to settle.  The more we do this the easier it gets to come into that state of being.

Think of a lake or an ocean.  When is it actually calm like glass with no movement?  Very seldom, so don't judge yourself either if you are not calm.  It takes some practise and some removal of old patterns to rest into a calmer state.  The times when we are agitated are perfect teachers to help us learn and really unlearn our old worried and fearful ways of thinking.

This episode is all about that...... CALM waters ahead.

Learn more about me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Email me for a free 1:1 coaching consult where we will develop your plan on how to navigate the teenage years and maybe even enjoy them :) Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

What is connection capital and how is it like money in the bank for your relationship with your teenager?  

Why is connection so important and how can we connect consistently and in small ways?

In this week's episode I share the answers to the above questions and will also give you 10 ideas for how to improve connection with your teenager.

Book referenced in the pod Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy

Find out more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Grab your video here

Book a free coaching consult here

https://www.instagram.com/jessicastewartcoaching/

Anytime I come across a challenge, I usually search to find if there is a book about it to help me and today I have a book report and recommendation for you.

The Grown-Up's Guide to Teenage Humans by Josh Shipp

In today's episode I share a valuable lesson learned just by reading the introduction.  Listen to find out what that is along with what else is included in this book.

I also give you some other questions that will get you thinking about how you think about your view of your teenager and this challenging journey with them.

Learn more about Josh Shipp here www.joshshipp.com

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Book a Free 1:1 Coaching Consult Here

Grab Your Video Teaching Here

Have you ever felt like a failure as a parent?  

I have and for a long time I didn't have the tools to know how to manage that emotionally.  

I have these tools now and am sharing them with you in this episode.  We look at how to redefine success in parenting as something that is more achievable.  It's impossible to be successful when the measure of success is impossible to achieve.

I also go through a mini self-coaching session that you can use when you are in this situation to question this overwhelming thought.

Grab the "Lost it on your teenager video" here

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Book a Free Consult with Me Here

Communication is so important in our relationships.  This is especially true with our teenagers when there are so many ways we can connect with them these days. Are all of these modes of communication helping or hindering your relationship?

Listen to todays episode to get some practical advice on more effective ways to communicate in order to improve your connection and relationship with your teenager.

Find out more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Grab your video here

How do you handle emotional pain?  I have been feeling some physical pain lately and it got me to thinking how we handle these differently,

How does can we benefit from treating our emotional pain like the physical pain we experience?  Listen in for ways to be more compassionate with ourselves when we are experiencing emotional pain.

Interested in with me one on one? Book a free consult with me here

Grab your Video Lesson Here

www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

How do we motivate our teenagers?  Wouldn't it be great to wave a magic wand and have it show up for them and let's be honest, for us as well.  

In this episode I discuss motivation and why a lack of motivation is actually part a being a normal human being.  I also share how to approach this and release the blame and shame for a lack of motivation.

Grab your Lost it on Your Teenager Video here

Book a Free Coaching consult here

www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Instagram: @jessicastewartcoaching

Do you have challenges with connecting with your teenager who has a different personality than you, or what about one who has the same personality?  

In this episode I will explore why we do this and how to help improve your connection with yourself as well as your teenager.

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Book a free coaching consult here

Lost it on your teenager? What Now? Click here for your free video

Where do we start with helping improve our teenager's mental health?  

In this episode I share what I think is the most important and impactful place to support our teen's mental health and well-being.

Hint.....it involves feeling our feelings and understanding the importance of our emotions as they relate to our relationships with others.

Get your lost it on your teenager video here

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Ever wonder how to have a conversation about vaping/smoking with your teen?

I am a Respiratory Therapist and Certified Tobacco Educator and will give you the most important facts to share with your teen.  They will listen to you and the earlier you have the conversation the better.

Tip Sheet for How to Talk to Your Teens about Vaping

E-mail me with any questions Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Get the how to stop "losing it" on your teenager video here

Wouldn't it be great if our teenagers did exactly what we wanted them to do?  If I know how to get this to happen, I would be a millionaire.  

How about a way of thinking that saves time, reduces stress and helps deal with these everyday annoyances our teenagers present us with. I have that for you in this episode.

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Lost it on your teenager? Grab your video here

Have you watched the movie Inside Out?  I just watched it and I know it's not new but I want to talk about it!  It should be required watching for all humans.

Listen to find out why our job as parents is not to make our kids happy all the time or to keep them happy.  As if that's even possible.  This is the way our teenagers love to learn, by watching a movie.  This is the perfect movie to learn about our emotions and the importance of them in all our lives.

Learn more about me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

E-mail me to set up a free coaching consult at Jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Were you given a job description when you became a parent or a caregiver? I wasn't.

What if we can re-write the job description into something that feels more doable and has us feeling more like a success and less like a failure?  

I'm in for that

How about you?

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Lost it on your teenager? Grab your free video here

Want to work with me? Book a free consult here

Why is parenting so hard for me?  I have asked myself this question so many times.  The undercurrent of the question is that somehow we are thinking parenting shouldn't be hard.  Maybe we know on an intellectual level that parenting is hard but really don't believe it should be which makes us feel deficient and worse.

Listen to this episode for the reasons why parenting is hard and how we can think about it in a new way that makes us feel better about ourselves as parents.

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Lost it on your teenager? Grab your video here

Book a free consult here

What do we do? What do we say? What are the right words to say in this situation? What if you didn't have to do or say anything? What if you just had to be there?

Learn how doing and saying less can actually be so much more helpful when dealing with any of our relationships.

Learn more about working with me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Lost it on your teenager? Grab your video here

Book a free session here

Do you struggle to connect with your teenager?  I do.  

Although we think the fact that they are our children means that we should always connect easily with them, it isn't the case.

This episode looks at connection in practical terms and ways to think about connection and why you don't have to have things in common to connect with somebody.  They are not the same thing.

Learn more about how to work with me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Book a Free Consult Here

Do you ever think you are the only one who is struggling with something related to parenting?  Why do our brains offer us this unhelpful thought?  

In this episode I offer an instant relief method to help bring self-compassion to your every day struggles.  

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Book a Free Consult Here

Are you sending your teen away to college for the first time?  I did this a year ago and I'm sharing my experience with you today.

Listen to this episode for:

-how to manage your emotions

-how to treat yourself as you go through this

-what is meant by "ranking pain"

-my letter to my son when he went away for the first time

Learn more about me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Book a Free Consult Here

Could it actually be true that worry isn't actually necessary?

In this episode I will talk about

-my own journey with worrying (I'm still on it)

-what is worrying really?

-why we think it's necessary and why it makes sense that we do it

-a personal story about worry about my son

-some questions to ask yourself and tools you can use

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Book a Free Consult Here

Should I let my teenager do this or not? This is the million dollar question and as parents, we so want to get this right. How do we know what the “right” decision is anyways?

In this episode, I will teach you to tap into your own wisdom and give some questions to ask yourself to help with the decision making process.

Find more information about how to work with me 1:1 here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

Do you have trouble separating yourself from your child? Do you see them as a part of you literally? While this is understandable on so many levels, it may be hurting your relationship with your teenager and causing you to suffer unnecessarily.

In this episode, learn why this is the case and also the best question you can ask yourself to gain insight into your reactions as a parent.

Learn how to connect with me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

What does CPR have to do with parenting? In this episode learn how to approach parenting situations with a process in mind to keep yourself as CALM and present as possible. Learn how your brain is actually is trying to help you but ends up leading you into some more panic and anxiety and what to do about it. Connect and learn how to work with me at www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

What if you don't know how to handle a situation with your teenager?  Does that mean you are not a good parent? 

Not       even       close

This episode is all about releasing the pressure of needing to have all the answers and why our brain likes to tell us that we should.  

When we are open to the fact that we can't be everything to our children and also we can't know everything, there is an instant pressure release.

Learn more about me here www.jessicastewartcoaching.ca

E-mail me at jessica.stwrt@gmail.com

Managing your emotions also sometimes know as feeling your feelings is often seen as a soft skill and a bit woo-woo. We don't want to cry in front of other people or show weakness. What if feeling your feelings is the strongest thing you can do as the parent of a teenager? I make the case for the in this episode. This is the secret sauce to your whole life because your entire life is largely dictated by your feelings whether you are doing it consciously or not.

How does one define Love? It's such a big and important topic to discuss. In this episode I'm focusing in on our ability to love ourselves and others unconditionally and why this is such an important skill to learn and improve upon? As with all of the pillars, we look at self-love and the reason improving our capacity to love ourselves and others improves our relationship with our teenagers. Not only that but it improves our lives overall in every area. Who's doesn't want that?

What is Self Acceptance? Why is it so important to the relationship you have with your teenager? How do you work towards self- acceptance? A practise for this https://www.tarabrach.com/rain/

Why is acceptance so important and what does it really mean for you? How can acceptance save you time and energy? Why do we find it so hard to accept the behaviour of others? How can acceptance be a shortcut to finding your calm when dealing with your teenager? These answers and so much more in Part 1 of this 2 part episode.