Parenting Teenagers Untangled for Fearless Parents: I help you fear less and wonder more – Details, episodes & analysis

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Parenting Teenagers Untangled for Fearless Parents: I help you fear less and wonder more

Rachel Richards

Kids & Family

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/9d. Total Eps: 206

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.

Why not try listening to my award-winning ‘hug’ where you can put down the baggage your parents handed you and relax.

It’s your chance to reflect on what's in your baggage; what's still working, and what needs to be tossed aside. You'll also pick up skills and ideas to help you navigate each new stage of your parenting journey.

Each week, I pick a topic, research it, and find you the best answers. Whether interviewing experts, chatting with my mindfulness guru friend, Susi Asli, or getting the lowdown from my own teenagers.

You'll hear what experts are saying about the problems we face and the way other parents are struggling. It’s a chance to think about your parenting, shame and judgement free.

As the world leading expert on your own child you can then make your own choices about what works for you and your family.

Do you have a question, a story, or just need to vent? Drop me a line at teenagersuntangled@gmail.com (total privacy, no judgment, promise).

What the Independent Podcasting Awards Said:

“The advice in this podcast is universally helpful—not just for parents of teenagers.”

“A great mix of personal stories and professional insight—refreshing, informative, and packed with extra resources.”

“The chemistry between Rachel and Susie is fantastic. It’s like sitting down with smart, funny friends who actually get it.”

Join the conversation! Find me on Facebook & Instagram.
Want more from Susie? Check out her courses at www.amindful-life.co.uk

Recent rankings

Latest chart positions across Apple Podcasts and Spotify rankings.

Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - parenting
17/08/2026
#96
🇬🇧 Great Britain - parenting
17/08/2026
#22
🇬🇧 Great Britain - kidsAndFamily
17/08/2026
#69
🇫🇷 France - parenting
17/08/2026
#66
🇬🇧 Great Britain - parenting
16/08/2026
#27
🇬🇧 Great Britain - kidsAndFamily
16/08/2026
#86
🇫🇷 France - parenting
16/08/2026
#40
🇬🇧 Great Britain - parenting
15/08/2026
#18
🇬🇧 Great Britain - kidsAndFamily
15/08/2026
#50
🇬🇧 Great Britain - parenting
14/08/2026
#19

Spotify

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https://www.otozen.com/untangled
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https://www.buymeacoffee.com/teenagersuntangled
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https://www.otozen.com
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https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled
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https://www.instagram.com/samkelly_world
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https://www.instagram.com/ammabrowngirl
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https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/
328 shares
https://www.facebook.com/groups/teenagersuntangled
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Score global : 83%

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Grades. Our obsession with them fails everyone. An interview with Exam Nation author Sammy Wright.104

Season 3 · Episode 104

Wednesday, August 28, 2024 • Duration 41:44

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

What is school for, and are exam grades a good measure of a human? Does someone's grades tell us what we should know, or are we being misled? Do grades help children grow and engage with learning, or do they simply destroy interest and entrench social divisions? These are the sort of questions that perplex many of us who are parenting teenagers.

It’s coming to the end of summer in the UK which means there’s been a wave of exam results and the beautifully timed release of a terrific book called Exam Nation; why our obsession with grades fails everyone.

Written by Sammy Wright, Headteacher of a secondary school in the North of England and part of the UK government’s Social Mobility Commission for several years it was chosen by the BBC as book of the week, and applauded by reviewers across the serious newspapers in the UK, and I even found it laugh out loud funny at times.

In this interview we talk about what school is for, the difficult transition from junior to secondary education, the need for tests and the way in which we view grades. Sammy offers up thought about other ways of looking at schooling which he thinks has become too transactional and would serve us better if it were more focused on the whole person.

https://twitter.com/SamuelWright78
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exam-Nation-Obsession-Grades-Everyone/dp/1847927521/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Support the show

Please 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.

I don't have medical training so please seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping.

My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com
And my website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:
www.teenagersuntangled.com

Find me on Substack 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

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Driving lessons - Top tips for a smooth road ahead. 103

Season 3 · Episode 103

Wednesday, August 21, 2024 • Duration 38:17

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

Whether your teen is currently learning to drive, or those days are in the future, it helps to prepare ahead.

Both Rachel and Susie have teens learning, so it's a great time for Rachel to go through all of the tips and data to help us all think ahead about what is involved and how to make their life behind the wheel as safe and smooth as possible.

The free RISK ANTICIPATION driving course:
https://www.teendrive365inschool.com/safe-driving-resources/teens

NEW DRIVER AGREEMENT CATEGORIES:

What are you responsible for in terms of cost?
Enforcing zero tolerance for driving under the influence. Discuss situations.
Use of a mobile phone. Switch off notifications.
Remind them of the consequences if they break the law.
Be a good role model.

RESOURCES USED:
https://www.wvpersonalinjury.com/teenage-driving-risks/
https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/young-drivers
https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/driving-law/graduated-driving-licences-launched-to-tackle-overconfident-young-drivers/
https://www.gohenry.com/uk/blog/bread/why-gen-z-isnt-driving

Support the show

Please 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.

I don't have medical training so please seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com And my website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:www.teenagersuntangled.com

Summer flip or summer flop? What will your teen be doing with their summer, and does it really matter? 94

Season 3 · Episode 94

Wednesday, June 19, 2024 • Duration 36:34

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

The amount of holiday teens get varies enormously around the world. For some, it's a much needed break from routine, for others it's a real chance to flip the script of their life and focus their attention on things that aren't part of the rigid educational agenda.

In this episode we talk about ways in which we can help our teens use their summer to grow in ways that genuinely interest them. Lots of skills get little time for development whilst they're at school, so it's a great chance for them to explore their passions in an unstructured environment, or get some experience in the workplace.

There's no right way to do summer, but hopefully some of these suggestions can give you ideas for things you can do; including simply working on your connection if you think that things haven't been going too well.

Resource used:
https://www.daniel-wong.com/2015/11/09/productive-things-to-do-during-school-holidays/

The blog detailing my method for change:
https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/blog/Be-the-person-you-want-to-be-not-the-person-others-think-you-should-be/

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.

Find me on Substack Teenagersuntangled.substack.comInstagram: Facebook: You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

Body image and getting teens to do chores. 6

Season 1 · Episode 6

Saturday, February 5, 2022 • Duration 31:14

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

A healthy body image: Feeling happy and satisfied with your body and what it can do.

An unhealthy body image: Highly self-critical, comparing their body to others and obsessing about some aspect of it.

Beauty and body image are universal triggers for shame. Shame is a deeply painful sensation from the belief that we’re not good enough and will not be accepted by a group.

Influences:

Family environment,
Ability/disability
Attitudes of peers
Social media
Cultural background

Only 5% of American women have the body type that advertising depicts as ideal. People magazine poll found that 80% of women respondents felt insecure when they viewed images of women in TV and films. There’s an entire industry fueling our negative feelings regarding body image.

How to prevent body image issues as a parent:

Psychologists Jean Baker Miller and Irene Stiver 1997 study said that what gives us self-esteem (the opposite of shame) isn’t a terrific outfit or success, it’s forming and maintaining relationships which makes people feel sure of their value.

Talk to your teenager about images in social media. Help them to see how fake they are and how digital manipulation is rife, also how everyone doesn’t look like that.
Praise your teenager for what they can do, not what they look like.
Sharing the knowledge that shame is a normal experience helps the teenager feel that they aren’t alone.
Be kind to yourself. Expecting perfection from ourselves makes us expect it from others.
Be proud of things about yourself that aren’t about your appearance.
Avoid negative talk about your diet/crash diets.
As a parent, be proud of what your body can do.

What to look out for:

Motivation: How to motivate your teenager when they’re not enjoying school, and what to do when your teenager wants to quit their instrument. 5

Season 1 · Episode 5

Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Duration 31:07

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

We'd all love our children to breeze through school, enjoying a satisfying academic life, having lots of friends, and coming out at the end feeling a success. But what if you have a child that doesn't thrive in an academic environment? What if they can't or won't do the work? How do you deal with it and what techniques can you use to motivate them?

And our listener’s question comes from Emma:
'‘My fourteen year old is very musical, but wants to stop playing the piano now she’s grade four. I’m so upset about it, because whenever she seems to be good at something she goes so far then just gives up and wants to hang out with her friends. What should I do?"

TED Talks: Sir Ken Robinson Do schools kill creativity?
https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity?language=en

Books referenced:
The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson
The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey
Thrivers by Michele Borba

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.

Find me on Substack Teenagersuntangled.substack.com
Instagram: Facebook: You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

Mobile phone photos/sexting, and money management using an allowance. 4

Season 1 · Episode 4

Friday, January 21, 2022 • Duration 31:10

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

Our teens are growing up in a world of TikTok, You Tube and Instagram, places full of barely dressed people talking freely about body positivity and sex. It’s hardly surprising that they might have a different view of what’s acceptable from that of their parents.

In the UK, sex is legal at age 16, but any sexual images of a person under 18 are deemed child pornography, even when the person sending them is the creator.

Research compiled in the UK for Cultureframed.org:

1 in 7 under 18’s sends sext messages; 1 in 4 receives them. 1 in 8 who received a message has sent it to others without the sender’s consent.

Internet Watch Foundation, confirmed 68k cases of self-generated imagery that needed to be removed in 2020 – up 77% on the previous year.

In 80% of these cases, the victims were 11 to 13-year-old girls. Fewer than 8% of young women send nude pics because they genuinely want to.

Book: When You Lose It, Roxy and Gay Longworth.

Why do they sext?

Seeking someone’s approval
Long distance/online relationships, where there is a desire to have a sexual relationship
Feeling confident in their looks and they want to share with other people
Peer pressure
Fun
As a result of harassment, threats or blackmail

What to do?
Having regular talks about relationships, sex and consent. Use open questions, actively listen, and never be shocked.

What do they post about themselves?
What sites do they use and what draws them there?
What types of attention are they looking for online and from whom?
How do they decide what information to share?

Talking: How to talk so your teenager will listen, and dealing with teen sex in your home. 3

Season 1 · Episode 3

Friday, January 14, 2022 • Duration 26:36

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

Remember those years when your child followed you everywhere, and gazed at you with adoring eyes because you knew everything? Have they now turned into a teenager who simply grunts, or screams at you, when they occasionally emerge from their bedroom?

Changes in a teenage brain help them to develop abstract thinking and self-reflection but they also make them hyper-critical and keen to develop emotional distance so they can practice life without you around.

What to do: Daniel Siegel says we need to teach them to have reflective conversations:

Numerous brain studies show that when we do this (either with someone else or in our own heads) it stimulates the integration of the prefrontal cortex where planning and problem solving takes place, and allows us to tune into others ie empathy.

How to do it: JoAnn Deak - Girls will be girls.

Don’t assume or jump in straight away.
Don’t move straight to the fix-it mode.
Help them to explore what they’re saying.
Leave some grey areas.
Discuss strategies for action. Don't overreact. Once you’re in the strategy phase that’s when your knowledge can help inform the teenager’s decisions.
Don’t be afraid to provide your moral/philosophical bottom line. There are so many grey areas it can be a relief to know there are some black and white’s.

Techniques: Parent Gym based on how to talk so your kids will listen.

Super silence and active listening.

When to do it?

Try to develop regular non-crisis moments where conversations can happen. Saying goodnight, car journeys, meal-times, fixing their bike.
Listen to the news together to start a discussion. Get them to entertain you. What’s the gossip? What are you reading? What have you been watching? What’s your favourite music at the moment? Take a genuine interest in their answers.

Alcohol: How to discuss it, and staying connected. Should we be letting our teenagers drink and what should we be telling them about it? Also, how to stay connected.

Season 1 · Episode 2

Friday, January 7, 2022 • Duration 24:19

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

You only have to scan the jokes on birthday cards in the shops to see how much drinking alcohol is ingrained in our culture as both fun and an escape from drudgery. So there's little wonder that teenagers can be eager to join the club. But when should we let them start, and how do we keep them safe?

And in tangling with our teenagers Alex asks "How do I stay connected with my teenager when they argue, and don’t seem to want me anymore?"

Join Susie and Rachel as we combine the advice of experts, and our own experience, to tackle these problems.

Interesting articles:

The effect of peer pressure on drinking in Denmark: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/16066350600691683

Books:

Alcohol Nation by Dr Aric Sigman
Love Bombing by Oliver James
How to talk so your kids will listen, how to listen so your kids will talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.

Definition of Binge Drinking: The Royal College of Psychiatrists clearly defines binge drinking as drinking over 2.5 standard 175ml glasses of wine (6 units) for a fully-grown adult woman or 3.5 glasses for a man (8 units), in a short space of time.

Support the show

Please 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.

I don't have medical training so please seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping.

My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com And my website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:www.teenagersuntangled.com

Your parenting toolbox and tidy teen rooms: Rummaging in your toolbox and how you get your teenager to tidy their room.

Season 1 · Episode 1

Thursday, December 16, 2021 • Duration 24:12

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

Just when you thought that you’d got the hang of parenting, your child changes again... and now they're a teenager.

In this episode, we have a rummage in your parenting toolbox to work out what’s in there, and how useful it actually is.

And in Tangling with your Teenager, we gather all of your suggestions to answer Natalie’s question. ‘How do I get my son to do what I say, and tidy his room?’

Answers range from taking the door off to pretending there are mice in the room.

Do you have any tips, or any great stories that will teach us what not to do?

We'd love to hear from you, including any questions you'd like answered?

Email us now: teenagersuntangled@gmail.com
Or find us on
www.teenagersuntangled.com
https://instagram.com/teenagersuntangled

Experts mentioned in the podcast:
👉🏻Www.aricsigman.com
👉🏻Jesper Juul: Your Competent Child

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.

Is your teen being lazy, or could they be lacking a key executive skill? 93

Season 3 · Episode 93

Wednesday, June 12, 2024 • Duration 36:16

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?

It's incredibly frustrating to parent a teen who seems smart but is constantly late, can't set effective goals, can't keep going after their initial burst of enthusiasm, who's messy, doesn't start projects on time, or can't seem to control their impulses.

Are they being lazy or is it that they lack a key skill which is holding them back? The latest book I read makes it clear that problems with any of these tasks isn't necessarily lack of interest or laziness, but can be a lack of skill in an area called executive function.

In this episode I talk through the types of executive function deficits, and how we can spot them. What's exciting is that the book implies that with the right training our teens can learn how to overcome the sorts of things that drive us nuts and are holding them back from achieving their goals.

It's an exciting prospect, because it puts the emphasis on the need to learn skills rather than on personal failing, and gives us parents hope that by being supportive in slowly acquiring the skills our kids can lead lives free of the enormous frustrations that these deficits can cause.

BOOK:
Smart but Scattered Teens, by Richard Guare PhD, Peg Dawson, EdD, and Colin Guare

Support the show

Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit.

Parenting Teenagers Untangled for Fearless Parents: I help you fear less and wonder more – Details, episodes & analysis

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Parenting Teenagers Untangled for Fearless Parents: I help you fear less and wonder more – Details, episodes & analysis

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