The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation – Details, episodes & analysis

Get Your FREE Bad Mom Survival Kit to PARENT IN REALITY: https://badmompodcast.com/parentinginreality
Feeling like a bad mom? You’re not alone.

In this episode, Vivian Glyck talks with Cy Wakeman, bestselling author, therapist, and mom of four, about how ego, fear, and over-parenting are fueling the anxiety epidemic—and what parents can do differently.

Cy shares practical tools for emotional regulation, “clean thinking,” and co-creating growth with our kids instead of trying to fix them.

🌱 Key Takeaways:

• Anxiety is often self-generated and parent-reinforced.

• The ego tells stories that create fear and shame.

• Love your kids up, then call them up to greatness.

• Don’t rescue or abandon—stay present with love and boundaries.

• Clean thinking = less chaos.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re parenting from exhaustion or fear, this conversation will help you breathe again—and remind you that your calm is your child’s cure.

✨ Resources & Next Steps

✔️ Join the Bad Mom Community for more conversations like this here.

✔️ Share this episode with a parent who is looking for a reset.

 ✔️ Read Life’s Messy, Live Happy by Cy Wakeman.

📌  Connect with Cy Wakeman

🌐 Cy Wakeman on RealityBasedLeadership.com
📱 Instagram
📺 YouTube
📘 Facebook
🔗 LinkedIn

📌  Connect with Vivian Glyck & The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation

• Bad Mom Podcast on Instagram
• Vivian on Instagram 
• Bad Mom Podcast on Facebook
• Bad Mom Podcast on YouTube
• Bad Mom Podcast on TikTok

The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation is a Project Grit initiative: fortifying mental wellness for the next generation.

Just Like My Child Foundation is a proud nonprofit partner of Project, committed to equipping today's youth with the tools they need to thrive and build a better future. 

What do you do when your child shuts down, drifts away, or escapes into dangerous coping—and nothing you try seems to work?

In this raw and hopeful episode of The Bad Mom Podcast, Vivian Glyck talks with Andre Norman, once a gang leader in maximum security prison, now a Harvard fellow and world-renowned mentor known as The Ambassador of Hope.

Andre shares his powerful journey and gives parents tools to:

• Truly listen to their kids without judgment
• Respect independence as part of identity
• Confront shame and silence in suburbia
• Find the trusted voice their child will listen to
• Act preventatively instead of waiting for crisis

If you’ve ever felt powerless watching your child struggle, this episode will help you breathe again—and remind you that transformation is possible.

✨ Resources & Next Steps
 ✔️ Join the Bad Mom Community for more healing conversations.
 ✔️ Share this episode with another parent who feels alone—you’re not.

📌Connect with Andre Norman

🌐 AndreNorman.com & SecondChanceUniversity.org
📱 Instagram
📺 YouTube
📘 Facebook
🔗 LinkedIn
⏲️ TikTok

 📌  Connect with Vivian Glyck & The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation

• Bad Mom Podcast on Instagram
• Vivian on Instagram 
• Bad Mom Podcast on Facebook
• Bad Mom Podcast on YouTube
• Bad Mom Podcast on TikTok

The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation is a Project Grit initiative: fortifying mental wellness for the next generation.

Just Like My Child Foundation is a proud nonprofit partner of Project, committed to equipping today's youth with the tools they need to thrive and build a better future. 

➡️ Get your family talking again ➡️https://bit.ly/lisanichols
Download Lisa Nichols' free guide to "Move From Constant Conflict to Genuine Connection".

Welcome back to Part 2 of this deeply personal conversation with Lisa Nichols of Motivating The Teen Spirit. If you joined us for Part 1, you know how powerful and emotional this dialogue has been. In this episode, Vivian Glick and Lisa go even deeper, giving us not just her story but step-by-step guidance on how to create safety, connection, and resilience with our kids and within ourselves. We discuss what emotional safety actually looks like, how to ask your child the one question that can transform your relationship, and the necessary step of lovingly letting go so our kids can grow into who they are meant to be, not who we need them to be. If you've ever thought, "Am I doing this right?" this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways

• The first step in achieving a life vision is helping teens identify their current feelings and finding their "dot"—recognizing they are not a carbon copy version of anyone else.

• Safe space agreements are essential for grounding the family and allowing everyone to feel seen, heard, and honored.

• Parents must have the courage to ask their child to rate their relationship on a scale of 1 to 10 and then listen to the response.

• When receiving the relationship rating, the parent must hold their emotion in (no crying or anger) to ensure the child feels safe giving an honest answer.

• For struggling mothers dealing with identity issues or low self-confidence, programs that focus on filling your cup first and serving from your overflow are critical.

• Action is what's going to move you; focus on small, palatable, bite-sized moves.

Timestamps 

• [00:00] Welcome to Part 2: Creating Safety, Connection, and Resilience 
• [02:00] Finding the "Dot": Helping Teens Identify Who They Are and What They Want 
• [05:00] Why Rituals and Safe Space Agreements Are Essential in the Age of Technology 
• [08:00] The Physical Visual: Distinguishing The Real Self from The Oil and The Mask 
• [12:00] The Critical Relationship Question: Rating Your Connection (1 to 10) 
• [16:00] How to Focus Your Energy: What Would Take It From a 7 to a 10? 
• [20:00] Motivating The Teen Spirit: Free Camps, Donations, and Emotional Intelligence for Teens 
• [25:00] Resources for Moms: Filling Up Your Cup First 
• [28:00] Closing: The Hardest Job in the World Doesn't Come with Instructions

✨ Resources & Next Steps 

• Subscribe to this podcast for more conversations like this here. 
• If this episode resonates with you, share it with another parent.

👉 If you’ve ever thought, “Am I doing this right?” or felt the pain of wanting to do everything but not having the tools, this episode is for you. Listen, share it with another parent who needs healing and guidance, and subscribe to The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation. And remember: you are not a bad mom; you’re a bada%^ in a broken system. Keep fighting.

📌 Connect with Lisa Nichols

• Motivating the Teen Spirit
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIN
• YouTube

 📌  Connect with Vivian Glyck & The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation

• Bad Mom Podcast on Instagram
• Vivian on Instagram 
• Bad Mom Podcast on Facebook
• Bad Mom Podcast on YouTube
• Bad Mom Podcast on TikTok

The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation is a Project Grit initiative: fortifying mental wellness for the next generation.

Just Like My Child Foundation is a proud nonprofit partner of Project, committed to equipping today's youth with the tools they need to thrive and build a better future. 

➡️ Get your family talking again ➡️https://bit.ly/lisanichols
Download Lisa Nichols' free guide to "Move From Constant Conflict to Genuine Connection".

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Vivian sits down with her friend Lisa Nichols for a raw, healing talk on parenting, depression, guilt, and radical love. From creating safe spaces to allowing the freedom to fail, Lisa shares how parents can stop judging, start listening, and raise resilient kids.

Key Takeaways

• You are not failing because your child struggles…you’re human, and so are they.
• Safe spaces built on no judgment, no repercussions, and unconditional love transform communication.
• Teens don’t need us to fix their feelings; they need us to validate them.
• Failure isn’t the enemy; shame and silence are.
• Radical love and emotional intelligence create resilience for both parent and child.

Timestamps

•  [00:00] Meet Lisa Nichols, Founder of Motivating The Teen Spirit
•  [02:00] Have You Ever Felt Like a Bad Mom?
•  [04:00] Light vs. Darkness
•  [06:00] Lisa’s Origin Story & Suicidal Thoughts as a Teen
•  [09:00] Saving a Life Through Listening
•  [12:00] Emotional Safety is a Necessity
•  [17:00] Kids Need The Freedom to Fail
•  [20:00] Safe Space: No Judgment, No Repercussions, Unconditional Love
•  [24:00] Kids Living in the Shadow of Their Parents
•  [29:00] Closing Reflections

 ✨ Resources & Next Steps

• Subscribe to this podcast for more conversations like this here. 
• If this episode resonates with you, share it with another parent. 

👉 If you’ve ever felt powerless, judged, or like a “bad mom,” this episode is for you. Listen, share it with another parent who needs healing, and subscribe to The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation.
And remember: you don’t have to parent alone. Together, we can raise resilient kids with radical love.

📌 Connect with Lisa Nichols

• Motivating the Teen Spirit
• Instagram
• Facebook
• LinkedIN
• YouTube

 📌  Connect with Vivian Glyck & The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation

• Bad Mom Podcast on Instagram
• Vivian on Instagram 
• Bad Mom Podcast on Facebook
• Bad Mom Podcast on YouTube
• Bad Mom Podcast on TikTok

The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation is a Project Grit initiative: fortifying mental wellness for the next generation.

Just Like My Child Foundation is a proud nonprofit partner of Project, committed to equipping today's youth with the tools they need to thrive and build a better future. 

👉 Download your free GenZ Survival Kit: https://bit.ly/ZakKoenigsSurvivalKit
 FREE tips for helping your kid Shift From Isolation to Connection and get moving again.

In this raw and vulnerable episode, I sit down with my son, Zak, to hear the truth about growing up Gen Z. He shares what it was like to graduate during the COVID-19 pandemic, why so many boys are isolating behind screens, and how online communities can either heal—or harm—them.

Zak opens up about his darkest moments, what he wishes his dad and I had known, and the small steps parents can take to reconnect with their kids. This isn’t theory—it’s lived experience from the anxious generation itself.

Key Takeaways

• The hidden struggles of Gen Z—anxiety, addiction, and loneliness
• Why COVID reshaped an entire generation’s mental health
• The dangerous pull of toxic online communities for young men
• The surprising boundary Zak appreciated, even though he hated it at the time
• The one piece of advice he has for parents watching their kids struggle

Time Stamps

• [00:02:00] Zak describes his lowest point—days stuck in bed, unable to send a text, challenged by OCD.
• [00:05:00] Growing up Gen Z: how being a COVID grad shaped his generation’s mental health.
• [00:08:00] The inner world of young men: what parents don’t see but kids desperately feel.
• [00:12:00] How online grifters prey on boys’ loneliness and twist it into hate.
• [00:18:00] Why parents struggle to “speak the language” of their child’s digital communities.
• [00:23:00] Zak’s blunt take: the need for regulation, phone bans in schools, and systemic change.
• [00:27:00] Is Gen Z addicted? Zak explains.
• [00:29:00] The one boundary Zak secretly appreciated, even though he hated it. 
• [00:30:00] His advice to parents: sponsor real-world connection, don’t just lecture.
• [00:36:00] The one simple, non-invasive routine he says can help kids climb out of the hole.
  
  

✨ Resources & Next Steps:

• Subscribe to this podcast for more conversations like this here. 
• Download your FREE Bad Mom Survival Kit. 
• If this episode resonates with you, share it with another parent. Gen Z is speaking—let’s make sure we’re listening.

 📌 Connect with The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation & Vivian Glyck

• Bad Mom Podcast on Instagram
• Vivian on Instagram 
• Bad Mom Podcast on Facebook 
• Bad Mom Podcast on YouTube
• Bad Mom Podcast on TikTok

The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation is a Project Grit initiative: fortifying mental wellness for the next generation.

Just Like My Child Foundation is a proud nonprofit partner of Project, committed to equipping today's youth with the tools they need to thrive and build a better future. 

👉 Get Your Free Bad Mom Survival Kit: https://bit.ly/BadMomPodcastSurvivalKit
4 Impactful Steps You Can Take Right Now To Parent With Grit. 

Are you worried about your child’s mental health as devices, social media, and constant pressure take over their world? You’re not alone.

In this kickoff episode of The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation :, Vivian Glyck—founder of Just Like My Child Foundation, Girl Power Project, and creator of Project Grit—shares the pivotal moment when her humanitarian work collided with the reality of raising kids in today’s anxious, screen-saturated culture.

Through raw stories, research, and a dose of humor, Vivian flips the script on motherhood. Being a “bad mom” isn’t about failing—it’s about leading with courage, ditching the guilt, and giving your kids the grit to thrive.

Key Takeaways

• A new lens on why anxiety, distraction, and family disconnection are symptoms—not the core problem
• The first simple steps to trade guilt for grit in your parenting
• A glimpse into how Project Grit and the Bad Mom Survival Kit can support you and your family

Pull up a chair, exhale, and join us. Together, we’re raising resilient, happy humans—one imperfect, powerful step at a time.

Timestamps

• [00:00] Welcome & what The Bad Moms Podcast is all about
• [01:33]  Vivian’s journey through loss, purpose & advocacy
• [03:45] Founding Just Like My Child Foundation
• [05:22] Launching the Girl Power Project
• [07:01]  Today’s youth mental health crisis
• [08:00] Project Grit & the Grit Kit
• [09:11]  What to expect in upcoming episodes

✨ Resources & Next Steps

✔️ Join the Bad Mom Community for more conversations like this here.
✔️ Download your FREE Survival Kit here.
✔️ Share this episode with a parent who feels alone—you’re not.

 📌 Connect with The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation & Vivian Glyck

• Bad Mom Podcast on Instagram
• Vivian on Instagram 
• Bad Mom Podcast on Facebook
• Bad Mom Podcast on YouTube
• Bad Mom Podcast on TikTok

The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation is a Project Grit initiative: fortifying mental wellness for the next generation.

Just Like My Child Foundation is a proud nonprofit partner of Project, committed to equipping today's youth with the tools they need to thrive and build a better future. 

👉 Download Your Free Super Power Survival Kit: https://bit.ly/mikekoenigssurvivalkit
This is a FREE step-by-step guide to Turn Your Teen’s “I Don’t Know What I’m Good At” Into Real Confidence.

What do you do when the child you love is pulled into screens, isolation, and anxiety…

…and you feel powerless to pull them back out? 

In this deeply personal episode of The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation, Vivian sits down with her husband, entrepreneur and futurist Mike Koenigs, to talk about the hardest parts of parenting a Gen Z son in today’s anxious generation. 

Together, they share raw truths about addiction, boundaries, and despair. But there’s also a powerful reframe: why AI, when used with intention, could become the tool that helps this generation find purpose, create value, and build hope.

Key Takeaways

• Boundaries aren’t punishment, they’re protection. They shape character and save lives.
• Tech can be addictive, but when reframed as a tool, it becomes a capability amplifier.
• AI levels the playing field; kids don’t need degrees to build value, businesses, or careers.
• Every teen has a unique gift. When combined with AI, it becomes a superpower.
• Hope is real. Even in an anxious generation, we can raise creators, not just consumers.

Time Stamps

•  [00:00] Welcome to the Studio
•  [02:00] The Hardest Part of Parenting in the Digital Age
•  [05:00] The Role of Boundaries
•  [07:00] Tech as Addiction
•  [09:00] The False God of AI
•  [10:00] A Turn Toward Hope
•  [13:00] Just Add AI
•  [16:00] Apprenticeships, Careers & The Future of Work
•  [20:00] Learning How to Learn
•  [24:00] A Message to the Anxious Teen
•  [28:00] Closing Reflections

👉 Parenting in the digital age is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone. Subscribe to The Bad Mom Podcast, share this episode with a parent who feels powerless, and explore resources like Mike’s Best seller, AI Accelerator to help your kids (and yourself) turn tech into a tool for growth. Together, we can raise resilient kids with hope and grit.

Get Mike's Best Selling Book on AI
📘: Ai Accelerator BOOK: https://www.MikeKoenigs.com/AiBookFree

📌Connect with Mike

 🎙️: Capability Amplifier Podcast
📺: YouTube:    / @koenigsmike
💼: LinkedIn:   / mikekoenigs
📘: Facebook:   / koenigs 
📸: Instagram:   / mikekoenigs

📌Connect with The Bad Mom Podcast & Vivian Glyck

• Bad Mom Podcast on Instagram
• Vivian on Instagram 
• Bad Mom Podcast on Facebook
• Bad Mom Podcast on YouTube
• Bad Mom Podcast on TikTok

The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation is a Project Grit initiative: fortifying mental wellness for the next generation.

Just Like My Child Foundation is a proud nonprofit partner of Project, committed to equipping today's youth with the tools they need to thrive and build a better future. 

Hey mama—ever find yourself scrolling at 2am, wondering if you’re doing it all wrong? You’re not alone. And you’re definitely not a bad mom.

On The Bad Mom Podcast, Vivian Glyck gets real about the anxiety, loneliness, and guilt so many parents face—because she’s lived it too. This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being honest, finding tools that work, and raising resilient kids in a hyperconnected world.

👉 Listen now to The Bad Mom Podcast and join the conversation that’s changing families one honest moment at a time.

✨ Resources & Next Steps

✔️ Join the Bad Mom Community for more conversations like this here.
✔️ Download your FREE Survival Kit here.
✔️ Find a new episode with a parent who feels alone—you’re not.

📌Connect with The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting the Anxious Generation & Vivian Glyck

• Bad Mom Podcast on Instagram
• Vivian on Instagram 
• Bad Mom Podcast on Facebook
• Bad Mom Podcast on YouTube
• Bad Mom Podcast on TikTok
  
  

The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation is a Project Grit initiative: fortifying mental wellness for the next generation.

Just Like My Child Foundation is a proud nonprofit partner of Project, committed to equipping today's youth with the tools they need to thrive and build a better future. 

Here's the thing: 90% of women don't just dislike their bodies. They hate them. And whether we want to admit it or not, we're passing that straight to our kids. Jennifer Joy Jimenez gets it because she lived it. From professional dancer with severe body dysmorphia to transformational health coach, she discovered something most therapists won't tell you: five minutes of freeform dance is more effective than antidepressants. And when our kids are hunched over screens like they're using fentanyl, stuck in their heads and disconnected from their bodies, this isn't just about fitness. It's about survival. You'll walk away knowing exactly how to use movement as medicine for yourself and your anxious kids, and why the daily dose of dance might be the intervention your family desperately needs.

FOR FULL SHOW NOTES & TO WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE, GO TO: badmompodcast.com/jennifer

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The body dysmorphia math that should terrify every mother (and what Jennifer's daughter said that made her burst into tears)
• Why sitting is the new smoking, and what screen addiction is actually doing to your kid's nervous system
• The scientific reason five minutes of freeform movement beats both antidepressants and regular exercise
• What changed between Jennifer's 55-hour traumatic first birth and her 90-minute second birth (hint: it wasn't luck)
• The non-negotiable house rules Jennifer enforced around devices, TV, and movement that actually worked
• Why your crabby teenager will eventually join your "crazy" dance party (even when they think you've lost it)
• The prescription for the 3pm slump that doesn't involve coffee or shame

📌 Connect with Jennifer

• Brave Thinking Institute: https://www.bravethinkinginstitute.com/
• Transcendance: https://www.bravethinkinginstitute.com/health-wellbeing/resources/ws/transcendance-masterclass/register/st

RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS:

👉 If you’ve ever thought, “Am I doing this right?” or felt the pain of wanting to do everything but not having the tools, this episode is for you. Listen, share it with another parent who needs healing and guidance, and subscribe to The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation. And remember: you are not a bad mom; you’re a bada$$ in a broken system. Keep fighting.

 📌  Connect with Vivian Glyck & The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation

• The Bad Mom Podcast on Instagram
• Vivian on Instagram 
• The Bad Mom Podcast on Facebook
• The Bad Mom Podcast on YouTube
• The Bad Mom Podcast on TikTok
  
  

The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation is a Project Grit initiative: fortifying mental wellness for the next generation.

Just Like My Child Foundation is a proud nonprofit partner of Project, committed to equipping today's youth with the tools they need to thrive and build a better future. 

So here's the thing: I spent nearly 20 years building hospitals and schools in Uganda, fighting to save adolescent girls from forced marriage and early pregnancy, and then I looked up and realized the biggest battle was happening right in my own living room. In this conversation with Sammy Tagget, I pull back the curtain on how Project Grit and The Bad Mom Podcast were born, and honestly, it's messy. I talk about watching my son Zak's lung collapse minutes after birth, about the miscarriages, and about the night I watched a teenage girl die in childbirth in Uganda. Here's what most parents don't know: the same evil that was stealing childhoods in Africa is stealing them here—it just looks different. It's technology, isolation, and a system designed to break our kids' brains while we're left wondering if we're doing it right. You'll walk away understanding why this isn't just about parenting tips, it's about a resistance movement, and why the first person you need to save is yourself.

FOR FULL SHOW NOTES & TO WATCH THE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE, GO TO: badmompodcast.com/sammy

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Why working overseas for 20 years didn't prepare me for the crisis in my own home: I could build hospitals and put tens of thousands of girls through Girl Power Project, but nothing prepared me for watching my own son struggle with the mental health crisis that's gripping kids in the US. The enemy just looks different here—it's not malaria or forced marriage, it's screens, isolation, and a system that's hijacking our kids' dopamine receptors starting at age 2.
• The Serenity Prayer is not just for addicts—it's the guiding light for parenting the anxious generation: God grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change (the entire broken system), the courage to change what I can (my own attitudes, behavior, and belief systems), and the wisdom to know the difference (what's my business and what's my kid's business). When I started changing myself, my kids started getting better. 100%.
• Here's the truth about why you feel like a bad mom: You're not failing—you're a badass in a broken system. Every parent I talk to has that moment of "Am I doing enough? What did I do wrong?" But isolation is the number one detriment to mental health, and they've designed this whole setup to keep us alone, scrolling, and second-guessing ourselves instead of connecting with other parents who are in the same trenches.
• What your 2-year-old really needs when you hand them an iPad: Nothing good, I can tell you that. When you give a toddler access to that device, you start hijacking their dopamine receptors, creating cycles of addiction that continue into substance abuse. This is why we're seeing such a crisis around addiction—because we're human, and if you're human, you're an addict somewhere. The question is: what are you addicted to, and is it serving you?
• The Project Grit toolkit exists because information without wisdom is useless: There's so much content out there about parenting, but what we're lacking is the wisdom to know what we can actually change. Project Grit is about taking everything I learned supporting adolescents in the developing world and bringing it home—the real toolkits, the expert conversations, the pillars of mental health (brain development, nutrition, sleep, community), and the truth about what we're up against.
• Do this tomorrow: Stop trying to control what's happening out there and start with yourself. You can't get on some chat and change anybody else's mind about anything—not about politics, not about parenting, not about your kid's choices. You can only change yourself. Pull your own mask down first. That's the next right thing.

📌 Connect with Sammy Tagget

• https://shoeboxmoses.com/

Learn more about Project Grit: https://project-grit-8vpjl9h.gamma.site/

Get Your Grit Kit Today: https://www.justlikemychild.org/gritkitbasics/

RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS:

👉 If you’ve ever thought, “Am I doing this right?” or felt the pain of wanting to do everything but not having the tools, this episode is for you. Listen, share it with another parent who needs healing and guidance, and subscribe to The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation. And remember: you are not a bad mom; you’re a bada$$ in a broken system. Keep fighting.

 📌  Connect with Vivian Glyck & The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation

• The Bad Mom Podcast on Instagram
• Vivian on Instagram 
• The Bad Mom Podcast on Facebook
• The Bad Mom Podcast on YouTube
• The Bad Mom Podcast on TikTok
  
  

The Bad Mom Podcast: Parenting The Anxious Generation is a Project Grit initiative: fortifying mental wellness for the next generation.

Just Like My Child Foundation is a proud nonprofit partner of Project, committed to equipping today's youth with the tools they need to thrive and build a better future.