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ASK MAMMA

ASK MAMMA

Written by: Paula
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Ask Mamma is a podcast for parents of teens who are done with advice that sounds good but doesn't survive contact with a real teenager. Host Paula - Balkan mom, strategist by trade - applies two decades of professional experience in communication, negotiation, and crisis management to the hardest years of parenting. Strategic, upfront conversations about decoding your teen, fixing the connection, and building something that actually holds up. New episodes weekly.Paula Parenting Relationships
Episodes
  • Why your TEEN hates family gatherings (it's not what you think)
    Jun 2 2026

    Get FREE Teen behavior Decoder here: https://askmammapodcast.com/behavior

    Your teen used to love family gatherings. Now they sit in a corner on their phone, refuse to talk to relatives, or fight you about going at all. Is something wrong or is this just what teenagers do?

    In this episode I break down why teens pull away from extended family, what's actually happening when they shut down at family events, and what you can do about it without making everything worse.

    I cover:

    - Why family gatherings feel overwhelming for teens (and why they can't explain it)

    - The difference between normal withdrawal and something worth worrying about

    - What relatives do that pushes teens further away without realising it

    - How to prep your teen before a family event so it doesn't end in a fight

    - What to say to family members who take it personally

    - When to push your teen to show up and when to let them skip it

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    17 mins
  • Your Family is Being Peer-Reviewed
    May 24 2026

    And you probably don't know it's happening.From the moment your teen starts caring what their friends think, the peer group's gaze extends beyond your teen to your whole family. Your home. Your habits. Your appearance. Your conflicts. All of it goes into the case file.In this episode of Ask Mamma, we cover:- Why your front door is not a soundproof barrier- What your teen's peer group is actually auditing, and it's not just your appearance- Why your teen shares your family's private life with their friends - and what's really driving it- The water test - how teens test parents before they trust them- The manifesto problem - the declarations you've forgotten that your teen hasn't- How to keep the communication channel open - and what destroys it instantlyWhat to do when you realize your family has become the weekly updateThis episode is for the parent who wants to understand what's actually happening in their teen's social world and what role your family is playing in it.

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    26 mins
  • When Words are Missing
    May 17 2026

    My Teen-Faced Family Dynamics Kit: http://bit.ly/4fl3nPl

    Want the FREE PDF guide 'Teen Decoder- 16 teen phrases, what's behind them and what to do'? Get it here: ⁠https://askmammapodcast.com/free-guide⁠Before you wonder why your teen doesn't know how to handle this, ask yourself who taught you.Most of the emotional tools we expect teens to have were never modeled for us either. This episode is about inherited gaps: the things we didn't learn, couldn't teach, and are now watching our kids struggle with. And why closing that gap starts with honesty, not parenting hacks.We discuss:- The 5 things teens can't say yet- What teens say instead- When words are too scary- How you help without making it a lesson?- The 3-Way Proposal- Their version of pause- How to be patient with their inarticulate moments
    JOIN THE STRATEGYRead the AskMamma Notes & My Story: askmammapodcast.comWATCH ME ON YOUTUBE:


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    23 mins
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