Here’s the hard truth: the moment your teen feels evaluated, the conversation gets worse—and so does your influence. In this episode, we help you build emotional safety without lowering standards, and teach you how to stay calm when your teen isn’t. You’ll get simple, real-life ways to respond when things get tense--when you start feeling "judgy"--plus actionable steps you can use today to reduce conflict, strengthen connection, and support your teen athlete’s mindset the smart way.

Hang in there because we're going to drop The 5 Second Lane Test, a simple tool you'll want to have in your Parental Toolkit when you are about ready to make a communication error. This tool is dynamite and will help you blow up the old you and allow you to parent from a neutral position!! Let's goooooooooooo!

The Timestamps

00:00 Navigating Parenting Challenges

02:58 The Role of Non-Parental Coaches

05:51 Building a Safe Home Base

08:33 Understanding Emotional Regulation

11:29 The Importance of Neutrality

14:04 Action Steps for Parents

16:29 The Five Second Lane Test

Hey there Most Valuable Parents! We are creating a world-class podcast for parents of teen athletes and performers on YouTube. We can also be found on the other usual places you get your podcasts like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

New episodes drop every MONDAY.

We would be most grateful if you would SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel where our unique show for parents of teen athletes and performers resides. The name of our podcast is the same name as our YouTube channel: The STOP PARENTING & START COACHING Podcast!

We're also posting valuable content on LinkedIn. Please follow us and connect with us: LinkedIn Steve Galley

And, there’s more–there always isn't there?! If you’ve read this far you probably are totally nerdy and giddy about helping teen athletes and performers to excel. Click here to pick up our 100%

-Nate & Steve

Here’s the hard truth: your teen athlete/performer might be hiding struggles because they don’t want your common reaction. You tend to activate full-blown Fixer Mode! This doesn't make you a "bad parent" but there is a better way to approach this situation and the opportunity for growth and improved connection is waiting for you.

In our bantering and discussion in this episode we call out the mistake we ALL make as parents because we love our offspring so much! We want to FIX their problems for them when sometimes they just want and need us to listen in a way that creates some safety and space to get something off their chest. Asking questions that allow them to be open and honest sets you up to coach your teen athlete/performer into creating their own solutions and building confidence. All without turning every moment into a lecture or a fix it session.

Let's gooooooooooo Most Valuable Parents!

The Timestamps

00:00 Understanding Teen Struggles

02:33 The Role of Parents as Fixers

05:30 Listening vs. Fixing: The Emotional Safety

08:13 Effective Communication Strategies

10:57 The Detective Approach to Parenting

14:00 Supporting Teen Growth and Independence

Takeaways

-Teens may hide struggles to avoid parental "fixing."

-Parents often jump into problem-solving mode too quickly.

-Emotional safety is crucial for open communication.

-Listening is more important than providing immediate solutions.

-The "curse of knowledge" can hinder effective parenting.

-Asking questions can empower teens to find their own solutions.

-Parents should adopt a "detective" approach to understand situations better.

-Fixing problems can sometimes damage the parent-teen connection.

Hey there Most Valuable Parents! We are creating a world-class podcast for parents of teen athletes and performers on YouTube. We can also be found on the other usual places you get your podcasts like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

New episodes drop every MONDAY.

We would be most grateful if you would SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel where our unique show for parents of teen athletes and performers resides. The name of our podcast is the same name as our YouTube channel: The STOP PARENTING & START COACHING Podcast!

We're also posting valuable content on LinkedIn. Please follow us and connect with us: LinkedIn Steve Galley

And, there’s more–there always isn't there?! If you’ve read this far you probably are totally nerdy and giddy about helping teen athletes and performers to excel. Click here to pick up our 100%

-Nate & Steve

Wanna know how to pause, find the “why” behind your reaction, and respond like a calm, high-performance coach—not a panicked or crazed bleacher creature?! Stick with us in this episode because we have some burning questions for you along with a few simple preemptive strikes you can launch before the next competition, plus some communication moves that protect connection with your high achieving teen athlete or performer, especially when emotions run red hot!

The Timestamps

00:00 The Common Parental Mistake

03:18 Understanding Emotional Reactions

05:17 The Impact of Highly Emotional Reactions on Relationships

08:00 Navigating a Coach's Substitutions and Your Teen's Mistakes

10:22 The Importance of a Big Picture Perspective

12:33 Preemptive Strike Strategies for Parents Before the Competition

Takeaways

-Reactions can create blind spots that hinder understanding.

-Parents often react without realizing the impact on their children.

-Emotional attachment can drive irrational responses.

-It's crucial to pause and reflect on a proper response vs. a knee jerk reaction.

-Understanding the 'why' behind reactions can prevent misunderstandings.

-Parents should focus on what truly matters in competitive situations.

-Preemptive strike strategies can help manage emotional responses.

-Communication is key to maintaining healthy relationships with teens.

-Parents should strive to be aware of their emotional triggers.

Hey there Most Valuable Parents! We are creating a world-class podcast for parents of teen athletes and performers on YouTube. We can also be found on the other usual places you get your podcasts like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

New episodes drop every MONDAY.

We would be most grateful if you would SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel where our unique show for parents of teen athletes and performers resides. The name of our podcast is the same name as our YouTube channel: The STOP PARENTING & START COACHING Podcast!

We're also posting valuable content on LinkedIn. Please follow us and connect with us: LinkedIn Steve Galley

And, there’s more–there always isn't there?! If you’ve read this far you probably are totally nerdy and giddy about helping teen athletes and performers to excel. Click here to pick up our 100%

-Nate & Steve