Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam

Taming Teen Temper Tantrums

In this episode, I provide tips for  addressing teen anger. This is in response to the following parent questions: 
What is the best way to diffuse a teen who is in the middle of a temper flare-up? 
How should a parent respond in the moment of frustration (both on the part of the parent and teen)?
 
Key Takeaways
Your teen’s emotions/meltdowns are a response to their brain’s fire alarm alerting them that they are not safe and need to protect themselves.
Understand the situation from their perspective. Why are they upset?
Proactively decide how you are going to response in a way that brings the temperature down and clears the smoke.
Find ways to prevent the need for blow ups and teach them strategies to express emotions more effectively and respectively. 
Next time your teen’s fire alarm goes off, respond calmly and focus on what they need to feel safe.
 
Have a Question for Dr. Cam?
Submit it via email.
Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram.
 
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please take a moment to rate and review.  This helps parents like you find the show. Review on iTunes.
 
Subscribe to the Podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, YouTube, Google, Spotify. You can also subscribe from the podcast app on your mobile device or listen LIVE in my Private Facebook Group.
 
Schedule a FREE consult with Dr. Cam
Want to know how Dr. Cam can help your family thrive? Grab a time at www.calldrcam.com.

How to help teens take accountability with Jeff Otis

In this episode, I’m joined by Jeff Otis, the founder of the personal leadership platform, Project OTY. Jeff is going to clue us in to why teens may resist taking accountability, how to encourage them to take more accountability, and how to help them uncover a sense of purpose and own their future.
 
Key Takeaways
The three O’s: Own your time, own your education, and own your organization
We need to acknowledge that we've got a generation of young adults growing up in a world that none of us have experienced. The speed at which information is coming at them is off the charts. It's becoming more difficult to take ownership and make decisions when it feels like the future is fuzzy and unsure.
Help them build their roadmap to create their purpose. Shift the focus to what they want their world to look like five years from today. Define success. Create a visual representation of what success looks like. If you can see it, you start to believe it, and then you start taking those steps to achieve it.  
One of the challenges we see in education is that it is very career focused. I think we're doing a disservice to young adults and teens by talking about picturing the rest of their life. That feels overwhelming. 
Change doesn’t happen overnight, be a little bit patient. You're in the middle of what's happening and often you can get caught up reacting to what's happening. When it becomes frustrating, this is an opportunity to pause for a moment, step back and look at why it's happening. When we start to unpeel, we see the uncertainty and fears that need to be addressed. 
There are four stages to learningUnconscious incompetence: You don't know what you don't know
Conscious incompetence: You realize you don't know what you need to know.
Conscious competence: You know what to do, but you still must think about it for a little bit.
Unconscious competence: Everything's on a reflex. 
Start exploring opportunities that are in alignment with your child’s unique strengths. Introduce them to different solutions and help them acknowledge and understand what their unique strengths are and how to leverage then today to move themselves forward.
We encourage young adults to reach out to 10 people that they trust to be honest with them, and ask them, “How would you describe my unique strength?” What strengths above all others seem to come effortlessly for me? This does a few thingsIt’s an immediate confidence boost for the young adult. 
They'll see strengths they may not have recognized in themselves. 
They're developing a list of strengths they can leverage going forward.  
New strengths are going to develop as we experience new things, but at every given point a young adult needs to be aware of what strengths they can leverage right now. 
Accountability starts with young adults identifying their unique strengths and how they can leverage them. When they can imagine a future they are passionate to go build, they will start getting out of bed a lot earlier on their own.
 
“As a parent, it's vitally important to be aware that your child is a unique individual.”
 
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.
 
Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!
 
Subscribe to the Podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, YouTube, Google, Spotify. You can also subscribe from the podcast app on your mobile device or listen LIVE in my Private Facebook Group.
 
Leave an iTunes Review
Ratings and reviews from my listeners are extremely valuable and greatly appreciated. They help this podcast rank higher on iTunes, which exposes the show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave a review on iTunes.

How to Get Teen Sleep on Track with Dr. Cara Ooi

Episode Summary
In this episode, I’m joined by sleep physician and youth psychiatrist Dr. Cara Ooi. Dr. Ooi is going to clue us in to why the teen years are a perfect storm for insomnia, the most common mistakes parents make when trying to get their teen’s sleep back on track and the three things we can do instead.  
 
Key Takeaways
The teen years create the perfect storm for insomnia. There is a natural delay in their body clock, which makes it difficult for them to fall asleep; they aren’t coping well with stress, which makes it challenging to unwind at night; they spend a lot of time hanging out on their beds, which creates an association with an awake alert state.
Common mistake #1: Insisting teens get to bed too early. Their bodies aren't ready for sleep until 12 or one. If their bedtime is before that, they end up spending 2-3 hours in bed not sleeping. This can snowball into more anxiety and frustration and strengthens a negative association with their bed, which makes it even more difficult to sleep. 
Common mistake #2: Don’t start by taking screens away. This creates conflict right before bed, which disrupts sleep more than the screens do. It also erodes connection, which means they’ll dig their heels in more.
Common mistake #3: Trying to convince them by telling them the benefits of sleep. This tends to be counterproductive
Tips to reset your teen’s sleep:
Delay their bedtime to better match up with when they are actually sleepy, to retrain their association with their bed to being in calm, sleepy state and good sleep.
Create a cozy nook. A place that is separate from their bed but provides the same comfort and privacy. This can be a fun project to do together. 
Create a sleep kit to put next to their bed so they don’t default to staring at their phone if they wake up. Can include notebook and pen, book or magazine, coloring book.
Minimize the amount of light in the room as much as possible. The darker the better.
Meet your teen where they’re at. Find a reason to get better sleep that is important to them. For example, if they love video games, better sleep can improve their reaction time.  
If you want to reset their sleep schedule, make small incremental changes to give their body the opportunity to adjust.
 
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Learn more about Dr. Ooi on her website and snag her free resources: The Parent’s Jumpstart Guide to Help Your Teen Sleep Better and I'm Exhausted but I Can't Sleep Webinar
Tune into her podcast series: Find the Eight
You can also connect with Dr. Ooi on Instagram + Tik Tok @decodeinsomnia
I’d love to hear from you too! Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram.
 
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it with a friend.
 
Subscribe to the Podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast right here on YouTube!

Tackling Teen Behavior Problems with Kimball Lewis

Disrespect, backtalk, and lying are just a few of the problematic teen behaviors many parents are trying to deal with. What do you do when you’ve tried everything, and nothing seems to work? That’s what we’re going to tackle in today’s episode.
I’m joined by Kimball Lewis, the CEO of EmpoweringParents.com (@ParentingAdvice). In addition to his leadership and management roles, he contributes as an editor, a homeschooling expert, and a parent coach. Kimball is frequently interviewed by CBS News in Tampa Bay, Florida, for his expert parenting adviceFREE STUFF!
Dr. Cam’s Top 10 Secrets for Raising Teens: www.askdrcam.com/parentingtips
Coupon code CAM10 good for $10 off the first month's subscription of The Total Transformation Online Package.
 
If you found this episode valuable, please take a quick moment to comment and share. This helps other parents like you find the show. Thank you!!

How to Have a Happy Divorce with Nikki & Ben

Navigating divorce and stepparenting is challenging for everyone involved, but statistics show it’s particularly difficult for teen-aged children. Fortunately, there are things we can do to ease the transition and even thrive.
Today I’m joined by authors of @ourhappydivorce Nikki DeBartolo and Ben Heldfond. Although their marriage has been over for nearly a decade, Nikki and Ben have learned how to create a happy life with each other and their new families. They are sharing their story in hopes of empowering and inspiring people to think differently about divorce, co-parenting, step-parenting, and what it means to put kids first. FREE STUFF!
Dr. Cam’s Top 10 Secrets for Raising Teens: www.askdrcam.com/parentingtips
If you found this episode valuable, please take a quick moment to comment and share. This helps other parents like you find the show. Thank you!!

Breaking Free from Social Anxiety with Mark Metry

Is your teen’s fear of being around a lot of people, getting called on in class, or having to talk to someone new making it feel impossible to go to school or out in public? Are you worried that they are becoming too isolated but don’t know how to help? Then this episode is for you.
I’m joined by Mark Metry, a 24-year-old mental health advocate, Forbes featured TEDx keynote speaker, host of the Social Anxiety Society podcast, and author of "Screw Being Shy.” Mark’s Kick Social Anxiety program helps people break free from anxiety by rewiring their brain, and today he’s going to give us some tips on how to best support our socially anxious teens. FREE STUFF!
Dr. Cam’s Top 10 Secrets for Raising Teens: www.askdrcam.com/parentingtips
If you found this episode valuable, please take a quick moment to comment and share. This helps other parents like you find the show. Thank you!!

Teens, Porn, and Sexting with Sean Clifford

Did you know that almost half of our kids have been exposed to sexting by the time they were 14 and that number continues to grow? As a mom of a 15-year-old daughter that scares me.
That’s why I’ve invited Sean Clifford, CEO and Founder of Canopy to join me today. A father of 4 young children, Sean founded Canopy in 2019 to protect children from pornography and help families take advantage of what’s good about the Internet without the bad.
In this episode, Sean is teaching us how to help our teens navigate technology safely.
FREE STUFF!
Dr. Cam’s Top 10 Secrets for Raising Teens: www.askdrcam.com/parentingtips
 
If you found this episode valuable, please take a quick moment to comment and share. This helps other parents like you find the show. Thank you!!

Teaching the Attitude of Gratitude with Chris DT Gordon

If your teen is miserable and making everyone around them miserable and you don’t know how to break them out of it, this episode is for you. Today I’m joined by Chris DT Gordon (@chrisdt.gordon.5), an international speaker, teacher, and survivor of the flesh-eating bacteria necrotizing fasciitis. After his recovery, this teacher from Minnesota chose to rise above his circumstances to help others. He created The Attitude of Gratitude (TAG), which helps people overcome their own “personal bacteria,” increase their positivity and resilience, and improve the lives of those around them. Chris strives to share TAG with young adults all over the world so they can achieve greatness on their own terms. FREE STUFF!
Dr. Cam’s Top 10 Secrets for Raising Teens: www.askdrcam.com/parentingtips
 
If you found this episode valuable, please take a quick moment to comment and share. This helps other parents like you find the show. Thank you!!

Supporting Overachieving, Perfectionist Teens with Donovan Dreyer

If you have an overachieving, stressed out teen who is crumbling under the weight of their own high expectations and self-inflicted pressure, this episode is for you.
Today I’m joined by Teen Takeoff Coach Donovan Dreyer, who specializes in preparing highly driven teens to accomplish their lofty life goals. Through his organization Get Ready Coaching, Donovan helps overachieving students get clarity on what they truly want and minimize their constant need to be perfect at EVERYTHING.
FREE STUFF!
Talking to teens about their lofty goals: https://www.getreadycoaching.com
Dr. Cam’s Top 10 Secrets for Raising Teens: www.askdrcam.com/parentingtips
If you found this episode valuable, please take a quick moment to comment and share. This helps other parents like you find the show. Thank you!!

The Antidote to Teen Anxiety with Dana Baker-Williams

I’ve been inviting several experts on recently to talk about Teen Anxiety. It’s something I see a lot in my practice, and the statistics support the growing problem. According to Pew Research three-in-ten teens say they feel tense or nervous about their day every or almost every day. Seven-in-ten say anxiety and depression is a major problem among people their age in the community where they live. And the #1 cause of teen anxiety according to teens is pressure to get good grades.
Today I’m joined by Parent and Teen Coach, Dana Baker-Williams. Dana specializes in ADHD and Anxiety, which are often linked.
Today Dana is going to provide us with some tips for helping us help our teens manage their stress and some strategies for fostering self-confidence and independence - the antidotes of anxiety.FREE STUFF!
Mental Health Resources for Teens & Their Families: https://drcam.ck.page/mental-health-resources
8 Coping Skills to Mitigate Anxiety: https://www.parentinginreallife.org/anxiety
 
If you found this episode valuable, please take a quick moment to comment and share. This helps other parents like you find the show. Thank you!!