"Severe acne affects your mental health far more than some medication ever will." Sarah Wood, mum of two young men and a teenage girl. Sarah Wood joins me on this episode to talk about her experience of teenage acne, how she coped, how she eventually treated it, and how she's supported all of her own teenagers through the same thing. Sarah first got acne when she was 12 and she still has it at 49. But nowadays she manages it with medication, and talks about how important it is to get the right treatment for acne if it's starting to affect your teenager's mental health. Sarah says that her own ..read more

Today's guest suffered huge anxiety as a teenager. After trying all the traditional medical remedies for stress, Devorah Goldblatt discovered something she never thought would work - EFT. EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques and involves tapping on acupressure points to reduce emotional distress. It's an evidence-based treatment for anxiety, depression, PTSD and phobias that's backed up with solid research. Helen is a complete skeptic where alternative therapies are concerned, so when Devorah invited her into a live experiment of tapping, she was out of her comfort zone! Find out what h ..read more

Today's guest suffered huge anxiety as a teenager. After trying all the traditional medical remedies for stress, Devorah Goldblatt discovered something she never thought would work - EFT. EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques and involves tapping on acupressure points to reduce emotional distress. It's an evidence-based treatment for anxiety, depression, PTSD and phobias that's backed up with solid research. Helen is a complete skeptic where alternative therapies are concerned, so when Devorah invited her into a live experiment of tapping, she was out of her comfort zone! Find out what h ..read more

Is your teen dating? As a parent that's been one of my most confusing stages as a parent - how do you give your teenager privacy when they start dating, but still keep them safe? If you've ever wondered if your child's choice of partner might be unhealthy, this episode is for you. Liz Merrill is a relationship and mediation expert who specialises in helping people who are in narcissistic and abusive relationships. Liz recently set up a campaign to highlight to young people the red flags they should be aware of if something doesn't feel quite right in their relationship, something which I think ..read more

'Sleep Whisperer' Dr. Chris Winter talks to Helen about how to recognise sleep problems in our teenage children, and what they need us to do to help them. Dr. Chris says that he's seeing more and more incidences of sleep disturbance in his clinic, especially in teens and young adults. Who is Dr Chris Winter? Chris Winter is a sleep expert and specialist in sleep problems. His book The Rested Child* helps parents understand when children might need their help, and why it's not always helpful to focus on sleep hours. It's a comprehensive guide to the varied sleep disorders that affect children f ..read more

The world is set up for dual parent families, says today's podcast guest author Sarah Thompson, who discovered all sorts of hurdles were placed in her way when she became a single mother. However, there is a silver lining, and Sarah has written a compelling book about everything she thinks her children have benefited from since their parents' separation. Listen to the podcast to find out why solo parenting can work out well even when you have teenagers. Here are some of the ways Sarah says her kids have benefitted from being raised by a single mother: Resilience Emotional maturity Organisatio ..read more

This episode is a little dose of comfort for anyone who has older teenagers and is staring in the face of a prospective empty nest. Liz and Michelle both have adult children, and have so many good things to say about their life since their kids left home for university. We discuss the fact that being over 50 isn't the end, and how learning new things is just part of the new normal for us as our kids move on. Liz and Michelle have reassuring words for anyone who fears that the eyerolls teenagers throw their parents' way are here to stay. They say their relationships with their adult children ha ..read more

Do you have a narcissistic parent? Or has your child experienced narcissism in the family? Listen to this episode of Teenage Kicks to learn how to identify narcissistic parenting, and how to help your child heal from it. Marie Ellis Cook says that growing up with a narcissistic parent left her unable to accept love as an adult, and confused about her value. What it's like being a daughter with a narcissistic mother Marie says that when you're a child it can be difficult to see how a narcissistic mother destroys you. She assumed her mother's rage and lack of comfort was normal until she visited ..read more

Do you have a narcissistic parent? Or has your child experienced narcissism in the family? Listen to this episode of Teenage Kicks to learn how to identify narcissistic parenting, and how to help your child heal from it. Marie Ellis Cook says that growing up with a narcissistic parent left her unable to accept love as an adult, and confused about her value. What it's like being a daughter with a narcissistic mother Marie says that when you're a child it can be difficult to see how a narcissistic mother destroys you. She assumed her mother's rage and lack of comfort was normal until she visited ..read more

What do you know about bias? The chances are, if you're a white British parent who doesn't have to use a food bank, you know much less than your teenager. And I'd wager that if you have teens, they will understand much more about bias than you do. In fact, my own teenagers have been instrumental in my own learning curve as I've discovered unconscious bias not just in myself and my family, but all around me in the world. So what do you need to know about bias as the parent of a teenager? If this resonates, you will love this episode with Caryn Franklin, MBE, and Professor Keon West about their ..read more