This week I had the rare pleasure of sitting with an old friend in the lunchtime sun, talking about everything and anything. It’s so unusual for us to have this luxury that I didn’t even know about the accident her son had suffered. He&…
I started school over and over again as a child, because we moved countries repeatedly. I went to four different schools after I arrived in England - between the age of ten and thirteen - and then two different colleges before going to University. …
My daughter's friend is coming to stay. My daughter has just said 'I can see her on Snapmaps. She's at the airport. I don't know why she's riding an armadillo though.😂'Snapchat is a tricky app, because it's so much a part of being a teenager now, it…
Top tips from our listeners: Give them their own cupboard/fridge shelf with foods they are allowed to eat. bermudatriangle loves the idea of sending them food shopping with their own money to start understanding the prices. fp-massage sugge…
I do hope you found my interview with Mike Nicholson of www.progressivemasulinity.co.uk helpful. For me, one of the most interesting points was that once boys know that they won't be instantly judged or shut down - and that we are genuinely trying t…
I hated going to sleep when I was a teenager. I simply couldn’t understand the point. It seemed boring, and pointless, and there was something thrilling about being awake when nobody else was. It felt empowering and rebellious. Of course, it a…
'If you've got a problem with someone don't tell everyone else, tell them.' This is my mantra, but even knowing what I know I've still shied away from some of the most difficult confrontations. I could blame my childhood; I grew up in a hous…
The why: I still think of the time I finally found my 'why'. It was the second year of my A' levels and I had been feeling lost and purposeless, which showed in my grades. At a weekend residential camp studying Hamlet I met a boy who was l…
Do you remember the first time you had sex? One of our listeners pointed out that it's one of those moments that stays with us forever, so it makes sense to ensure that it's a positive experience. The problem with underage sex is that it's il…
I looked up the term 'triggered,' because it's used a lot these days, and I felt like it summed up how it feels to over-react. It's certainly the word I would use to describe that heightened emotional state I get when people - teens, husbands, mothe…
Before I begin, here’s an insight into the reality some parents face. I really struggle with some of these podcasts. The research is extensive and all the time I'm trying to maintain a balanced approach, rather than being triggered by my …
When we were asked to talk about the influencer, Andrew Tate, I groaned. He's been popping up in news articles for some time in the UK, his content banned from all main platforms, although recently reinstated on Twitter. He's also currently in a Rom…
Whenever I research any topic for this podcast I start by stepping back from the question to think about the concept. Take consequences; I set out trying to understand what consequences work, and why some teens go off the rails, but found myself se…
As a young woman, I got into the habit of making sure I sat down on New Year's Day to write down everything I wanted to achieve over the year to come. It was usually quite a long, unreasonable list, and always included 'Learn French'. Regardless of…
I'm always fishing for new games to play with my family. I find it brings us all together, makes us laugh, and releases some of the pent up energy that builds between family members. Here are the most loved games we played over our Christmas break,…
16th of December 2021 was the day our first episode dropped, and here at Teenagers Untangled HQ - AKA the kitchen table - we are thrilled by how much we have learned, how much it has helped our own families, and how much you have supported our growt…
I love throwing parties, but my bonus daughters will tell you that I'm far more enthusiastic about hosting over 20's than teens, purely because the responsibilities for me are far less extreme. When it comes to teen parties I've made some really st…
One of our regular listeners has asked us to research and discuss how to better deal with a teenager's lack of gratitude when Christmas gifts don't live up to their expectations. It was a fascinating topic because we've all experienced disappoi…
'What gives you the right to tell other parents what to do?' When a journalist pitched that question at one of my fellow *Parent Gym coaches the poor woman stumbled then tried to justif…
I distinctly remember standing at the university bar, flirting with a very attractive guy. He’d bought me a drink, we were making lots of eye contact and leaning into each other, he asked why I’d travelled to such curious places, I told …
This morning I opened the door to let the excited dogs out. They bounded past me, screeched to a halt at the threshold, peered out at the rain, then circled back to their beds. We've all been there. Years ago, when Caspar was a puppy who shivered …
This week my daughter called to say that someone had taken her phone charger and written their name on it. She could see where her own name had been rubbed out underneath the fresh ink. She was fuming. Her best friend – affronted by the cheek …
We'll be recording our next episode soon, so I've been researching drug use and misuse in the teens years. Here are ten great facts about teen alcohol and drug abuse we thought you might like to know:1. Some teens are at higher risk due to genetics…
One evening my friend dropped a thought bomb into our conversation. "All the research shows that nobody multi-tasks well." Emma happens to be the Chief Investment Officer of an eco investment fund, family breadwinner, and mother. Her comment sto…
