Teenage Kicks Podcast

Owen Wood suffered from anxiety as a young teenager. He tells me how he coped, what his parents did to support him, and what helped him at school during those years. We talk about how travelling on a budget during Race Across The World taught him to have faith in himself, and how he copes with the nerves of travelling alone now. Owen says that, just because you're an anxious teenager, it doesn't mean you're going to be an anxious adult. The trick, he says, is to try new things anyway, and to have faith in your own ability to take care of yourself. The more you experiment and realise that you can survive difficult things, the more confident you become. Who is Owen Wood? 22 year old Owen Wood lives in Hertfordshire and is currently training to be a commercial airline pilot. However, you might know his name from season 4 of Race Across The World, which he won along with his friend Alfie Watts. After winning on the show last year, he went straight back out to Southeast Asia to do it all over again! He’s now planning on doing the same in Australia later this year. We talk about how it felt to be on the TV programme, and stress and excitement of the race. You might be forgiven for thinking that Owen owes his travel confidence to a carefree attitude to life, but he talks openly about his struggles with anxiety as a teenager. He’s now an ambassador for teenage mental health charity The Mix, a website for teenagers and young adults where you can find information and support for most issues you might face as a teenager. Useful links: The MixOwen on Instagram

Evan Transue started suffering with panic attacks at the age of 5. He had no family history of trauma, and due to his seemingly great life, his panic attacks went misdiagnosed for over 10 years. During this time, he developed other mental health conditions, and eventually turned to substances to numb the pain. Eventually he was diagnosed with panic disorder, and had an aha moment that changed his life. We talk about what panic attacks feel like, how they can lead to depression, and how parents can help support teenagers as they learn to deal with them. Evan now hasn’t had a panic attack in 10 years. Who is Evan Transue? Evan is the host of The Health Detective Podcast and owner of Bucks County Light Therapy and Functional Medicine Center. He graduated from Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) in 2017. Prior to finding FDN he and his mother had suffered with a variety of health challenges for over a decade. The FDN system transformed his and his mom's lives so profoundly that all of his work is now centered around spreading its teachings. Evan speaks professionally to middle and high school students about mental health challenges and to date has spoken to 50,000 students. More teenage parenting from Helen Wills Helen Wills Counselling and Parent CoachingActually Mummy parenting teens blogHelen on InstagramThank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham

Parents often worry about the teenage years. The term 'threenager' is frequently used to describe the toddler tantrums that leave parents tearing their hair out. I used it myself, with an eyeroll and a wry smile, but now that I've been through the teenage years I'm apologetic about that. I think it's patronising, and it doesn't help our relationships with our teens. Katia Vlachos has experienced this from the teen point of view, and it took her until adulthood to realise that her 'good girl' behaviour wasn't serving her. She talks to me about how easy it is to raise a people-pleasing teenager (even when we think we're on the receiving end of full-scale rebellion), and why it's not such a good thing to have a teenager who sticks to the rules. Who is Katia Vlachos? Katia Vlachos is a coach and author of a new book called Uncaged. Raised in a traditional Greek family, Katia's early years were spent trying to please others as the perfect daughter and student, but she often found ways to embrace her rebellious spirit - including sneaking out at night and driving off into the sunset on the back of her boyfriend's Harley Davidson. As she grew up, Katia became more weighed down by this 'good girl' persona she'd be trying to live up to until one day, when she was in her 40s, she faced the reality that the life she was living had been designed to make other people happy and not herself. After a series of life-altering events – including the death of her beloved father and the end of her 17-year marriage – Katia confronts how being obsessed with being seen as 'good' has affected her life decisions and sets out on a path of self-discovery and reinvention. Unpicking how she had been conditioned since childhood to chase societal approval and put the needs and desires of others above her own, Katia used her experiences to write a book about her story and inspire other women who are fed up of feeling guilty for wanting more. Uncaged: A Good Girl's journey to reinventionKatia on InstagramKatiaVlachos.comHow to Fail podcastMore teenage parenting from Helen Wills Helen Wills Counselling and Parent CoachingActually Mummy parenting teens blogHelen on InstagramThank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham

Today's guest is content creator and copywriter Tom Pinks, who is The number of teenagers saying they don't drink alcohol is 39%. Tom talks about how he was bullied at secondary school before eventually finding a way to take control and stand up for himself. He was also dealing with his mum's diagnosis of cancer and says that it could have been quite a dark time had it not been for the resilience that kicked in as he learned to take care of his emotions. He also talks about feeling shy when he started university - have a listen to Tom's top tip for making friends in a new environment! Tom says this is when he started using alcohol to hide his shyness and pretend to be more extroverted than he was. Whilst he says it didn't feel like a problem in the moment, he struggled to keep up with the drinking of Freshers and eventually realised it was too much. Tom told me how he eventually cut down on drinking and became isolated as he distanced himself from friends who were drinkers. He was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and had to take time out to address it. He tells us how difficult that experience was, and what help is available now to young people going through similar, from free counselling to support of communities online. Tom's experience of being sober since then is fascinating to listen to - from being fully alive at the music gigs he loved, to the experience of dating without alcohol. Useful links: The Highly Sensitive PersonThe MixTom's blog about sober datingMore teenage parenting from Helen Wills Helen Wills Counselling and Parent CoachingActually Mummy parenting teens blogHelen on InstagramThank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham

My guest today has written a book about how much we underestimate teenage girls, and why we’d do well as parents to listen more to what they have to say. Chelsey Goodan has interviewed dozens of teenage girls about what’s going on in their lives, and what they need from adults in order to thrive. We talk about perfectionism and self-esteem, shame around sexuality, and the best way to get teenagers to develop a healthy relationship with their phones and social media – spoiler alert, it doesn’t involve banning apps and confiscating their phones. Chelsey talks about her own experience of being a people-pleaser as a teenager. Always wanting to be the 'good girl', Chelsey didn't realise how much this tendency was hurting her. She goes on to tell us how she became a 'recovering perfectionist' and gives some ideas to support mothers who have carried perfectionism into their parenting journey. She also tells me that trying to protect our girls can backfire by giving them a victim mentality. Instead, she says, we need to empower teenage girls to trust their own inner voices, know what they need, and have agency over their own safety and directions. She answers the question "is social media dangerous" and has an interesting take on how we can introduce our teenagers to smartphones. Chelsey has written a great book about how what teenage girls are really feeling and how judged they often feel. It's a brilliant explanation of what's going on for our daughters and how we can support them more constructively to be the best they can be emotionally. You can find Chelsey's book here: Underestimated: The wisdom and power of teenage girls (affiliate link)Chelsey's websiteChelsey on InstagramMore teenage parenting from Helen Wills Helen Wills Counselling and Parent CoachingActually Mummy parenting teens blogHelen on InstagramThank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham

TW: Self-harm This episode is sponsored by training provider Flourish, and my guest today is an expert in supporting teenagers with the emotional challenges that often come with adolescence. Charlotte Gordon is a nationally recognised youth worker and trainer who has deep expertise in addressing anxiety, depression and distress, and empowers those who work with teenagers to have the practical life skills they need to help young people develop emotional resilience and well-being. Her approaches are especially effective in supporting neurodiverse young people. As a single mother, Charlotte founded KIP Education to reach the young people who often fall through the cracks in traditional educational settings. Her programmes aim to cultivate self-awareness, mindfulness, critical thinking, communication skills and social empathy, empowering young people to manage stress and develop a strong sense of social consciousness and human values. She talks to us about a parenting course that offers practical advice and the opportunity to improve our knowledge around mental health, wellbeing and safety. The Flourish Empowered parenting course bundle covers topics such as vaping, gang violence and supporting LGBTQIA+ children. Listeners can get a 15% discount on the course by using code KICKS15 at checkout. USEFUL LINKS Flourish Empowered Parenting Course BundleKip EducationMore teenage parenting from Helen Wills Helen Wills Counselling and Parent CoachingActually Mummy parenting teens blogHelen on InstagramThank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham

*TW - Suicide and self harm This week's guest is the parent of a 17-year-old transgender boy. She talks about how it felt to support her son as they came to the realisation that their assigned gender did not match who they knew themselves to be. She describes how difficult it was for her son despite her family's acceptance and support of his decision, compared to other teenagers she knows of who have not been supported by their families. I ask her why she thinks some parents don't accept their children's LGBTQIA+ feelings. Heidi told me the hardest part of her son's transgender journey was their decision to change their name. She says she went through a period of mourning for the daughter she gave birth to. We talk about how difficult it can be as parents to allow our children to determine for themselves who they're going to be, without trying to influence them. She gives some insight into what age she thinks is best for a teenager to undertake surgical transition, the controversy around puberty blockers and how normal gender and sexuality changes are to our own teenagers' generation. Heidi also talks about her own teenagers years growing up with undiagnosed bipolar, and how easy it was to miss amongst all the teenage hormones. Who is Heidi L Gross? Heidi published her first personal and heartfelt work, Embracing Love: A Parent’s Guide to Nurturing and Celebrating LGBTQ+ Identity. Inspired by her journey as the mother of a transgender son, the book aims to support parents who are navigating similar experiences, offering them insight, compassion, and guidance. More from Heidi https://amzn.to/42nGW5EAlso listen to What your transgender teen wants you to knowOvercoming self-harmMental health, sexuality and self-harm recoverMore teenage parenting from Helen Wills Helen Wills Counselling and Parent CoachingActually Mummy parenting teens blogHelen on InstagramThank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham

It's a question I see asked a lot. There's a whole Facebook group dedicated to discussing the issues parents have when their children are preparing to leave home for university, and the questions come in cycles. Right now, it's UCAS forms and university choices, as the deadline for applications looms. In a couple of months it will be questions about A-Level revision and exam dates, and then will come the angst - in rafts - over teenagers whose parents don't think they're ready. (I have a sneaking suspicion it's the parents who aren't ready most of the time, not the kids. My guest in this episode speaks to this parental fear as a parent herself, and as a psychologist who supports families of children and teenagers with type 1 diabetes. Professor Deborah Christie talks about how any disability makes it more difficult to leave home, especially for the often chaotic lifestyle of university. With data* suggesting that over a third of young adults have a long-term physical or mental health condition, disability or illness, could this be something your listeners might be interested in? Deborah offers reassurance and tips for success, whatever your fears for your child as they gain independence and have to look after themselves. * Research commissioned to mark the integration of Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus sensor with Insulet’s Omnipod® 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System. More for parents of teenagers preparing for university Don't fear the empty nest (podcast) 10 Tips for coping with empty nest syndrome (read)Being diagnosed with diabetes as a teenager (podcast)How to keep your teen safe at university (read)60 Gifts for university students (list)Who is Deborah Christie? Deborah Christie is a professor of paediatric and adolescent psychology at University College London NHS Foundation Trust and Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust. She is an internationally respected academic and award-winning clinician; with an outstanding record of peer-reviewed publications, teaching and leadership with over 200 peer reviewed papers and chapters and a bestselling book, Psychosocial Aspects of Diabetes in Children, Adolescents and Families. She co-authored the expert reports on Psychosocial Issues of infection and the Impact of bereavement for the UK government Infected Blood Inquiry. Who is Helen? Helen wills is a counsellor, a parent coach, and a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham.

Welcome to series 9 of the Teenage Kicks podcast, and a brand new set of brave conversations with people who had something difficult to go through in their teenage years. This episode features Jon Wilson Cooper, who - through his career choice as a counsellor - has explored his own relationship with his mental health at length, including how he feels about having grown up with a sibling with disabilities. We discuss everything from the embarrassment of being seen in public with his deaf brother, who had behavioural difficulties as a result of his disability, the jealousy of the attention given to his brother, and the shame of feeling this way. Jon says there's a difference between shame and guilt, and the challenge for our teenagers - and for us as their parents - is to reject the shame (which is paralysing) whilst managing the guilt effectively. Who is Jon Wilson Cooper? Jon is a qualified psychotherapist, trainer, and organisational consultant with over 38 years’ experience of helping people with their mental health. He is the Founder and Director of The Albany Centre for personal and professional development, which is a counselling training institute and therapy. He also runs Mosaic Counselling Services CIC (a low-cost counselling service) in St Albans, Hertfordshire. He has worked in the UK, America, and India in a variety of settings with a wide range of clients, including those with addiction issues, mental health problems and histories of personal trauma. Jon has a special interest in helping individuals raise awareness of their blocks to emotional well-being and making positive life choices. Jon is also a TEDx speaker whose talk on why people hate was chosen as one of the top TEDx talks of 2024. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su-0oL1QdHM Jon welcomes connection - you can find him here: Connect on LinkedInThe Albany CentreFacebookFollow the Albany Centre on FacebookMore teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a counsellor, a parent coach, and a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham.

In this final episode of my 8th season of Teenage Kicks, we hear from Betty and James Mukherjee, of Race Across The World fame. Watching the show we saw the brother and sister relationship develop as they completed challenges together, but they say it wasn't always like this - they fell out like typical siblings when they were growing up. They talk about how they handled their feelings during the harder times on the trip around Southeast Asia (remember when they lost their passports?) and the moment when Betty opened up to James about her diagnosis of MRKH, a medical condition which means she doesn't have a uterus. I ask Betty what it was like to be diagnosed at the age of 16 with something that changed her perception of her life, and I ask James how it felt to know at a young age that his sister's life had changed. They both talk about the need to allow feelings, their own and each other's, and - importantly - to open up about those feelings rather than keeping them locked in. She describes herself as a 'glass half empty' kind of girl, and how important it is to notice when she starts to catastrophise and take steps to change her previous patterns. Betty now shares the reality of her daily life on Instagram and in her women's wellbeing community It's a Balance Thing. She says it's important for her to talk to her friends (even though they couldn't understand) and to share with others going through the same. She recommends MRKH Connect for other people living with MRKH. James tells me about the moment on the show where he gets a hug from a cameraman after feeling emotional during that conversation, and how important it feels now to help men understand that allowing emotions is also important for them. He recommends Andy's Man Club as a good place to start if you're struggling to open up about mental health. You can also message James on Instagram. More teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a counsellor, a parent coach, and a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham.

It can be very isolating when your child is diagnosed with a new and scary condition. It always helps to hear from someone who's been through it beforehand, and today's guest has experienced ADHD with bells on in her family and with her teenager. Claire Quigley West tells us about how her teenage years were affected by undiagnosed ADHD. She goes on to explain her son's diagnosis, and how she is finding the challenge of parenting now she has a teenager with ADHD. Read the full transcript or watch this episode on Youtube. Who is Claire Quigley West? Claire is the host of the podcast All Aboard ADHD, which helps parents navigate the ADHD journey. Her ADHD journey began in 2017, when her son was diagnosed at the age of 6. She also has an 8 year old daughter who she says almost certainly has ADHD, although not yet diagnosed. She also has her own adult diagnosis of ADHD. Out of a desire to do everything in her power to support her son, and to ensure other parents never felt as alone as she had, Claire founded ADHD Winchester, as a local parent community in 2021. She has since trained as an ADHD coach (working with tweens and teens). Find Claire at All Aboard ADHD and on Instagram @allaboardadhd. More teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a counsellor, a parent coach, and a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham.

Today's guest had an unusual childhood, with a modelling career as a child, and winning Miss Spain at the age of 17. She grew up in the limelight and with a hectic professional schedule. She also attended boarding school in a different country to her family. I talk to Lorena about how a life in the limelight from a young age has influenced her parenting styles and what she teaches her kids about achieving your goals and the reality of success. Who is Lorena Bernal? Born in Argentina, Lorena moved to Spain as a young child and her modelling career kicked off when she was just 7, culminating in her being crowned Miss Spain as a teenager in 1999. She then went on to become a successful actress in Hollywood before moving to the UK with her family and pivoting her career behind the scenes to certify as a life coach and mindfulness practitioner as well as establish her company, Live Love Better. She now balances her career with writing her first book and raising her three sons. Find out more on Lorena's website, and at Live Love Better, her coaching and mental health community. More teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a counsellor, a parent coach, and a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham.

Today's guest speaks of horrific emotional bullying at school as a teenager. She struggled to make friends after she was accepted to a selective school, and her self-esteem suffered. Her parents had sacrificed to get her into the school, so Angela didn't feel she could complain to them. Instead, she felt guilty for having attracted the abuse. This is all too common for children who are bullied - the feeling that something must be wrong with them. Angela tells me how this impacted her through her adult life, and how she eventually turned around her view of herself. She now helps others who are dealing with the effects of bullying, be that at school or in the workplace. Who is Angela Roth? Angela journey from being badly bullied in school to becoming a leading figure in the heart-centered coaching industry is a testament to her resilience and commitment to helping others. Growing up in Birkenhead as one of eight children, Angela faced significant challenges but emerged with a determination to make a positive impact in the world.Despite enduring bullying throughout her school years, Angela developed a strong sense of empathy and a desire to protect and assist those who were vulnerable. This early experience shaped her character and set her on a path of service and leadership.After pursuing a degree in mathematics, economics, and business at the University of Manchester, Angela joined the police force, driven by her desire to serve the community. Despite facing obstacles such as sexual harassment and corruption within the force, Angela remained steadfast in her commitment to making a difference. More information HERE! More teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a counsellor, a parent coach, and a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Malloy Podcasts.

This is a podcast that will change how you look at the problems you're going through. Carrie's voice is full of wisdom, and she knows what she's talking about, because she's been there too. Carrie Grant, MBE, is a TV presenter, vocal coach, activist, and World Vision ambassador who has worked with the charity for over 10 years. She was awarded an MBE in 2020 “for services to music, to media and to charity”. She partners with World Vision on the podcast series Raising Changemakers, where she hears from children who are making big changes in their global communities by campaigning to stop harmful practices like child labour, child marriage and FGM. Carrie explains what teenagers can do if they're appalled by the state of the world. She also tells us about her own difficult experiences with Crohn's disease, a life-changing condition she had to learn to live with at a very young age. She also talks about what it's like to raise neurodivergent children. Her book, A Very Modern Family, tells her family's story of neurodiversity. More teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a counsellor, a parent coach, and a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email helen@actuallymummy.co.uk. There are already stories from fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent, becoming a young carer, and being hospitalised with mental health problems - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Malloy Podcasts.

The big question in this episode is whether or not to give your child a smartphone, and what's the right age for your teenager to have a smartphones. Ofcom research in the UK in April 2024 claims that nearly a quarter of 5-7 year olds have their own smartphones, with 65% using WhatsApp and other messaging services. Hannah Oertel is the Founder and CEO of Delay Smartphones, a pioneering initiative dedicated to protecting children from the dangers of smartphones. As a therapist and intervention coach, she says she’s observed a concerning rise in anxiety among clients, and didn’t want her own children to have a childhood based on smartphones. Hannah developed a non-judgmental parent-to-parent approach that empowers parents with research and alternatives, encouraging them to delay smartphone access until age 14. With Hannah's leadership, Delay Smartphones has garnered support across the UK and recently expanded into the US. More teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email hhelen@actuallymummy.co.uk. There are already stories from fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent, becoming a young carer, and being hospitalised with mental health problems - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Malloy Podcasts.

Think of this podcast as a reframe on your teenager's risky behaviour. By the end of the episode, you'll be able to put your teen's risk-taking into context, and you'll feel much more relaxed as you go through the rollercoaster with them. Who is Daphne Adler? Daphne Adler has been described as “a mother rooting for all mothers.” And I think we all need one of those in our camps when it comes to the teenage years. Daphne has used her analytical and consulting skills to support parents in a new book Debunking Teenagers. In it, she gives us 200 research-based parenting strategies to help adolescents successfully navigate what she calls the “tempteen” years. The book answers the questions all parents of teens have: · Why are teenagers constantly tempted to behave recklessly, and what can parents do about it? · Why is telling your son or daughter to “just say no” a hopelessly ineffective strategy? · Why are teens constantly taking selfies? · And how can you keep your child safe behind the wheel? Other books I recommend: Hold on to your kids - Gabor MatéThe teenager in the greenhouse -More teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email teenagekickspodcast@gmail.com. There are already stories from fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent, becoming a young carer, and being hospitalised with mental health problems - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional.

We've talked a lot about anxiety on the podcast. In this episode, Marneta Viegas talks about how "crippling" self-esteem got the better of her as a teenager. If this is you - or your child - have a listen, and find out what can be done to help teenagers relax. Marneta tells me about her father's sudden death when she was a teenager, and how that filled her with guilt - another self-esteem thief. 19:20 - Strategies for improving self-esteem and helping teenagers relax Who is Marneta Viegas? Marneta is the founder of Relax Kids Ltd - a leading expert on children's relaxation. She has been running her relaxation programme for the last 25 years and it has helped over 5 million children at home and in school. Marneta has written 20 children’s meditation books and has recorded over 500 meditation audios. She has developed a unique (award winning) 7 step method to teach children to self-regulate and manage their anxiety. Marneta’s father died suddenly when she was 18, just before she went to university. I’m going to ask her about her relaxation programme, and for her tips on how – as parent’s – we can help our teens learn to relax more. More teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email teenagekickspodcast@gmail.com. There are already stories from fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent, becoming a young carer, and being hospitalised with mental health problems - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional.

"Loneliness is a condition that's just as bad for you as cancer", says Dr Richard Pile, a GP and specialist in loneliness. He goes on to say that the age bracket most affected by loneliness is young adults aged 16-24. Loneliness at a young age can leave mental health 'scars' in the same way that physical injuries stay with us for the rest of our lives. So it's important to help our teenagers identify when they're lonely, and learn what to do about it. What can we do to prevent loneliness in teenagers? Digital connection is valuableWho is Dr Richard Pile? Richard is an NHS GP specialising in Lifestyle Medicine and Cardiology. Outside of the surgery, his other jobs include promoting lifestyle medicine amongst the public and health professionals, training & appraisal, and being a mentor and coach. He has written for the national press and the British Medical Journal and is the author of a book on wellbeing. More from Richard : TEDx talk on loneliness in young adultsFit For PurposeFeel Good For LifeOther linksMore from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please get in touch. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham.

In this episode, we talk about academic pressure and the anxiety it can create for our teenagers. But more than that, we talk about FAILURE. Fear of failure, what failure really means, and how to help our teenagers when they think they've failed. Amelie Moore is a former language teacher who thinks it’s vital that kids learn to fail. Amelie says teenagers need to know that failure is not the end of the road, and that offering a safe, non-judgmental space for them to make mistakes and reflect, is how they will learn how to reach their goals and overcome challenges in their own way. As someone who felt overwhelmed by academic anxiety in her own teenage years, Amelie believes there’s a different way to help teenagers succeed whatever their school record. She says to teenagers listening: "You are not broken, you don't need fixing, you are amazing, unique individuals full of potential." Get more from Amélie Moore? It's MindcraftMore from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please get in touch. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham.

TW: Self-harm My guest for this episode goes by the name of That Hoarder. As a compulsive hoarder, she says she struggles with many aspects of hoarding behaviours, which she talks about on her own podcast That Hoarder - the first ever podcast by somebody who actually hoards rather than by a professional. She started her podcast to keep herself accountable and to help others with this stigmatised and hidden condition, as well as to raise awareness of hoarding disorder. She says that very stigma is why she does this anonymously. This is a sensationalised and shamed mental illness and speaking more openly about it is an essential way to spread the word and help people. While a lot is still not understood, she told me that there can be signs of hoarding as early as childhood or teenage years. 2:45 - People judge hoarding as being about laziness, but it's a manifestation of something else that's wrong. That's why TV shows that sensationalise the condition aren't helpful. Why clearing the space isn't helpful. 7:00 - Seeing hoarding as a coping strategy. My guest talks about feeling "wrong at her core" and having out of control emotions. 12:00 - Understanding what might drive self-harm. 14:38 - Signs of hoarding in a teenager. Which hoarding symptoms begin between the ages of 10-20, before escalating in later life. 21:00 - What might have helped prevent hoarding disorder developing? 38:00 - Why professional help is needed to help someone combat their hoarding disorder, and what kind is most helpful. 39:25 - An effective strategy for successfully managing self-harm. 56:00 - When is it hoarding, and when is it just a messy teenager? How can parents help a teenager who hoards? Resources: Overcoming self-harmOvercome Compulsive Hoarding podcastAdvice for children of hoardersHoarding Disorders UKMindMore from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy, a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please get in touch. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram and Twitter @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Zencastr's policy page Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Episode produced by Michael J Cunningham.