Podcast
Parenting Today's Teens
Hosted by Mark Gregston · EN
The Parenting Today's Teens Podcast is a daily resource for parents raising teenagers. Hosted by Mark Gregston, a renowned parenting expert with over 45 years of experience, this podcast provides practical, expert advice for navigating the challenges of parenting teens. Whether you're struggling with defiance, emotional issues, or just want to understand your teen better, Mark’s guidance is raw, real, and always hopeful.
Some episodes are co-hosted by Courtney LaFleur, LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) and on-staff counselor at Heartlight, adding professional counseling insights to the conversation. Together, Mark and Courtney provide expert tips and real-life solutions to help you build stronger relationships with your teen and navigate the complexities of today’s adolescent culture.
If you’re looking for guidance on how to connect with your teen, improve family dynamics, and raise a confident, well-adjusted teen, this podcast is for you.
For more parenting tools and expert advice, visit www.ParentingTodaysTeens.org.
116episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
I Mustache Mark a Question: Substance Use, Anger and Restoring Respect
6d ago00:27:04Tap to summarizeIn today's episode, Mark tackles some tough questions sent in by a family raising a teen with complex behavioral and emotional struggles. Diving into these real-life challenges, Mark shares how to navigate risky behavior, set boundaries that actually work and find consequences that motivate change. He also addresses how to handle vulgarity and threats at home, when to seek new counseling options and what to do when it feels like nothing is making an impact. With practical advice and a relational approach, Mark offers hope and strategies for parents feeling overwhelmed with their struggling teens.Have a question for the show? We'd love to hear it. Go to markgregston.com today!
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Understanding Your Teen's Inner Conflict
1w ago00:10:41Tap to summarizeWhy does your teen seem like one person at home and another at school? Mark and Wayne explore the inner conflict many adolescents experience as they try to reconcile the values they've been taught with the pressures of today's culture. Mark explains why this tension is a normal part of growing up, how parents can avoid pushing their teens away with shame or criticism, and why walking alongside them is far more effective than lecturing from a distance. Tune in for practical encouragement on helping your teen navigate life's competing influences while strengthening their faith, confidence and relationship with you.More than anything else, your teen needs an example of what it looks like to live out a godly life. Explore tips for teaching your teen about faith at parentingtodaysteens.org/articles/the-cross-and-your-teen
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Before You Share Your Opinion...
1w ago00:16:55Tap to summarizeAre you quick to offer your opinion, or do you help your teen see life from a broader perspective? In this episode, Mark shares two personal stories that transformed the way he views life's disappointments and hardships. Through humor, loss and unexpected moments of gratitude, Mark explains why perspective often matters more than having the right answer. He also challenges parents to move beyond lectures and opinions, offering the kind of wisdom that helps teens navigate life's challenges with resilience, gratitude and hope. Tune in for an encouraging reminder that a change in perspective can change everything.Learn the art of sharing your perspective and more tips here: parentingtodaysteens.org/articles/the-power-of-perspective-2
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Teen Stories: When Progress is Messy
1w ago00:20:47Tap to summarizeEvery journey through the teenage years comes with some bumps in the road. In this episode, Mark welcomes two teens from Heartlight who open up about what happens when life feels overwhelming and mistakes start to pile up. From hiding pain behind risky choices to wrestling with family expectations and the fear of letting loved ones down, their stories are honest and incredibly relatable. Listen in to hear how, even after setbacks and false starts, these young women are finding their way — with a little help from second chances, family support and learning to forgive themselves.For more information on the Heartlight residential program, visit heartlightministries.org
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The Journey From Boys to Men
1w ago00:15:13Tap to summarizeRaising a son is about more than helping him grow up — it's about helping him become the man God created him to be. In this episode, Mark and Wayne explore the unique challenges and opportunities of parenting boys through the adolescent years. Mark explains why boys often communicate differently than girls, how healthy independence is a sign of growth and why responsibility, meaningful conversations and shared experiences are essential in shaping a young man's character. Tune in for practical encouragement on strengthening your relationship with your son and guiding him confidently from boyhood to manhood.For more on how dads can positively influence their teens, visit bit.ly/how-dads-can-build-strong-relationships
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I Mustache Mark a Question: Letting Go, Holding On and Parenting Through Change
2w ago00:25:37Tap to summarizeIn this Q&A episode, Mark dives into the growing distance between grandparents and grandkids, offering advice for bridging the generational gap and fostering real connection. He also addresses the pain of strained relationships when kids pull away after divorce, sharing how parents can invite — not force — closeness while staying open to change themselves. Listeners will hear guidance on setting healthy boundaries with teens, especially when it comes to letting go as they become young adults. Finally, Mark talks through the difficult issue of teens who struggle with lying, providing tools for holding them accountable while encouraging honesty and growth.Stuck on a parenting problem? Ask Mark about it! Send in your questions at markgregston.com
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8 Ways to Improve Communication with Your Teen
2w ago00:11:45Tap to summarizeDo you feel like every conversation with your teen ends in frustration — or silence? In this episode, Mark and Wayne share eight practical strategies for improving communication with today’s adolescents. From listening more and correcting less to asking better questions and avoiding judgment, Mark explains how small shifts in your approach can open the door to deeper conversations. He also addresses the role technology plays in family communication and challenges parents to model the kind of engagement they hope to see in their teens.Getting your teen to open up is great, but what happens when you hear something you don't want to? Learn how to respond here: bit.ly/when-you-hear-things-from-your-teen-that-will-shock-you
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What Pain Can Teach Your Teen
2w ago00:20:35Tap to summarizeEvery parent wants to protect their child from pain. But what if some of life's greatest lessons come through it? Mark shares a personal story that transformed the way he thinks about pain and parenting. He explains how emotional pain often drives unhealthy behaviors, why teens sometimes make destructive choices simply to find relief and how parents can avoid rescuing their children too quickly. Instead, he encourages families to see pain as an opportunity for growth, maturity and deeper dependence on God. Tune in for a fresh perspective on helping your teen grow stronger through life's inevitable challenges.In this article, Mark identifies the pain that may be driving your teen’s behavior, and shares practical steps for getting to the heart of the matter: bit.ly/dealing-with-the-hurt-behind-the-behavior
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Teen Stories: Healing from the Inside Out
2w ago00:22:22Tap to summarizeTeens don't always know how to work through big emotions like hurt, rejection or anger. Their inner pain often spills outward, resulting in some poor choices. In today's show, Mark talks with two young ladies at Heartlight, including Amber, who talks about how being adopted and feeling rejected by her birth parents left a deep void, one she tried to fill with unhealthy relationships and rebellion. These young women both discovered that real acceptance can’t be found in taking risks or seeking approval from others — it starts with healing on the inside. Listen in for an honest look at what it really means to belong!Is Heartlight the right choice for your struggling teen? Go to heartlightministries.org to learn more about the residential program.
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Beyond the Smoke: A Warning About Marijuana
2w ago00:15:29Tap to summarizeAs marijuana becomes more accepted in today’s culture, many parents are wondering how to respond when their teen is exposed to it — or begins using it. In this episode, Mark and Wayne discuss the growing prevalence of teen marijuana use and why the issue often runs deeper than the drug itself. Mark explains how anxiety, depression, peer pressure and the desire to escape emotional pain can drive substance use, and why parents should focus on the underlying struggle, not just the behavior. Tune in for practical guidance on approaching this difficult conversation with truth, wisdom and compassion.Learn signs your teen may be using marijuana and more here: parentingtodaysteens.org/articles/teens-smoking-weed-2
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