Are you struggling to connect with your tween or teen—especially in a world dominated by screens, attitudes, and shifting moods? In this episode of Screen Less Play More, Cynthia Dvorak sits down with Megan Saxelby, adolescent expert and longtime middle school teacher, to completely reframe the way parents understand adolescence.

Megan, who taught middle school for 17 years, believes middle schoolers are the greatest humans alive. She shares why the cultural narrative around tweens and teens is so often wrong—and what parents can do instead to build stronger, more joyful, more resilient connections.

Together, Cynthia and Megan dive into: ✨ the power of play in parenting teens ✨ why adolescent behavior is developmentally appropriate, not defiance ✨ how to respond when kids make mistakes in a way that preserves mental health ✨ the real impact of technology on the teen brain ✨ Parenting strategies of how parents can stay connected—even when teens push them away ✨ why YOU are the subject-matter expert on your son or daughter or non-binary LGBTQ+ child.

This conversation offers practical tools and a refreshing, hopeful perspective for parents of adolescents who want fewer power struggles… and more connection, confidence, and calm.

You can connect with Megan Saxelby through her company Wild Feelings at https://www.wildfeelings.co/ or check out her VERY helpful Substack at https://wildfeelings.substack.com/

More about Screen Less Play More, the best parenting podcast about play and tech at:

screenlessplaymore.com

https://substack.com/@screenlessplaymore?utm_source=user-menu

Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@ScreenLessPlayMore

Key Takeaways for Parents

Middle schoolers are misunderstood—Megan calls them "the greatest humans alive."
The negative narrative around adolescence needs a major rewrite. Being a teenager is hard, but being their parent doesn't have to be.
Play—even small, simple play—builds connection with tweens and teens.
Teens' "big feelings" and "big behaviors" are developmentally normal, not character flaws. Adults just need help understanding the adolescent brain.
When teens mess up, it's a sign of unmet needs—not moral failure.
Parents should lead with warmth, curiosity, and playfulness. Building connection with teens is important for your long-term relationship.
Technology is complex; parents need nuance, not fear.
You know your child best—trust your instincts.
How to talk to teens: Connection is more effective than control during adolescence.
Parenting teens is a long-game of relationship building. It's hard to understand adolescent development, but once you do, you can improve parent-teen connection, help emotional regulation in teens, and improve your bond.
Play-based parenting isn't just for the diaper years. Middle school parenting should include tons of playfulness, memes, jokes, pranks, and love!
Raising teenagers can be difficult in the digital world, and Megan has advice for digital parenting, screen time help for adolescents, and why it's not one size fits all with tech. Often LGBTQ youth need to see others like them online to help protect against suicide.

Checkout the new book "Dopamine Kids" https://screenlessplaymore.com/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-the-new-book-dopamine-kids/

What is the best parenting podcast about screen time and kids? https://screenlessplaymore.com/screen-less-play-more-podcast/

Learn about Jonathan Haidt and Catherine Price's new book "The Amazing Generation" at https://screenlessplaymore.com/the-amazing-generation-is-the-anxious-generation-for-kids/

What are the best parenting books about screen time?

https://screenlessplaymore.com/what-are-the-best-parenting-books-about-screen-time/

Check out my Substack!

https://screenlessplaymorepodcast.substack.com/p/you-could-learn-a-lot-from-an-oompa

https://screenlessplaymorepodcast.substack.com/p/screen-free-sunday-is-the-best-thing

https://screenlessplaymorepodcast.substack.com/p/edtech-is-bad-for-kids-heres-how

Thanks for listening!

Parenting Teens Can Actually Be Great: Research-Backed Tools for Adolescence with Megan Saxelby