Moms of Tweens and Teens

Ugh. Middle school friends can be so challenging. And many of us, including myself, can carry the feelings of rejection or the belief that we won’t be accepted by “those” women, or something is wrong with me and I’m just not likable or pretty or funny or smart enough, and we feel isolated and lonely. 

Today, my special guest is Amy Weatherly, who is so relatable, honest, and has a down-to-earth sense of humor.  

Amy is on the show to talk about her latest book that she co-authored with Jess Johnson for our middle school girls about friendship,  I'll Be There (And Let's Make Friendship Bracelets): A Girl's Guide to Making and Keeping Real-Life Friendships. 

Amy and Jess created a Facebook page called Sister, I Am With You, which currently has over a million followers, where they get real about the ins and outs, the ups and down, and all the in-betweens of friendship. 

You have probably seen her face on The Today Show, MSN.com, Good Morning America, Yahoo.com, Love What Matters, Focus on the Family, and of course, her own social media pages where she loves building communities of women who support each other fiercely.

Let’s dive in!

What you will learn:

• Prioritizing friendships.
• How social media has made us lonelier.
• Why do so many of us struggle with being people pleasers?
• Popularity vs. belonging.
• Changing our mindset around friendships.
• How we all struggle with friendships even if no one is talking about it.
• Being a friend that is not easily offended.
• How moms and caregivers can come alongside their tweens and teens when they are struggling with friendships. 

Where to find Amy:

• Book for 8-12-year-olds: I'll Be There (And Let's Make Friendship Bracelets): A Girl's Guide to Making and Keeping Real-Life Friendships.
• Book for teens and adults:

Check out our Moms of Tweens and Teens website HERE

Sign up for our Moms of Tweens and Teens newsletter HERE

Find more encouragement, wisdom, and resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Join our Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Momsoftweensandteens

Find awesome resources on MOTTs University: https://www.mottsuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Sheryl also has an Inner Circle weekly Parenting Program with a community of like-minded moms, personal coaching, and tons of resources to equip and support you to love well, navigate the challenges and meet your tween and teen’s unique needs during these pivotal years.

Get on the waitlist to get all the details and to be the first to know when it opens! https://momsoftweensandteens.lpages.co/waiting-list-for-membe...

Ugh. Middle school friends can be so challenging. And many of us, including myself, can carry the feelings of rejection or the belief that we won’t be accepted by “those” women, or something is wrong with me and I’m just not likable or pretty or funny or smart enough, and we feel isolated and lonely. 

Today, my special guest is Amy Weatherly, who is so relatable, honest, and has a down-to-earth sense of humor.  

Amy is on the show to talk about her latest book that she co-authored with Jess Johnson for our middle school girls about friendship,  I'll Be There (And Let's Make Friendship Bracelets): A Girl's Guide to Making and Keeping Real-Life Friendships. 

Amy and Jess created a Facebook page called Sister, I Am With You, which currently has over a million followers, where they get real about the ins and outs, the ups and down, and all the in-betweens of friendship. 

You have probably seen her face on The Today Show, MSN.com, Good Morning America, Yahoo.com, Love What Matters, Focus on the Family, and of course, her own social media pages where she loves building communities of women who support each other fiercely.

Let’s dive in!

What you will learn:

• Prioritizing friendships.
• How social media has made us lonelier.
• Why do so many of us struggle with being people pleasers?
• Popularity vs. belonging.
• Changing our mindset around friendships.
• How we all struggle with friendships even if no one is talking about it.
• Being a friend that is not easily offended.
• How moms and caregivers can come alongside their tweens and teens when they are struggling with friendships. 

Where to find Amy:

• Book for 8-12-year-olds: I'll Be There (And Let's Make Friendship Bracelets): A Girl's Guide to Making and Keeping Real-Life Friendships.
• Book for teens and adults:

Check out our Moms of Tweens and Teens website HERE

Sign up for our Moms of Tweens and Teens newsletter HERE

Find more encouragement, wisdom, and resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Join our Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Momsoftweensandteens

Find awesome resources on MOTTs University: https://www.mottsuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Sheryl also has an Inner Circle weekly Parenting Program with a community of like-minded moms, personal coaching, and tons of resources to equip and support you to love well, navigate the challenges and meet your tween and teen’s unique needs during these pivotal years.

Get on the waitlist to get all the details and to be the first to know when it opens! https://momsoftweensandteens.lpages.co/waiting-list-for-membe...

Yes, there are cool things about middle school, like more independence, new friends, and new activities. But there’s plenty of hard stuff too, like cliques, harsh judgment, the whole “popularity” thing, and, of course, drama.

Today my special guest is Jessica Speer. Jessica is an award-winning author of books for kids and teens. She blends science, and stories, and unpacks tricky stuff that surfaces during childhood and adolescence. She has a master’s degree in social sciences and explores topics in ways that connect with kids.

We discuss some of the important topics facing middle schoolers today that are covered in her latest book Middle School―Safety Goggles Advised: Exploring the Weird Stuff from Gossip to Grades, Cliques to Crushes, and Popularity to Peer Pressure. 

We discuss the tween/teen social dynamics and development. 

Let’s dive in. 

Jessica shares:

• Why middle school is such a tricky time for so many kids - boys and girls. 
• What is happening socially that can tend to make the tween and teen years particularly difficult socially to navigate? 
• What some of the repeated themes are that middle schoolers face today.
• Why changing friendships are so common in middle school, and how parents can support their kids during this time. 
• What she learned while interviewing middle schoolers about conflict and aggressive behavior. 
• Advice for moms that have a struggling middle schooler.  

Links

• Website: https://jessicaspeer.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-speer-46b6457/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessica_speer_author/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeerAuthor
• Jessica’s Books: https://jessicaspeer.com/jessica-speer-books/

Check out our Moms of Tweens and Teens website HERE

Sign up for our Moms of Tweens and Teens newsletter HERE

Find more encouragement, wisdom, and resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Join our Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Momsoftweensandteens

Find awesome resources on MOTTs University: https://www.mottsuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Sheryl also has an Inner Circle weekly Parenting Program with a community of like-minded moms, personal coaching, and tons of resources to equip and support you to love well, navigate the challenges and meet your tween and teen’s unique needs during these pivotal years.

Get on the waitlist to get all the details and to be the first to know when it opens! https://momsoftweensandteens.lpages.co/waiting-list-for-membe...

Yes, there are cool things about middle school, like more independence, new friends, and new activities. But there’s plenty of hard stuff too, like cliques, harsh judgment, the whole “popularity” thing, and, of course, drama.

Today my special guest is Jessica Speer. Jessica is an award-winning author of books for kids and teens. She blends science, and stories, and unpacks tricky stuff that surfaces during childhood and adolescence. She has a master’s degree in social sciences and explores topics in ways that connect with kids.

We discuss some of the important topics facing middle schoolers today that are covered in her latest book Middle School―Safety Goggles Advised: Exploring the Weird Stuff from Gossip to Grades, Cliques to Crushes, and Popularity to Peer Pressure. 

We discuss the tween/teen social dynamics and development. 

Let’s dive in. 

Jessica shares:

• Why middle school is such a tricky time for so many kids - boys and girls. 
• What is happening socially that can tend to make the tween and teen years particularly difficult socially to navigate? 
• What some of the repeated themes are that middle schoolers face today.
• Why changing friendships are so common in middle school, and how parents can support their kids during this time. 
• What she learned while interviewing middle schoolers about conflict and aggressive behavior. 
• Advice for moms that have a struggling middle schooler.  

Links

• Website: https://jessicaspeer.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-speer-46b6457/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessica_speer_author/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeerAuthor
• Jessica’s Books: https://jessicaspeer.com/jessica-speer-books/

Check out our Moms of Tweens and Teens website HERE

Sign up for our Moms of Tweens and Teens newsletter HERE

Find more encouragement, wisdom, and resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Join our Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Momsoftweensandteens

Find awesome resources on MOTTs University: https://www.mottsuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Sheryl also has an Inner Circle weekly Parenting Program with a community of like-minded moms, personal coaching, and tons of resources to equip and support you to love well, navigate the challenges and meet your tween and teen’s unique needs during these pivotal years.

Get on the waitlist to get all the details and to be the first to know when it opens! https://momsoftweensandteens.lpages.co/waiting-list-for-membe...

Tim Williams is the host of the podcast “Thrivehood.” His podcast offers a relevant life roadmap for boys and young men by providing them with practical advice, relatable stories, and a sense of community. 

Also known as “Uncle Tim,” he provides seasoned wisdom sprinkled with offbeat humor as he provides advice on goal-setting, time management, and overcoming limiting beliefs. 

Let’s dive in. 

What you will learn:

• Why is there so little support available for teen/tween boys?
• What kinds of topics are covered on the Thrivehood podcast? 
• What do moms need to know about their son’s adolescent years? 
• How can moms get their sons talking and opening up to them? 
• What words of wisdom Tim has for fathers. 

Links from episode

• Podcast: https://www.thrivehoodpodcast.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivehoodpodcast
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thrivehoodpodcast 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivehood_podcast/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThrivehoodP

Check out our Moms of Tweens and Teens website HERE

Sign up for our Moms of Tweens and Teens newsletter HERE

Find more encouragement, wisdom, and resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Join our Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Momsoftweensandteens

Find awesome resources on MOTTs University: https://www.mottsuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Sheryl also has an Inner Circle weekly Parenting Program with a community of like-minded moms, personal coaching, and tons of resources to equip and support you to love well, navigate the challenges and meet your tween and teen’s unique needs during these pivotal years.

Get on the waitlist to get all the details and to be the first to know when it opens! https://momsoftweensandteens.lpages.co/waiting-list-for-membe...

Tim Williams is the host of the podcast “Thrivehood.” His podcast offers a relevant life roadmap for boys and young men by providing them with practical advice, relatable stories, and a sense of community. 

Also known as “Uncle Tim,” he provides seasoned wisdom sprinkled with offbeat humor as he provides advice on goal-setting, time management, and overcoming limiting beliefs. 

Let’s dive in. 

What you will learn:

• Why is there so little support available for teen/tween boys?
• What kinds of topics are covered on the Thrivehood podcast? 
• What do moms need to know about their son’s adolescent years? 
• How can moms get their sons talking and opening up to them? 
• What words of wisdom Tim has for fathers. 

Links from episode

• Podcast: https://www.thrivehoodpodcast.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivehoodpodcast
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thrivehoodpodcast 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivehood_podcast/ 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThrivehoodP

Check out our Moms of Tweens and Teens website HERE

Sign up for our Moms of Tweens and Teens newsletter HERE

Find more encouragement, wisdom, and resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Join our Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Momsoftweensandteens

Find awesome resources on MOTTs University: https://www.mottsuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Sheryl also has an Inner Circle weekly Parenting Program with a community of like-minded moms, personal coaching, and tons of resources to equip and support you to love well, navigate the challenges and meet your tween and teen’s unique needs during these pivotal years.

Get on the waitlist to get all the details and to be the first to know when it opens! https://momsoftweensandteens.lpages.co/waiting-list-for-membe...

I've been hearing from so many of you who have kids who are being bullied or have been bullied, and they are really struggling. I've also heard from many of you whose kid is the bully and acting out in abusive ways towards others.

Well, this is a fascinating episode that you want to listen to.

My special guest is Dr. Jennifer Fraser, who is the founder of The Bullied Brain (www.bulliedbrain.com). She is an award-winning teacher of 20 years, an international presenter, and a published author.  Dr. Fraser is here today to talk about her latest book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health. 

In this episode, Dr. Fraser explains what we need to understand about how all forms of bullying and abuse affect our tween's and teens’ brains and how to help both the bullied and the bully heal.

So much of what she shares is extremely helpful in explaining tweens' and teens' behavior, such as grades falling, trouble with problem-solving, wanting to play video games 24/7, anxiety, and skipping school. If we want to support our kids to heal, we need to understand the way the brain works.

"It appears that our bullying epidemic is not cured by blaming, shaming, and ostracizing. It is time for a revolution in how we think about and how we educate ourselves and children about bullying. It needs to be seen as a medical, not a moral problem, especially in childhood. It needs to be instantly identified. The perpetrator needs to be held accountable. Healing needs to begin."

So on that note, let’s dive in! 

What you will learn:

• What verbal abuse does to our children’s brains?
• What happens to the brain when a child is bullied?
• Why do kids abuse or bully other kids?
• Why bullying is more than a moral issue – it’s a medical issue.
• Why the way society deals with abuse is outdated, and what should we be doing instead?
• What are some things parents can do when their child is being bullied?
• Why it’s so easy for kids (and adults) to partake in cyberbullying.  And what this does to our empathy for each other.
• What happens to a child’s brain when a parent gives them the silent treatment?

Links from the episode:

• Website:

Check out our Moms of Tweens and Teens website HERE

Sign up for our Moms of Tweens and Teens newsletter HERE

Find more encouragement, wisdom, and resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Join our Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Momsoftweensandteens

Find awesome resources on MOTTs University: https://www.mottsuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Sheryl also has an Inner Circle weekly Parenting Program with a community of like-minded moms, personal coaching, and tons of resources to equip and support you to love well, navigate the challenges and meet your tween and teen’s unique needs during these pivotal years.

Get on the waitlist to get all the details and to be the first to know when it opens! https://momsoftweensandteens.lpages.co/waiting-list-for-membe...

I've been hearing from so many of you who have kids who are being bullied or have been bullied, and they are really struggling. I've also heard from many of you whose kid is the bully and acting out in abusive ways towards others.

Well, this is a fascinating episode that you want to listen to.

My special guest is Dr. Jennifer Fraser, who is the founder of The Bullied Brain (www.bulliedbrain.com). She is an award-winning teacher of 20 years, an international presenter, and a published author.  Dr. Fraser is here today to talk about her latest book, The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health. 

In this episode, Dr. Fraser explains what we need to understand about how all forms of bullying and abuse affect our tween's and teens’ brains and how to help both the bullied and the bully heal.

So much of what she shares is extremely helpful in explaining tweens' and teens' behavior, such as grades falling, trouble with problem-solving, wanting to play video games 24/7, anxiety, and skipping school. If we want to support our kids to heal, we need to understand the way the brain works.

"It appears that our bullying epidemic is not cured by blaming, shaming, and ostracizing. It is time for a revolution in how we think about and how we educate ourselves and children about bullying. It needs to be seen as a medical, not a moral problem, especially in childhood. It needs to be instantly identified. The perpetrator needs to be held accountable. Healing needs to begin."

So on that note, let’s dive in! 

What you will learn:

• What verbal abuse does to our children’s brains?
• What happens to the brain when a child is bullied?
• Why do kids abuse or bully other kids?
• Why bullying is more than a moral issue – it’s a medical issue.
• Why the way society deals with abuse is outdated, and what should we be doing instead?
• What are some things parents can do when their child is being bullied?
• Why it’s so easy for kids (and adults) to partake in cyberbullying.  And what this does to our empathy for each other.
• What happens to a child’s brain when a parent gives them the silent treatment?

Check out our Moms of Tweens and Teens website HERE

Sign up for our Moms of Tweens and Teens newsletter HERE

Find more encouragement, wisdom, and resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Join our Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Momsoftweensandteens

Find awesome resources on MOTTs University: https://www.mottsuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Sheryl also has an Inner Circle weekly Parenting Program with a community of like-minded moms, personal coaching, and tons of resources to equip and support you to love well, navigate the challenges and meet your tween and teen’s unique needs during these pivotal years.

Get on the waitlist to get all the details and to be the first to know when it opens! https://momsoftweensandteens.lpages.co/waiting-list-for-membe...

Rachel Macy Stafford is the New York Times bestselling author of Hands-Free Mama, Hands-Free Life, Only Love Today, and Live Love Now. Rachel is a certified special education teacher whose personal strategies are universal invitations to embrace life with urgency and cultivate connection despite the distractions of our culture.

Today she joins the podcast to talk about her new book: Soul Shift: The Weary Human’s Guide to Getting Unstuck and Reclaiming Your Path to Joy. You’ll love this conversation about learning to recognize and utilize our emotional triggers as invitations to release limiting beliefs, build healthy connections, and expand our capacity to flourish.

Let’s dive in. 

What you will learn:

• What our to-do lists are preventing us from experiencing? 
• The process of breaking free from control. 
• How we choose what gets priority in our lives versus what we should choose. 
• What shifts Rachel began to see in her children as she experienced a soul shift herself. 
• The benefits of being authentic with others.
• Releasing the need for our children to fit in our preconceived ideas and letting them be themselves completely. 
• The distinction between mindfulness, gratitude, and toxic positivity.

Where to find Rachel:

• https://www.facebook.com/TheHandsFreeRevolution
• https://www.instagram.com/handsfreerevolution/
• https://twitter.com/handsfreemama
• https://www.pinterest.com/handsfreemama/

Check out our Moms of Tweens and Teens website HERE

Sign up for our Moms of Tweens and Teens newsletter HERE

Find more encouragement, wisdom, and resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Join our Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Momsoftweensandteens

Find awesome resources on MOTTs University: https://www.mottsuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Sheryl also has an Inner Circle weekly Parenting Program with a community of like-minded moms, personal coaching, and tons of resources to equip and support you to love well, navigate the challenges and meet your tween and teen’s unique needs during these pivotal years.

Get on the waitlist to get all the details and to be the first to know when it opens! https://momsoftweensandteens.lpages.co/waiting-list-for-membe...

Rachel Macy Stafford is the New York Times bestselling author of Hands-Free Mama, Hands-Free Life, Only Love Today, and Live Love Now. Rachel is a certified special education teacher whose personal strategies are universal invitations to embrace life with urgency and cultivate connection despite the distractions of our culture.

Today she joins the podcast to talk about her new book: Soul Shift: The Weary Human’s Guide to Getting Unstuck and Reclaiming Your Path to Joy. You’ll love this conversation about learning to recognize and utilize our emotional triggers as invitations to release limiting beliefs, build healthy connections, and expand our capacity to flourish.

Let’s dive in. 

What you will learn:

• What our to-do lists are preventing us from experiencing? 
• The process of breaking free from control. 
• How we choose what gets priority in our lives versus what we should choose. 
• What shifts Rachel began to see in her children as she experienced a soul shift herself. 
• The benefits of being authentic with others.
• Releasing the need for our children to fit in our preconceived ideas and letting them be themselves completely. 
• The distinction between mindfulness, gratitude, and toxic positivity.

Where to find Rachel:

• https://www.facebook.com/TheHandsFreeRevolution
• https://www.instagram.com/handsfreerevolution/
• https://twitter.com/handsfreemama
• https://www.pinterest.com/handsfreemama/

Check out our Moms of Tweens and Teens website HERE

Sign up for our Moms of Tweens and Teens newsletter HERE

Find more encouragement, wisdom, and resources:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Join our Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Momsoftweensandteens

Find awesome resources on MOTTs University: https://www.mottsuniversity.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsoftweensandteens/

Sheryl also has an Inner Circle weekly Parenting Program with a community of like-minded moms, personal coaching, and tons of resources to equip and support you to love well, navigate the challenges and meet your tween and teen’s unique needs during these pivotal years.

Get on the waitlist to get all the details and to be the first to know when it opens! https://momsoftweensandteens.lpages.co/waiting-list-for-membe...