Parenting teenagers untangled. 🏆 Your Weekly Hug

Rachel Richards
  • 4.8 (63)
  • PARENTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Hello, I'm Rachel Richards, former BBC Correspondent, CNBC Europe World News Anchor and mum, on a mission to make parenting teens much less stressful, and even enjoyable.  Why not try listening to my award-winning ‘hug’ where you can put down the baggage your parents handed you and relax.  It’s your chance to reflect on what's in your baggage; what's still working, and what needs to be tossed aside. You'll also pick up skills and ideas to help you navigate each new stage of your parenting journey. Each week, I pick a topic, research it, and find you the best answers. Whether interviewing experts, chatting with my mindfulness guru friend, Susi Asli, or getting the lowdown from my own teenagers. You'll hear what experts are saying about the problems we face and the way other parents are struggling. It’s a chance to think about your parenting, shame and judgement free. As the world leading expert on your own child you can then make your own choices about what works for you and your family. Do you have a question, a story, or just need to vent? Drop me a line at teenagersuntangled@gmail.com (total privacy, no judgment, promise). What the Independent Podcasting Awards Said: “The advice in this podcast is universally helpful—not just for parents of teenagers.”  â€œA great mix of personal stories and professional insight—refreshing, informative, and packed with extra resources.”  â€œThe chemistry between Rachel and Susie is fantastic. It’s like sitting down with smart, funny friends who actually get it.” Join the conversation! Find me on Facebook & Instagram.Want more from Susie? Check out her courses at www.amindful-life.co.uk

  1. The One Thing Your Teen Really Needs From You: Emotional Regulation

    4 DAYS AGO

    The One Thing Your Teen Really Needs From You: Emotional Regulation

    Ask Rachel anything Updated to correct the music issues at the beginning:  This episode will change how you see “bad behaviour” and might just change how you see yourself, too. In this powerful conversation, with Dr Jody Carrington unpack what every parent and teacher needs to know about emotional regulation – and why you’re probably doing better than you think. In this episode, we cover: What emotional regulation really isThe “flipped lid” model and the role of the prefrontal cortexWhy kids don’t “lose their goodness” – they just lose access to itWhy your regulation matters more than any parenting hack“If the big people aren’t okay, the little people don’t stand a chance”How our phones, watches and constant comparison are quietly dysregulating usBehavior, consequences and connectionWhy a strict rewards-and-punishments model backfiresThe shift from “What’s wrong with this child?” to “What happened to this child?”Repair: the real superpower in families and classroomsWhy the best predictor of lasting relationships is the capacity to repairHow to apologise to your child (and your partner) in ways that actually healPractical tools you can use todayThe phrases “Tell me more” and “What’s the hardest part?”The “collect before you direct” principleEveryday connection habits: eyes, car rides, bedtime, food, and shared interestsHope for worried, exhausted parentsWhy kids should be “worst” with you (and why that’s a good sign)The 30% rule that lets you drop the perfectionism and keep going.Dr Jody Carrington: https://www.drjodycarrington.com teenagersuntangled.substack.com Support the show Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits. My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me: www.teenagersuntangled.com Find me on Substack https://Teenagersuntangled.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/ You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

    49 min
  2. The secrets to real change, and breaking negative family cycles

    31/12/2025

    The secrets to real change, and breaking negative family cycles

    Ask Rachel anything I thought we'd kick off the new year with an episode on how building our own community of people we admire can dramatically change our future and break from a difficult past. In this episode, I talk with Mitchell Osmond, who transformed his life from financial instability, marital strife, and addiction to a thriving marriage, debt repayment, and personal health. Mitchell attributes his turnaround to two pivotal moments: a marital fight and a funeral that made him question his life's direction. He formed a "Iron Five" group of mentors and within 18 months paid off $100,000 in debt, lost 60 pounds, and improved his marriage. Mitchell emphasizes the importance of presence over perfection in family life and the need for men to connect emotionally with their wives and children. He also discusses the impact of fatherlessness and the necessity of role models for boys.   Mitchell Osmond:  @dadnationco   Where to find Mitchell Osmond https://www.dadnationco.com/ New Year's Resolutions: EPISODE: https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/70-new-years-resolutions-love-them-or-loathe-them-the-question-is-how-can-we-make-them-work-for-u/ BLOG WITH MY TECHNIQUE: https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/blog/Be-the-person-you-want-to-be-not-the-person-others-think-you-should-be/ Find me on Substack https://Teenagersuntangled.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/ teenagersuntangled.substack.com Support the show Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits. My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me: www.teenagersuntangled.com Find me on Substack https://Teenagersuntangled.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/ You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

    43 min
  3. Teens and Anxiety: The Role We Parents Can Play. Vintage

    24/12/2025

    Teens and Anxiety: The Role We Parents Can Play. Vintage

    Ask Rachel anything The anxiety epidemic: In 2020 the UK charity Mental Health Foundation surveyed more than 2,000 children and found 50 per cent of teenagers aged 13-19 were experiencing anxiety they found hard to control.   Substack notes and PDF to go with this episode: https://substack.com/@teenagersuntangled/note/c-193100671?r=2u24i0&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web https://teenagersuntangled.substack.com/p/the-rise-in-teen-anxiety  Suggested books: ·        The Anxiety Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Deal with Anxiety and Worry ·       Breaking free from Childhood Anxiety and OCD, Eli Lebowitz. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/ Key points taken from UNWINDING ANXIETY: by Judson Brewer  Mindfulness is a key tool: 'If you feel anxious it’s an uncomfortable feeling so you start worrying about it. Worrying is seductive because it makes you feel like you’re doing something to get to a solution. All it does is to distract you from the negative emotion. It temporarily numbs the difficult feelings and feels more rewarding to your brain than the original emotion.' 'If your brain learns that worrying provides temporary relief, then whenever you’re anxious your brain will trigger worry. It becomes a compulsive habit over which you have no control, but the worrying makes you feel more anxious.' ·       The first step to understanding your own anxiety is simply mapping your own habit loops/ What kind of situations trigger anxiety or other difficult feelings?  ·       Which behaviours has your brain learned to respond as a way to soothe or distract you? ·       What is the result of those behaviours?' When you get into an anxiety loop use: RAIN: Recognise difficult feelings.Accept them and allow them to be there.Investigate the sensations in your body and emotions bubbling up.Note what’s going on, and simply observe yourself out of curiosity.Resources: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/23/health/mental-health-crisis-teens.html https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2021/08/25/depression-and-anxiety-double-in-youth-compared-to-pre-pandemic/?sh=22e0bfb2139f https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/feeling-anxious-dont-worry-its-good-for-you-s70jvtdbx https://childmind.org/ teenagersuntangled.substack.com Support the show Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits. My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me: www.teenagersuntangled.com Find me on Substack https://Teenagersuntangled.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/ You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

    51 min
  4. Emotional issues. How to avoid overreacting. Vintage

    17/12/2025

    Emotional issues. How to avoid overreacting. Vintage

    Ask Rachel anything None of us likes blowing a fuse when our teen does something that triggers us, but we all do it at some point.  Nicky asked us to discuss this topic after she felt she'd overreacted to bad feedback from her son's teachers. We know it fixes nothing and leaves us feeling worse than before, but can we keep smoothing it over with an apology?   Click the link at the bottom to access all the tips from the episode and also a parent’s worksheet to help you unpack your feelings: https://open.substack.com/pub/teenagersuntangled/p/how-to-avoid-overreacting-and-why?r=2u24i0&utm_medium=ios&shareImageVariant=overlay It was such a great topic to suggest, and when it was first aired I had some amazing feedback from listeners who'd suddenly realised that they were reacting in the way they had been programmed to by their own family. My daughter also told me that the main reason her friends don't tell her parents anything is that they think the parents either don't care or that they'll overract. That's why this podcast is so valuable. It gives us as space to stop and think about the things that come to us unbidden, so that we can upack them and make changes that help us with our own relationships. Long term, if we don't manage to adapt, we run the risk of ruining our connection with our teens because they learn that the best way to manage us parents is to keep quiet, hide, or lie to prevent a repeat.   So how can we stop ourselves from overreacting? We talk through some mindfulness techniques that could make all the difference.  This is also a VITAL skill to teach our own teens.  BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: When You Lose It by Roxy and Gay LongworthThe Chimp Paradox by Prof Steve Peters RESOURCES: How to Stop Overreacting to Everything by Patrick Allanhttps://psychcentral.com/blog/how-to-stop-overreacting#recaphttps://theparentingreframe.com/the-4-steps-you-need-to-stopoverreacting-and-yelling-at-your-kids-for-good/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201007/overreactions-in-adolescenceteenagersuntangled.substack.com Support the show Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits. My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me: www.teenagersuntangled.com Find me on Substack https://Teenagersuntangled.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/ You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

    36 min
  5. The Fatherhood Gap: How Society Is Failing Dads (and Our Kids)

    10/12/2025

    The Fatherhood Gap: How Society Is Failing Dads (and Our Kids)

    Ask Rachel anything What's the point of fathers? Michael Ray, father and gender equality campaigner says the way they're portrayed in the media and advertising sends the impression that they are either bumbling idiots or not an important part of raising kids. It was only when Michael was left raising his daughter alone that he became conscious of how little support there is for men taking on less traditional roles in the home. He highlights the lack of representation of fathers in media and advertising, noting that only 4% of parenting portrayals in Australia feature fathers.  Ray argues that we've made big changes to our views of women but that hasn't been matched either in the workplace or in the media for men, and true equality is only possible if men are given more status and respect in the role of father. Michael Ray: https://michaelray.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ray-574079183/ teenagersuntangled.substack.com Support the show Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits. My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me: www.teenagersuntangled.com Find me on Substack https://Teenagersuntangled.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/ You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

    34 min
  6. Top Friendship Tips for Teen Girls: Lessons from Real-Life Sisters.

    03/12/2025

    Top Friendship Tips for Teen Girls: Lessons from Real-Life Sisters.

    Ask Rachel anything It's our connections, whether friends or partners, that make us want to get up and face our challenges every day. So when kids start a new school, college or university it's a time when friendships become the most important thing.  With Phoebe about to leave for university, and Amelia recently started at a new college we thought it would be a great time to reflect on the evolving nature of friendships.  In the conversation, the girls emphasize the importance of having a range of friends who suit the different sides of our personality, and the value of not being overly dependent on any one friend.  They also discuss the impact of social media on friendships, the challenges of making new friends in new environments, and the importance of being open and vulnerable in friendships.  Amelia advises against overthinking friendships and suggests focusing on personal growth during periods of loneliness. teenagersuntangled.substack.com Support the show Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits. My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me: www.teenagersuntangled.com Find me on Substack https://Teenagersuntangled.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/ You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

    41 min
  7. Motivational feedback, a happiness hack, and letting your teen sleepover after a party

    02/12/2025 · BONUS

    Motivational feedback, a happiness hack, and letting your teen sleepover after a party

    Ask Rachel anything The happiess hack article by Dana Millbank: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/10/24/happiness-purpose-community-contribution/ Checkout my Substack: teenagersuntangled.substack.com Support the show Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits. My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me: www.teenagersuntangled.com Find me on Substack https://Teenagersuntangled.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/ You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

    9 min
  8. Christmas and other family gatherings with teens. Magic or misery? Vintage

    02/12/2025

    Christmas and other family gatherings with teens. Magic or misery? Vintage

    Ask Rachel anything We all have traditional times when our extended families come together to celebrate, give thanks, and share the warmth of mutual love. In the UK, December is a non-stop reel of songs about 'Simply having a wonderful Christmas time', and Instagram is awash with pictures of happy celebrations.  Being with our family can give us a welcome chance to relax and be accepted for who we are but - let's be honest -  it can also bring out the worst in us. The break in routine - where everyone is forced together - can be a difficult adjustment. The expense can be crippling. Travelling to see family can be stressful, and then the raised expectations can set up the entire event for failure. We've all been there, so here are our tips on how to make the most of those gatherings when you have teenagers in the house. https://www.family-action.org.uk/our-voices/2021/11/12/connecting-with-teenagers-at-christmas/ https://www.bacp.co.uk/news/news-from-bacp/2021/16-december-coping-with-family-pressures-and-expectations-in-the-run-up-to-christmas/ https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2021/december/avoiding-stressful-christmas.html https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/a29321/how-to-deal-with-family-fallout-at-christmas/ https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/best-advice-family-christmas/605760 teenagersuntangled.substack.com Support the show Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. Please don't hesitate to seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. When you look after yourself your entire family benefits. My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com My website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me: www.teenagersuntangled.com Find me on Substack https://Teenagersuntangled.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/ You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

    24 min
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About

Hello, I'm Rachel Richards, former BBC Correspondent, CNBC Europe World News Anchor and mum, on a mission to make parenting teens much less stressful, and even enjoyable.  Why not try listening to my award-winning ‘hug’ where you can put down the baggage your parents handed you and relax.  It’s your chance to reflect on what's in your baggage; what's still working, and what needs to be tossed aside. You'll also pick up skills and ideas to help you navigate each new stage of your parenting journey. Each week, I pick a topic, research it, and find you the best answers. Whether interviewing experts, chatting with my mindfulness guru friend, Susi Asli, or getting the lowdown from my own teenagers. You'll hear what experts are saying about the problems we face and the way other parents are struggling. It’s a chance to think about your parenting, shame and judgement free. As the world leading expert on your own child you can then make your own choices about what works for you and your family. Do you have a question, a story, or just need to vent? Drop me a line at teenagersuntangled@gmail.com (total privacy, no judgment, promise). What the Independent Podcasting Awards Said: “The advice in this podcast is universally helpful—not just for parents of teenagers.”  â€œA great mix of personal stories and professional insight—refreshing, informative, and packed with extra resources.”  â€œThe chemistry between Rachel and Susie is fantastic. It’s like sitting down with smart, funny friends who actually get it.” Join the conversation! Find me on Facebook & Instagram.Want more from Susie? Check out her courses at www.amindful-life.co.uk

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