Single Parenting Reset Show: For Solo Parents of Tweens and Teens — Manage Behavior Problems, Reduce Screen Time & Improve

Therese Connolly
  • 5.0 (58)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Single Parenting Reset Show — The go-to podcast for single parents (single moms and single dads) of tweens and teens to reduce screen time, improve communication, and build stronger family connections. Hosted by Tess Connolly, LCSW, a parent and family coach who understands the unique challenges of solo parenting. Each episode offers practical behavioral strategies, confidence-building tools, and real-life support for single parents. You'll get help managing screen time, improving co-parenting dynamics, and building lasting connections with your teens and tweens — one episode at a time. If you're ready to raise emotionally healthy, confident kids while reclaiming your calm as a single parent, you're in the right place.

  1. 18h ago

    Teen Missing Assignments? What to Say When They Say “I Did It”

    You checked in about homework. Your teen said it was done. Then you open the grade portal and find missing assignments. Before the conversation turns into another argument, start with one assignment and find out what happened. In episode 306 of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW and Parent and Family Coach, shares a simple way to move from “I did it” to a clear next step. Finishing the work and turning it in involve different steps. Your teen might have saved a completed document without submitting it, left a worksheet in their backpack, or gotten stuck before finishing. You need to understand the situation to choose useful support. You’ll learn: • What to say when the portal and your teen’s account don’t match. • How to ask about the last completed step. • How to check a submission without turning it into an interrogation. • What to say when your teen admits the work isn’t done. • How to make a specific plan and agree on a check-in. • When repeated missing work needs school support. Your Quick Reset: “I’m seeing this marked missing. Walk me through what happened after you worked on it.” The relationship is the intervention. Get the free Tween and Teen Conflict Reset Kit: Seven practical scripts and a First-Ten-Minutes Plan for tense moments. DOWNLOAD THE FREE CONFLICT RESET KIT Follow The Single Parenting Reset Show and share this episode with a parent who could use it. If your teen talks about suicide or self-harm, get immediate help. In the U.S., call or text 988; call 911 for immediate, life-threatening danger. ⭐️ If your family is stuck in repeating school-morning conflict, book a Parent Reset Strategy Session. ⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses) 📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection. #singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

    Teen Missing Assignments? What to Say When They Say “I Did It”

  2. 2d ago

    Teen Daughter Falls Apart After School? How to Respond

    You ask, “How was school?” Your daughter says, “Fine.” A moment later, a homework reminder turns into tears or an argument. What do you say next? In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW and Parent and Family Coach, walks you through the after-school moment when your teen daughter is upset and you’re trying to help. Schoolwork, friendship worries, fatigue, and a busy afternoon can all be part of the picture. Start by making room to understand what is happening for your daughter. You’ll learn: How to make the first few minutes at home easier.What to say when your daughter wants space.How to listen to friendship hurt without immediately taking over.How to respond to “I’m so stupid” after a disappointing quiz.How to set a limit on name-calling and return to responsibilities.How to repair after you’ve raised your voice.When ongoing distress needs additional support. Your reset for today: Try this before the homework questions: “You don’t have to explain right now. I’m here.” The relationship is the intervention. Get the free Tween and Teen Conflict Reset Kit: Seven practical scripts and a First-Ten-Minutes Plan for tense moments. DOWNLOAD THE FREE CONFLICT RESET KIT Follow The Single Parenting Reset Show and share this episode with a parent who could use it. If your teen talks about suicide or self-harm, get immediate help. In the U.S., call or text 988; call 911 for immediate, life-threatening danger. ⭐️ If your family is stuck in repeating school-morning conflict, book a Parent Reset Strategy Session. ⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses) 📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection. #singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

    Teen Daughter Falls Apart After School? How to Respond

  3. Oct 8

    Teen Says “Everyone Else Keeps Their Phone”? What to Say

    Your teen is supposed to put their phone away. Instead, they say: “Everyone else gets to keep theirs. Why am I the only one?” Suddenly you’re debating what every other parent allows. In Episode 304 of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly offers exact words for that moment. You’ll hear how to acknowledge your teen’s need to stay connected with friends, state the phone boundary clearly, and ask what they’re worried about missing. This Quick Reset follows Episode 303’s overnight phone plan and focuses on the conversation when your teen objects to it. You’ll learn: What to say when your teen calls the phone rule unfairHow to respond when they repeat, “But everyone else gets to”Why the question “What are you worried you’ll miss?” can move the conversation forwardHow to address a group chat or plans with friends within a workable boundaryWhen it makes sense to revisit a rule as your teen gets older You can take your teen’s social life seriously and still be the parent who sets a thoughtful limit. The aim is a conversation you can return to, rather than an argument you must win tonight. For more words you can use when phone conversations get heated, download Tess’s free Tween and Teen Conflict Reset Kit, with seven scripts and a First-Ten-Minutes Plan. ⭐️ If your family is stuck in repeating school-morning conflict, book a Parent Reset Strategy Session. ⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses) 📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection. #singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

    Teen Says “Everyone Else Keeps Their Phone”? What to Say

  4. Oct 6

    Teen Sneaking Their Phone at Night? How to Reset the Rules

    It's almost midnight. You see the glow of a phone under your teen's blanket—the same phone they agreed to leave on the kitchen charger. You're tired, upset, and wondering whether this is now a fight about trust. In Episode 303 of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly walks through a practical response for tonight and a more useful conversation for tomorrow. She explains why an overnight boundary matters for sleep, how to listen for what's pulling your teen back online, and how to turn a vague rule into a clear agreement. You'll learn: The short sentence to say if you catch your teen with their phone at nightWhy to check for a safety concern before discussing the broken ruleQuestions that get beyond “Why did you lie?”How to agree on a handoff time, charging spot, and morning returnA temporary, related step to take if your teen breaks the agreement againWhen sleep trouble or nighttime anxiety needs more support You don't have to solve the whole problem at midnight. You can protect your teen's sleep, hear what is hard about the rule, and follow through without turning each night into a test of wills. For more words to use when phone conversations get heated, download Tess's free Tween and Teen Conflict Reset Kit, with seven scripts and a First-Ten-Minutes Plan. Follow the show for the next Quick Reset. ⭐️ If your family is stuck in repeating school-morning conflict, book a Parent Reset Strategy Session. ⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses) 📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection. #singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

    Teen Sneaking Their Phone at Night? How to Reset the Rules

  5. Oct 1

    How to Apologize to Your Teen After Yelling

    The argument about the phone got loud. Your teen walked away, and now you’re replaying what you said. How do you go back without turning your apology into another argument? In Episode 302 of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly gives you three sentences to say after you yell at your tween or teen. She also covers when to approach them, what to leave out of the apology, and what to do if they respond with “whatever” or say nothing at all. You’ll learn: • How to own the yelling without explaining it away • A three-sentence repair you can adapt to your own situation • Why you don’t need your teen to forgive you immediately • How to revisit the phone rule or other boundary later • Why changed behavior matters as much as the apology You can take responsibility for your words and still be the parent. A repair is a chance to show your teen what accountability looks like in a real relationship. Listen to Episode 302, then get the free Tween and Teen Conflict Reset Kit for seven ready-to-use scripts and a First-Ten-Minutes Plan. Follow the Single Parenting Reset Show for more practical Quick Resets. ⭐️ If your family is stuck in repeating school-morning conflict, book a Parent Reset Strategy Session. ⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses) 📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection. #singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

    How to Apologize to Your Teen After Yelling

  6. Sep 29

    When Your Teen Is Rude in Public: What to Say Without a Public Fight

    You’re at a family dinner when your teen snaps, “Can we stop talking about me? This is so annoying.” The table goes quiet. You feel embarrassed, upset, and suddenly aware that everyone is watching your response. In this episode of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly explains how to tell the difference between a moment that can wait and behavior that needs a response right now. She gives parents short, ready-to-say lines for a teen who snaps at them, insults someone else, or refuses to step aside. You’ll learn: The question to ask before reacting to public rudenessWhat to say in one or two sentences without starting a public argumentHow to protect a person your teen has hurtWhy a private follow-up is where the teaching happensHow to help your teen practice better words and make a genuine repair You don’t need to ignore hurtful behavior, and you don’t need to win an argument in front of an audience. You can hold a clear limit while protecting your teen’s dignity and your relationship. Listen to Episode 301, then download Tess’s free Tween and Teen Conflict Reset Kit for seven practical scripts and a First-Ten-Minutes Plan. Follow the Single Parenting Reset Show for the next Quick Reset. ⭐️ If your family is stuck in repeating school-morning conflict, book a Parent Reset Strategy Session. ⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses) 📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection. #singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

    When Your Teen Is Rude in Public: What to Say Without a Public Fight

  7. Sep 24

    300. Five Years, 300 Episodes: 5 Parenting Lessons for Raising Tweens and Teens

    In September 2021, Tess pressed record on her first parenting podcast episode while feeling absolutely terrified that millions of people might hear it. They did not—but that vulnerable beginning became the start of five years, 300 episodes, and a body of work centered on one essential belief: the relationship is the intervention. At the time, Casey was 12 and entering seventh grade after spending much of sixth grade doing “sofa school” during the pandemic. Parenting was hands-on, the business was still taking shape, and the podcast—then called The Parenting Reset—gave Tess a place to develop her voice, explore her ideas, and grow alongside the parents listening. There were periods when business advisors told her the podcast cost too much, reached too few people, and was not worth continuing. But like training for the Boston Marathon at 25, podcasting taught Tess the value of consistency: meaningful work grows one step, one conversation, and one episode at a time. In this milestone episode, Tess shares five lessons parents can apply immediately: Why the parent-child relationship matters even more than the perfect strategy How fear makes loving parents lose sight of the child in front of them What tweens and teens need from us—even when they push us away Why one grounded, supportive parent can make an enormous difference What “the relationship is the intervention” looks like in ordinary family life You will also hear the message Tess most wants struggling parents to remember: One difficult season does not get to write the ending of your relationship. If conflict has been taking over your relationship with your tween or teen, download Tess’s free Tween and Teen Conflict Reset Kit. It includes practical scripts and a First-Ten-Minutes Plan to help you lower the temperature and reconnect. If this podcast has helped you, follow the show, leave a review, and share Episode 300 with one parent who needs encouragement today. ⭐️ If your family is stuck in repeating school-morning conflict, book a Parent Reset Strategy Session. ⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses) 📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection. #singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

    300. Five Years, 300 Episodes: 5 Parenting Lessons for Raising Tweens and Teens

  8. Sep 22

    299. Before You Correct Your Teen, Connect First: How to Set Limits Without a Power Struggle

    You ask your teenager to put down the phone, do a chore, come home on time, or change the way they're speaking to you—and suddenly you're in a power struggle. But what if the problem isn't the limit you're setting? What if it's how you're entering the conversation? In this short, practical episode of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Therese Connolly, LCSW, shares a simple shift that can change difficult interactions with your tween or teen: Connect before you correct. That doesn't mean ignoring disrespect, eliminating consequences, or becoming permissive. It means letting your child know, “I see you,” before moving into correction. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why immediately correcting behavior can increase defensiveness • What “connection before correction” actually looks like • Why connection does not mean permissive parenting • How to acknowledge your teen's feelings while still holding a boundary • A simple See Them → Connect → Hold the Limit framework • What to do when your teen is too escalated for a productive conversation • Why the relationship itself can become one of your most effective parenting tools You don't have to choose between connection and boundaries. Your teenager can be frustrated—and the limit can remain. If conflict and communication with your tween or teen have become exhausting, download my Tween and Teen Conflict Reset Kit for practical scripts and a plan for handling those first critical minutes of conflict. ⭐️ If your family is stuck in repeating school-morning conflict, book a Parent Reset Strategy Session. ⭐️Join the Family and get your weekly Mindful Kids and Family Journal here: https://www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com/join-the-family (Get ready for lessons, podcast leads, offers for parents, and ways to win free parent coaching or masterclasses) 📧Connect with Therese (Tess) Connolly, LCSW, CCC here👇: therese@mindfulkidsandfamilies.com Website: www.mindfulkidsandfamilies.com The Single Parenting Reset Show supports single moms, working moms, and all parents with practical parenting tips on screen time, emotional regulation, co-parenting, stress relief, setting boundaries, building trust, and raising confident tweens and teens, while tackling tech addiction, behavior problems, and parent burnout with conscious parenting strategies for stronger family connection. #singleparents #parentingtweensandteens #ScreenTime #behaviorproblems #Communication

    299. Before You Correct Your Teen, Connect First: How to Set Limits Without a Power Struggle
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About

Welcome to Single Parenting Reset Show — The go-to podcast for single parents (single moms and single dads) of tweens and teens to reduce screen time, improve communication, and build stronger family connections. Hosted by Tess Connolly, LCSW, a parent and family coach who understands the unique challenges of solo parenting. Each episode offers practical behavioral strategies, confidence-building tools, and real-life support for single parents. You'll get help managing screen time, improving co-parenting dynamics, and building lasting connections with your teens and tweens — one episode at a time. If you're ready to raise emotionally healthy, confident kids while reclaiming your calm as a single parent, you're in the right place.

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