Why Your Teen Tunes You Out — And What to Do Instead with Dr. Cam Caswell
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If you feel like your teen has stopped listening to you — like everything you say gets met with eye rolls, pushback, or total silence — this episode is going to change how you see that.
JoAnn sits down with Dr. Cam Caswell, developmental psychologist and teen relationship expert, to dig into what’s actually happening in the teen brain when parents nag, demand, and try to take control. Spoiler: your teen’s “defiance” isn’t personal, it isn’t intentional, and it isn’t a sign you’ve failed. It’s biology — and once you understand it, everything shifts.
In this episode:
- Why teens are wired to resist control — and why that’s actually healthy development, not defiance
- What nagging is really teaching your teen (hint: it’s not what you think)
- The difference between demanding respect and earning it — and why one of them backfires every time
- Why the messy room battle isn’t worth fighting — and what it’s actually doing to your relationship
- The behaviors parents punish that are actually signs of healthy development
- How to regulate your own emotions first — so you don’t make things worse before they get better
- Why chores should be about teaching skills, not paying rent — and how that one reframe changes everything
- The counterintuitive trick that gets teens to step up: remove yourself
Dr. Cam’s take on teens is genuinely refreshing — she doesn’t talk about how to control your teen or get them to comply. She talks about how to actually understand them.
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Find Dr. Cam at drcamcaswell.com and on Instagram @dr.camcaswell.
Resources Mentioned:
Join the No Guilt Mom Inner Circle
Download the Free Guide, How to Get Kids To Listen Without Unnecessary Structure and Routine
Remember: the best mom is a happy mom. Take care of you.
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