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

What do you say when your teen looks you in the eye and denies something you feel almost certain happened?

What if they blame a friend, a sibling, a teacher, or their other parent?

When you believe your teenager is lying, it is easy to get pulled into questioning, proving, arguing, and trying to force a confession. But you do not need your teen to admit everything before you can respond clearly and protectively.

In this Quick Reset episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, shares five practical scripts for...

Has your teen ever looked you directly in the eye and told you something you knew was not true?

Teen lying can make you question more than the story your teen is telling you. It can make you question your relationship, your judgment, and whether you can trust anything they say.

When you are parenting on your own, this can feel especially destabilizing. You may not have another parent in the home to compare notes with, and you may feel completely responsible for figuring out what is true and how serious the situation is.

Does it feel like nothing gets through to your teen anymore?

You take away the phone.

You give a consequence.

You lecture.

You warn.

You try to be firm.

And your teen still says, “I don’t care.”

In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks about what to do when consequences stop working with your tween or teen.

Instead of becoming harsher or creating bigger punishments, Tess shares a calmer and more effective way to think about conseq...

Your teenager refuses to put down the phone.

They argue about homework, curfew, chores, getting out the door, or nearly every request you make.

You repeat yourself. They get louder. You get louder. Before long, the original issue has disappeared, and you are fighting about their attitude, your parenting, and who is going to win.

The first 10 minutes of that power struggle matter.

Not because you have to win, but because this is where the argument either escalates or begins to settle.

In this episode of the Single Parenting...

You created the rule.

You explained the reason.

Your teen may have even agreed to it.

But now they are still scrolling after bedtime, refusing to stop gaming, bypassing parental controls, or sneaking the phone back into their bedroom.

Many parents respond by repeating themselves, raising their voice, or creating a major punishment in the middle of the conflict. Unfortunately, that can turn one broken phone rule into a much larger power struggle.

In this episode of the Single Parenting Reset Podcast, Tess Connolly explains how to respond with...

You ask your teenager to put down the phone, start their homework, walk the dog, or get ready to leave.

They do not respond.

You ask again.

And again.

Before long, you are yelling, your teen is defensive, and a basic request has become a full argument.

When teenagers appear to ignore their parents, the answer is not usually a longer explanation or a louder voice.

Your teen may not have shifted their attention toward you. They may be struggling to transition away from what they are...

Is screen time the battle that keeps showing up in your home?

Maybe your teen is on their phone late at night. Maybe gaming turns into an argument every time you ask them to stop. Maybe social media, YouTube, texting, or endless scrolling have started to affect sleep, mood, homework, motivation, or connection.

And if you are a single parent, this can feel even more exhausting because you may be the only one holding the line.

In this episode of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks about how to limit...

Is screen time already becoming a daily battle in your home?

If your 10-, 11-, or 12-year-old argues every time screens end, asks constantly for more time, sneaks devices, or says “everyone else gets to,” you are not alone.

The tween years are a key window for building healthy screen habits before the teen years bring more complicated challenges like smartphones, social media, group chats, gaming, and late-night scrolling.

In this episode of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks about how to limit screen time for tweens without turning every day...

If your child has ADHD or ADHD-like symptoms, you may feel like you are constantly managing meltdowns, screen battles, irritability, impulsivity, emotional explosions, or big reactions that seem to come out of nowhere.

But what if your child’s behavior is not only a discipline issue?

What if their behavior is also communication?

In this episode of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks with ADHD and nutrition expert Dana Kay about how gut health, inflammation, nutrition, sleep, screen time, and nervous system overload may affect ADHD behavior problems in kids.

Single mom burnout is real, especially when you are raising tweens and teens through behavior problems, screen time battles, emotional ups and downs, curfews, money stress, and hard conversations that you may not feel ready to have.

When you are parenting alone, every decision can feel heavier. Every boundary can feel like a battle. And when your teen pushes back, it can be easy to wonder, “Am I doing this wrong?”

In this episode of the Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, is joined by life coach and fellow solo parent Carrie Spranzi for an h...

If your teen's behavior has been pushing every button lately—attitude, eye rolling, lying, shutting down, refusing to help, or constant battles over screens—you are not alone. Many parents start to wonder if they've lost control, lost connection, or lost influence altogether. When these struggles happen day after day, it's easy to take them personally and feel exhausted.

This episode offers a different perspective: your teen's behavior matters, but it isn't the whole story. Behavior is often a signal of something deeper. When parents focus only on stopping the behavior, they can get trapped in a cycl...

Does every conversation with your teen seem to turn into an argument?

You ask about homework, and they snap back. You remind them about a chore, and they roll their eyes. You bring up the phone, the attitude, the curfew, or the messy room — and suddenly you are in another exhausting back-and-forth.

For single parents, this can feel especially draining because there often is not another adult there to step in. You are the one holding the boundary, absorbing the reaction, and trying to stay calm when your teen knows exactly how to push your bu...

Summer can make screen time harder for families.

There is less school structure.

There is more downtime.

Kids may be home more.

Parents may be working.

And screens can quickly become the default activity.

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks about how to create screen time rules for kids in summer without turning the whole season into a power struggle.

This episode is for parents of kids, tweens, and teens who want a calmer, clearer screen time plan.

⭐Got screen ti...

Does your teen’s attitude instantly pull you into a fight?

The eye rolls.

The sarcasm.

The “whatever.”

The rude tone.

The way one comment can shift the whole mood in your home.

If you are parenting a tween or teen, teen attitude problems can feel exhausting, disrespectful, and deeply personal.

In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, shares three practical parenting scripts for handling teen attitude without yelling, lecturing, or losing your cool.

This episode helps parents unders...

Your teen misses curfew. You take away the phone. They shrug.

Your tween talks back. You ground them. They say, “Whatever.”

You try to follow through, but nothing changes.

If consequences have stopped working with your teen, you are not alone—and it does not mean you are a bad parent.

In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks about why traditional consequences often stop working with tweens and teens, especially when those consequences are random, reactive, or disconnected from the behavior.

Instead of focusi...

Do you feel like you repeat yourself all day long with your teenager?

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW shares practical parenting scripts that help reduce power struggles and improve communication with tweens and teens.

You’ll learn:

Subscribe to The Parenting Reset Show and share this episode with another parent navigating the tween and teen years.

⭐Got screen time problems at home...

Do you ever feel stuck between being the "too soft" parent who gets walked all over and the "strict" one who yells and regrets it later?

Many single parents find themselves swinging between two extremes—permissive parenting that lacks boundaries and authoritarian parenting that shuts kids down. But what if there were a third way that builds trust, reduces screen-time struggles, and creates more peace at home?

If your teen explodes over homework, screens, chores, tone of voice, or being told no, it can feel like you are living with constant tension. Teen anger issues are one of the most common concerns parents bring into coaching.

In this episode, Tess explains why teen anger is often a signal, not the real problem. You’ll learn what is happening in the teen brain, why lectures usually fail during emotional escalation, and how to respond without becoming permissive or reactive.

You’ll walk away with practical scripts for angry moments, a simple anger plan to u...

Are screen time conversations turning into constant battles in your home?

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks about digital boundaries for kids and teens — and why clear, calm boundaries can reduce fighting and protect what matters most.

You’ll learn how to create digital boundaries around sleep, school, safety, and connection, while still maintaining trust and relationship with your tween or teen.

Grab Tess’s Tech Reset Agreement or book a Parent Reset Strategy Session if you need help creating a realistic digital boundary plan for your family.

In this episod...

Does your teen seem unable to put the phone down, even when they know they should?

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, explains why phone limits matter, but why limits alone are often not enough to change the pattern. If you have tried taking the phone away and still end up in the same screen time battle, this episode will help you understand what may be happening underneath.

You’ll learn how to look at what your teen is getting from the phone — connection, escape, entertainment, relief, or a sense of control — and how to pair l...

Are your screen time rules constantly turning into arguments, reminders, threats, or power struggles?

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, explains why many screen time family rules fail and how to create rules that are clear, realistic, and easier for tweens and teens to follow.

You’ll learn how to move away from vague rules like “get off your phone” and toward practical agreements that protect sleep, homework, family connection, and emotional regulation.

Grab Tess’s Tech Reset Agreement or book a Parent Reset Strategy Session if your family needs a calmer, more connecte...

Is your teen constantly on their phone, gaming late at night, scrolling endlessly, or melting down when you ask them to get off a screen?

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks about digital addiction in teens in a practical and non-shaming way. You’ll learn why screens feel so hard for tweens and teens to stop using, what signs may show that screen time is out of balance, and how to respond without turning every night into a battle.

You’ll walk away understanding that the goal is not to become the screen police. The...

Have you ever wondered what parent coaching actually is?

Maybe you have heard the term but are not sure whether it is therapy, parenting advice, family coaching, or something else entirely.

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, explains parent coaching in clear, simple language and shares how it can help families move out of repeated conflict and into better communication, stronger boundaries, and deeper connection.

Parent coaching is not about blaming parents or fixing kids.

It is about helping families understand the patterns they are stuck in.

Why does...

Does your teen shut down, give one-word answers, snap back, or avoid hard conversations altogether?

If so, the issue may not be that your teen does not care. They may not yet have the skills to communicate when they feel overwhelmed, judged, anxious, embarrassed, or defensive.

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, explores teen communication coaching and why communication is one of the most important life skills tweens and teens can build.

Communication is the foundation of every relationship your teen has — with you, friends, teachers, coaches, siblings, future partners, and eventually coworkers an...

Teen mental health struggles are rising fast — and many parents are seeing more anxiety, emotional shutdown, irritability, hopelessness, and overwhelm in their teens than ever before.

According to the CDC’s 2024 Youth Risk Behavior Survey using 2023 teen data:

Parents are scared, exhausted, and often unsure how to help without making things worse.

In this episode, Tess Connolly, LCSW, breaks down:

Is your teen or preteen having big emotional reactions, shutting down, snapping back, or melting down over what seems like a small issue?

In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, talks with Dr. Rosina McAlpine, work and family wellbeing expert from Win Win Parenting, about how parents can help tweens and teens build emotional intelligence and learn to manage their emotions more effectively.

Dr. Rosina explains that emotional intelligence is not just about “calming down.” It includes several skills: knowing your own emotions, managing those emotions, recognizing emotions in others, and...

Is your teen talking back… rolling their eyes… or saying things that feel completely disrespectful?

You’re not alone—and more importantly, you’re not doing anything wrong.

Teen attitude problems are one of the most common (and most triggering) challenges for parents of tweens and teens.

But how you respond in those moments can either escalate the situation… or completely shift it.

In this episode, we’re breaking down what’s really happening when your teen shows attitude—and why reacting the way most parents do actually makes it worse.

You’ll learn...

If teen screen time is becoming a daily battle in your home…

and your screen time limits for teens don’t seem to be working…

you are not alone.

You take the phone away.

You set rules.

You try to stay consistent.

And still… it turns into arguments, eye rolls, or sneaky behavior.

The truth is…

teen screen time is not just about the phone.

It’s about what the phone is replacing.

Sleep.

Homework.

Respons...

Does disciplining your teenager leave you feeling drained, angry, or like nothing is working?

If every boundary turns into an argument, every consequence becomes a negotiation, and every hard moment ends in distance, this episode is for you.

In this solo episode, Tess breaks down how to discipline teenagers in a way that teaches responsibility without damaging the relationship. She explains why the old model of more punishment, more talking, and more control often backfires with tweens and teens, and what to do instead.

You’ll hear how to use clear limits, calm co...

Has trust been strained between you and your teen or tween?

Maybe there has been conflict.

Maybe too many arguments.

Maybe lying, secrecy, attitude, shutdown, or just that painful feeling of disconnection.

If you have been wondering how to rebuild trust with your teen without forcing conversations or making things worse, this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Single Parent Reset Show, I’m talking about what trust repair really looks like with tweens and teens.

Not just the usual advice like “talk more” or “sp...

Is communication at home feeling tense, shut down, or full of conflict with your tween or teen?

If you keep walking away from conversations thinking, “Why does everything turn into an argument?” this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW, breaks down four communication shifts that help parents talk with tweens and teens in a way that lowers defensiveness and builds more trust.

You’ll hear why language matters so much during adolescence, how to stop over-talking in hard moments, and what to say when c...

Is your teen lying, talking back, shutting down, or making choices that leave you feeling scared, frustrated, or unsure of what to do next?

If so, you are not alone.

Teen behavior problems can feel overwhelming, especially when you are trying so hard to stay connected while also setting limits and hold your ground.

In this episode, Tess talks about some of the most common teen behavior problems parents face right now and how to respond in a way that is calm, clear, and effective.

What looks like “bad behavior” on the...

Your child may be spending more than half of their waking day on a screen — and you may not even realize it.

If you’ve been wondering how much screen time is actually okay for your tween or teen, this episode breaks it down in a simple, clear way. Tess walks you through what experts recommend, what the research says too much screen time can affect, and what a healthier daily rhythm can realistically look like for kids today.

In this episode, Tess explains the current screen time guidelines for kids and why they matter so m...

Does your teenager shut down when you try to talk?

Many parents feel frustrated when conversations with teens turn into silence, eye rolls, or one-word answers.

But the reason teens shut down may not be what you think.

In this episode, parent coach and psychotherapist Tess Connolly explains the real reasons teen communication breaks down and what parents can do to rebuild connection.

You’ll learn how adolescent brain development affects communication and how parents can shift their approach to help teens feel safer opening up.

Inside this episode:

Are you parenting a tween or teen and feeling like everything has become more intense, more emotional, and more exhausting? You are not alone. In this episode, Tess Connolly talks directly to overwhelmed parents who are trying to manage conflict, set boundaries, navigate screen time, and stay connected to their child without losing themselves in the process.

The tween and teen years can leave even thoughtful, loving parents feeling depleted. When your child is moody, reactive, pushing limits, or arguing more often, it is easy to assume something is wrong. But often, these behaviors are part of...

Are you dealing with teen attitude problems at home right now?

The eye rolling.

The sarcasm.

The “Why do you care so much?” responses.

If your teen’s attitude seems to be escalating conflict in your house, you’re not alone—and it doesn’t mean your parenting is failing.

Teen pushback is actually a normal developmental stage, but how you respond to it can either escalate the tension or strengthen your relationship.

In this episode of The Single Parenting Reset Show, Tess Connolly, LCSW and parent coach, expla...

Trying to talk to your teenager and getting eye rolls, silence, or one-word answers?

If conversations with your tween or teen feel harder lately, you’re not imagining it. Research shows that parent-teen conflict tends to peak during early adolescence, especially around everyday topics like chores, homework, and screen time.

But here’s the important thing most parents miss.

The issue usually isn’t that teens refuse to talk.

It’s that the way we talk to them needs to evolve as they grow.

In this episode of The Single P...

Is your tween or teen’s screen time healthy, or is it becoming a real problem?

Parents ask this all the time, and the answer is not as simple as counting hours. In this episode, Tess Connolly talks with physician and digital wellbeing expert Dr. Sajita Setia about what actually matters when it comes to tween and teen screen time, digital health, sleep, social connection, red flags, and AI.

This conversation goes beyond the usual “how many hours is too much?” debate. Tess and Dr. Setia break down how parents can tell the difference between health...

Why does your once cooperative child suddenly argue about everything?

If you're parenting a tween, you may be noticing more attitude, pushback, and emotional reactions. Many parents interpret this behavior as disrespect or defiance, but developmental research suggests something very different is happening.

During the tween years (roughly ages 9–13), children begin developing stronger independent thinking and identity formation. This natural stage of development often leads to increased questioning of rules, negotiation attempts, and emotional intensity.

In this episode, Tess Connolly explains why tween pushback is a normal part of development and how parents ca...

If your tween turns simple requests into a debate—homework, screens, bedtime, chores—you’re not alone. In this episode, you’ll get parenting help for tweens that’s practical, calm, and usable tonight.

Tweens (roughly ages 9–12) are in a developmental stage where they’re practicing independence—so pushback, eye rolls, and “I KNOW!” can spike fast. The problem isn’t that you’re doing it wrong—the problem is that most parents don’t have a simple in-the-moment structure to stop escalation before it takes over the whole evening.

By the end of this episode, you’ll have: