How to Stay Connected (Not Controlling) With Your Teen – Parenting Advice With Kim Muench
When your sweet kid turns into a stormy, door-slamming teen overnight, it can shake your whole home, especially if you’re juggling perimenopause, sleepless nights, and endless worries. How do you stay calm, keep connected, and still hold boundaries when emotions are running high?
In this honest and empowering conversation, Dr Shauna sits down with Kim Muench (pronounced Minch, like “pinch” with an “m”), Founder of Real Life Parent Guide and Certified Parent Coach through the Jai Institute for Parenting. She is a mum of five and author of the #1 Amazon bestseller Becoming Me While Raising You. In this episode, Kim shares practical wisdom on parenting teens and emerging adults (18–30) with calm, confidence, and compassion, shifting from fear and control to connection and guidance.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Understand what’s really changing in the teen brain (and why moods swing).
• Learn how to stay calm and not take the sting personally.
• Recognise why connection beats control and what that looks like daily.
• Use “early and often” scripts for tough topics: porn, alcohol, sex, identity.
• Set healthy phone boundaries and create screen-free zones that stick.
• Apply the 4 Cs for stuck 18–30s: Clarity, Calm, Confidence, Consistency.
• Spot enabling vs. support, including when to step back financially.
• Navigate estrangement or low-contact seasons with dignity and hope.
For more from Kim Muench:
Website: https://reallifeparentguide.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimmuench.reallifeparentguide
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimmuenchparentcoach
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kimmuenchparentcoach
Follow Dr Shauna and the podcast on social:
Podcast Website: www.allaboutyoupod.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allaboutyou_withdrshaunawatts
https://www.instagram.com/drshaunawattsgp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shauna-watts-a903a5247
Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.
00:00 – Introduction: Raising Emerging Adults
00:02 – Kim Muench’s Journey to Conscious Parenting
00:07 – Understanding the Teenage Brain
00:10 – Managing Teen Emotional Dysregulation
00:14 – Building Trust and Connection with Teens
00:18 – How to Talk About Sensitive Topics
00:20 – Fear-Based Parenting vs. Empowered Guidance
00:22 – Social Media’s Impact on Teen Mental Health
00:23 – Creating Strong Family Values
00:26 – How to Talk to Teens About Pornography
00:29 – Honest Conversations About Sex and Relationships
00:31 – Parenting with Honesty and Vulnerability
00:33 – Letting Go of Control as Teens Grow
00:37 – Setting Boundaries for Screen and Phone Use
00:44 – Parenting in the Modern Digital Age
00:47 – Navigating Teenage Rebellion with Empathy
00:51 – Why Natural Consequences Build Responsibility
00:53 – Rediscovering Yourself as Kids Gain Independence
00:57 – Top Parenting Takeaways for Raising Teens
* parenting teens and tweens
* perimenopause and parenting
* teen brain emotional changes
* connection vs control parenting
* how to talk to teens about porn
* phone boundaries for teenagers
* failure to launch adult children
* parent coach tips 18 to 30
* enabling vs supporting kids
* calm confident consistent parenting
* family values conversation
* estranged from adult child
* anxious parents what to do
* alcohol and young adults safety
* respectful communication with teens
