Parenting teenagers isn’t just challenging—it can be exhausting. Even when you’re doing everything “right,” some seasons are simply hard.

In this episode of Plot Twist Parenting, Julie speaks directly to those moments—when trust feels fragile, emotions run high, and you’re wondering if you’ve already messed it up.

Drawing from leadership wisdom, applied psychology, and faith traditions, you’ll learn how steadiness, presence, and repair matter more than perfection, and why trust is built not by avoiding mistakes, but by how we return after them. You’ll also hear a powerful metaphor for staying grounded under pressure—keeping a steady gaze and an open heart—and how this practice can change the way you show up when things feel overwhelming.

If parenting feels harder than you expected right now, this episode offers reassurance, perspective, and a reminder you may need to hear:

You are not behind. You are learning in real time.

What does unconditional love actually look like in the messy, emotional, real-life work of parenting teenagers?

In this episode, Julie explores the fifth and foundational practice of Plot Twist Parenting: unconditional love—the steady presence that doesn’t walk away, even when everything feels chaotic. Drawing from a candid conversation with her son and a moment of unexpected connection in the middle of a difficult interaction, Julie unpacks why unconditional love is less about words and more about how we show up.

You’ll hear why unconditional love is not permissiveness, not the absence of boundaries, and not pretending everything is fine. Instead, it’s a posture of care, curiosity, and commitment that helps teens feel safe enough to grow—and helps parents stay grounded when fear, perfectionism, or burnout threaten to take over.

This episode offers encouragement, perspective, and a simple practice to help you notice the many ways you’re already showing up in love, even when it feels invisible.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re doing enough—or worried you’ve messed it up—this conversation is for you.

Consider this plot twist: Joy might be the most overlooked lifeline in the teen years--for parents and for teens. To say it another way: joy is serious business.

You’ll learn how joy becomes a protective force in your home, what science says about positive emotion and resilience, and how faith traditions across the world treat joy as an anchor during hardship. You'll also find simple, evidence-backed practices to bring light back into your home… even when things feel heavy.

Joy isn’t a mood. It’s a muscle—and one of the most powerful tools we have as parents of teens.