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Parenting teens today feels completely different than it did even ten years ago — and honestly? A lot of us are figuring it out in real time.

In this episode of This Is Common – Life Beyond the Baby, we’re talking about the emotional reality of raising teenagers in a world of social media, smartphones, AI, vaping, anxiety, constant comparison, online pressure, and nonstop stimulation.

Because modern parenting isn’t just about keeping our kids physically safe anymore — it’s about protecting their mental health, emotional well-being, attention span, self-esteem, and nervous system too.

In this raw, honest, and practical episode, we discuss:

• parenting teens in the digital age
• social media and teen mental health
• screen time and overstimulation
• why teens seem emotionally overwhelmed
• how phones and social media impact the teenage brain
• setting healthy boundaries without becoming controlling
• building trust and communication with your teen
• practical parenting tools that actually help
• how to stay connected to your teenager in a distracted world

We also dive into the pressure parents feel to let kids have “what everyone else has,” the fear of saying no, and why so many moms feel exhausted trying to raise emotionally healthy kids in an online world we barely understand ourselves.

If you’re raising teens, preteens, or tweens and wondering:

• “Am I being too strict?”
• “How do I protect my child without isolating them?”
• “Why does parenting feel harder now?”
• “How do I get my teen to actually talk to me?”

This episode will leave you feeling validated, informed, and more confident in your parenting decisions.

Because your kids don’t need perfect parents.
They need connected ones.

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Motherhood is already a full-time job… so what happens when you add a business on top of it?

In this episode, I’m joined by Lori Ervin, who has built multiple six-figure businesses online and now helps women grow their brands in a way that actually fits into their life.

We’re not sugarcoating anything. We’re talking about what it actually looks like to build and run a business while raising kids — the messy schedules, the guilt, the pressure, and the constant feeling of being pulled in a million directions.

Lori shares real, practical advice for moms who want to start something of their own (or are already in it and barely holding on). From managing your time when there is none, to letting go of perfection, to figuring out what actually matters — this is the kind of conversation moms need but don’t hear enough.

If you’ve ever thought:
“How the hell am I supposed to do both?”

This one’s for you.

You can find Lori at www.loriervin.com and over on instagram @theloriervin

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I don’t feel like myself lately — and I can’t tell if it’s burnout, ADHD, hormones… or all of the above.

I used to be on top of everything. Now I forget why I walked into a room, start things I don’t finish, and feel behind even when I technically have time. It’s not just being tired — it feels like my brain just isn’t working the way it used to.

In this episode, I’m talking through what this actually feels like, why so many moms are experiencing it, and how burnout, undiagnosed ADHD, and perimenopause can all show up in really similar ways.

This isn’t a “here’s how to fix it” episode — it’s an honest conversation about that in-between stage where you’re functioning… but not quite like yourself.

If you’ve been thinking “what is wrong with me lately?” — you’re not the only one.

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