Raising Boys Building Men/Parenting Solutions For Moms And Boys

53. Raising Tech-Healthy Teens in a Digital World: A Conversation with Andrea Davis from Better Screen Time

If you’ve ever taken your son’s phone away and watched him lose it, you are not alone.
In this episode of Raising Boys, Building Men, Heidi sits down with screen-time expert and mom of five, Andrea Davis, founder of Better Screen Time. Together, they talk about what healthy tech boundaries really look like, how to know if your son is ready for a phone, and how to stop parenting from fear when it comes to screens.
You’ll learn practical ways to set limits, build trust, and create a family tech plan that actually works. Plus, Andrea shares a free self-evaluation tool for parents and teens to decide if now is the right time for a device.
This isn’t about control it’s about connection, confidence, and protecting what matters most.
 
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For Additional Support:
Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE
Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE
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More about Andrea:
For more information about Andrea and Better screen time, to grab your free pintable's, and to join "The Hub" click HERE 

52. 5 Truths About Raising Teenage Boys Every Mom Needs to Hear

One year ago, Heidi hit “record” on the very first episode of Raising Boys, Building Men with one goal: to give moms of boys a voice of truth and hope. Since then, she’s talked with psychologists, educators, and hundreds of moms who are all asking the same question: Will my son be okay? Am I doing enough?
In this special anniversary episode, Heidi shares the five biggest lessons she’s learned after a year of podcasting. You’ll hear why boys are struggling, what moms often misunderstand, and how much power you actually hold in your son’s life.
If you’ve ever blamed yourself for your son’s struggles, wondered if you’re doing it right, or simply needed a reminder that you’re not alone, this episode is for you.
Listen now to hear the truths every mom of boys needs to know.
 
Want more conversations like this?
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For Additional Support:
Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE
Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE
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Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE
 

51. Does Your Teenage Son Keeps Saying “I Don’t Care”? Here’s What It Really Means

Does your teenage son shrug his shoulders and mutter, “I don’t care” whenever you ask about school, friends, or the future? You are not alone and it’s not as hopeless as it feels.
In today’s episode of Raising Boys, Building Men, Heidi unpacks what’s really happening when your son seems totally checked out. Spoiler: it’s almost always one of two things. You’ll learn how to tell the difference, and more importantly, how to respond in a way that draws him closer instead of pushing him further away.
Heidi also shares three practical “mom moves” that help you connect with your son without nagging, pressuring, or fueling power struggles.
If you’ve ever felt rejected by your son’s indifference, this episode will help you breathe easier and rebuild the connection you’re craving.
👉 Links mentioned in today’s episode:
DO NOT miss out on our new 6-week group, "Unlock His Motivation".  Click HERE to register.  This group will be kept small and is first come, first served.
 
Want more conversations like this?
Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.
👉 Join “Raising Boys, Building Men” on Facebook
 
For Additional Support:
Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE
Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE
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Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE

50. What to do when You Don’t Parent Like Your Partner: How to Work as a Team for Your Teen

Feeling like you and your partner are parenting from different planets? You're not alone. In this episode, we dive into why different parenting styles aren't the problem you think they are, when misalignment becomes dangerous, and practical ways to create a united front even when you don't always agree.
 
Your teenage son is watching every interaction between you and your co-parent. When parenting differences turn into open conflict, it creates insecurity and gives him cracks to exploit. But here's the good news: your son actually needs both perspectives to develop stronger problem-solving skills and resilience.
In this episode you will:
Learn the difference between healthy parenting differences and harmful conflict
Discover 5 practical strategies to align on the big stuff without losing your authenticity
Stop wasting energy trying to change your co-parent and focus where your influence is greatest
Create peace in your home instead of constant parenting battles
 
🛑 DO NOT MISS joining our 6-week beta group - 'Unlock His Motivation'.  Get the details and register HERE
 
Want more conversations like this?
Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.
👉 Join “Raising Boys, Building Men” on Facebook
 
For Additional Support:
Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE
Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE
Follow us on Instagram HERE
Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE

49. When You Lose Yourself: A Mom's Guide to Self-Care That Actually Helps Your Teenage Son

What's in Today's Episode
Three powerhouse coaches—Molly Claire, Michelle Keil, and Maria Hendershot share their expertise on ditching the hustle culture, finding joy through creativity, and reclaiming your sense of self. We dive deep into why your relationship with yourself is the foundation for everything else, including raising confident sons who will become respectful men.
Why This Matters to You
Your teenage son is watching how you live, how you treat yourself, and what you prioritize. When you're constantly hustling, overwhelmed, and putting everyone else first, you're teaching him that's what adulthood looks like. But when you model self-care, boundaries, and joy? You're raising a man who will carry those values into his future relationships.
Stop feeling guilty about taking care of yourself. This episode gives you permission and practical tools to slow down, reconnect with who you are, and show your son what healthy self-respect looks like. You'll learn simple ways to regulate your nervous system, find joy in small moments, and break the cycle of perfectionism that's exhausting you.
Click HERE to get on the waitlist for "She Rises: Insights and wisdom from the women of the masterful coach collective"
 
Want more conversations like this?
Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.
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For Additional Support:
Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE
Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE
Follow us on Instagram HERE
Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE
 
More About Our Amazing Guests
Molly Claire: 
Molly Claire is a 7-figure business builder, best- selling author of The Happy Mom Mindset, founder of The Masterful Coach Collective, and a single mom of 3. Molly has been featured on podcasts and stages across the U.S. for interviews and speaking engagements. She is best known for her ability to empower women to believe in their abilities and take the steps needed to create their dream business. She has a passion for helping women learn how to make more money while working less and making time for what matters most in their personal lives.  Get more at Mollyclaire.com
 
Maria Hendershot:
Maria Hendershot is a master certified life coach who helps burned-out moms reclaim energy, joy, and purpose. With a background in life, health, and wellness coaching, she blends mindset, habits, and nervous system work in her 90-Day Joyful Reinvention Program to create lasting change. A longtime homeschooling mom of 20+ years, Maria helps women feel good enough to dream again—and bold enough to live a life they once thought was out of reach.  Get more at Joyfulreinvention.com
 
Michelle Keil:
Michelle Keil, affectionately known as The Doodle Coach, is a Master Certified Holistic Coach and the creator of a unique coaching method who helps overwhelmed women quiet their inner critic, lighten their emotional load, and reconnect with who they truly are—through the surprisingly powerful tool of doodling. Her playful yet profound approach is faith-centered, science and evidence-informed, and rooted in years of training, including an Advanced Certification in Motherhood and Family Life. She weaves together creativity, faith, and nervous system-aware coaching to support women in finding grace in the margins of their lives.
Michelle’s signature programs include Drawn to Grace, a 5-day guided doodle practice to build self-compassion, and Draw Yourself In, a 12-week coaching experience for women ready to release perfectionism and rediscover their true voice. She also leads The Doodle Lab, a monthly creative space for reflection, connection, and nervous system regulation—no art skills required.
Whether through her courses, community, or one-on-one coaching, Michelle makes it safe, —and even fun—for women to let go of who they think they should be and remember who they already are.  Get more at Thedoodlecoach.com

48. The Phone Call No Mom Wants: How to Help Your Son Through Trauma and Tragedy

This isn't your typical episode - it's raw, unscripted, and straight from my heart. I'm sharing the terrifying phone call I received from my 23-year-old son Luke during a political assassination at his university where he stood just yards away from the tragedy.  And what this experience taught me about raising resilient boys in a world filled with tragedy and fear.
Why This Matters to You 
Your son is consuming tragedy daily - school shootings, violence, political chaos - and his developing brain wasn't designed for this constant exposure. While you can't control the world around him, you CAN control how prepared he is to handle crisis and who he calls when life gets scary.
Learn how to create a safe space for your son to process difficult events
Discover the power of asking the right questions during crisis
Understand why focusing on your relationship at home creates more change than scrolling social media
Get practical tools for building resilience in your son's character
Want more conversations like this?
Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.
👉 Join “Raising Boys, Building Men” on Facebook
 
For Additional Support:
Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE
Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE
Follow us on Instagram HERE
Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE

47. How to Set Healthy Screen Time Boundaries for Your Teenage Son (Without Constant Battles)

Screens are everywhere - phones, video games, streaming shows and it can feel like your son is disappearing into them. In this episode, I share 5 practical steps you can use today to set healthy boundaries around screens without constant arguments.
Why This Matters to You (Mom of Boys):You don’t just want fewer battles over screens. You want connection. You want your son to grow into a motivated, balanced young man not someone stuck in a digital world. This episode gives you the confidence and tools to guide him without guilt, shame, or power struggles.
 
Todays Episode Will Help You:
Learn why screens are so addictive to teen boys (and why it’s not their fault).
Discover how to set clear boundaries without constant arguing.
Walk away with practical ways to create a family media culture that works.
Feel hopeful and back in control instead of overwhelmed.
Want more conversations like this?
Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.
👉 Join “Raising Boys, Building Men” on Facebook
 
For Additional Support:
Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE
Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE
Follow us on Instagram HERE
Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE

46. Back to School Blowups: How to Handle Your Teenage Son's Meltdowns Without the Fight

If you're exhausted from the daily battles. The nagging, reminding, and repeating yourself isn't working it's actually creating MORE resistance. You want peaceful mornings and a son who takes responsibility, but you're stuck in a cycle of control that's damaging your relationship.
In this episode we are talking about the real reason your teenage son is acting out during back-to-school season (hint: it's not what you think), why your well-intentioned hovering is making everything worse, and the game-changing shift that will transform your relationship from chaotic to connected in just a few weeks.
Today you will:
Discover what's really happening beneath your son's "attitude" during school transitions
Learn the difference between leadership and micromanaging (and why it matters)
Get the exact script for transferring power without losing your mind
Understand why connection before correction changes everything
Walk away with actionable steps to reduce drama starting TODAY
Want more conversations like this?
Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.
👉 Join “Raising Boys, Building Men” on Facebook
 
For Additional Support:
Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE
Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE
Follow us on Instagram HERE
Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE
 
 

45. Stop Blaming Yourself for Your Son's Bad Behavior (It's Not Your Fault)

If you've ever sat with your head in your hands wondering "What am I doing wrong?" after your son's latest attitude explosion, this episode is your permission slip to STOP. You're not alone in this blame spiral - it's literally hardwired into us as moms. But here's the thing: that guilt isn't helping him learn accountability, and it's stealing your confidence as his guide.
 
In this episode we're diving deep into why moms automatically blame themselves when their teenage sons act out, slam doors, or get in trouble at school. I'm sharing why this self-blame is your default response, how it's actually hurting both you AND your son, and giving you practical steps to break free from the guilt cycle so you can show up as the confident mom your son needs.
 
You'll leave with :
Understand the psychology behind why moms blame themselves (spoiler: it's not actually helpful)
Learn to shift from guilt to curiosity - the game-changing parenting emotion
Get scripts for conversations that give ownership back to your son
Discover why boundaries aren't trauma - they're exactly what he's begging for
Practical steps to stop the self-blame cycle starting today
 
Want more conversations like this?
Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.
👉 Join “Raising Boys, Building Men” on Facebook
 
For Additional Support:
Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE
Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE
Follow us on Instagram HERE
Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE

44. What to Do When Your Teenage Son Won't Get Out of Bed (Without Destroying Your Relationship)

You're exhausted from the daily battles. You're worried he'll never learn to manage himself. And you're starting to wonder if all this nagging is destroying the connection you've worked so hard to build. This episode gives you permission to step back and a roadmap for how to do it successfully.
 
We're diving deep into the morning battlefield every mom of teenage sons knows too well. I'm sharing why you need to stop being his human alarm clock, how to pull facts from your dramatic stories, and the exact steps to give him ownership back without losing your mind or your relationship.
 
How This Episode Solves Your Problem
End the morning chaos - Learn to separate facts from fear-based stories that fuel your frustration
Build his independence - Discover why natural consequences work better than rescue missions
Preserve your relationship - Get curious instead of combative, and watch connection strengthen
Feel confident letting go - Understand why it's better for him to struggle now than at 25
Want more conversations like this?
Join our private Facebook community for moms raising teenage boys. We talk about real-life challenges, share strategies, and lift each other up—because you don’t have to do this alone.
👉 Join “Raising Boys, Building Men” on Facebook
 
For Additional Support:
Visit our website Raisingboysbuildingmen.com HERE
Schedule a FREE Relationship Reconnection Call with Me HERE
Follow us on Instagram HERE
Grab 8 tips to connect with your son today HERE