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PODCAST

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens Into Adulthood

Kenneth Wilgus, Cynthia Yanof

A weekly podcast on parenting teens and launching them into the world. Hosted by Cynthia Yanof with Dr. Ken Wilgus, author of the book "Feeding The Mouth That Bites You."

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

32:23

Episode 237: Understanding Impulsivity

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2026/02/10

Is your teen being impulsive, oppositional, or something more concerning—and how can you tell the difference? In this episode, Dr. Ken breaks down three commonly misunderstood behavior patterns in adolescents: impulsivity, oppositional behavior, and conduct disorder.He explains what impulsivity actually looks like in teens (and what it doesn’t), how oppositional behavior often shows up only around authority, and why conduct disorder is far less common—but important to recognize. You’ll learn how

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28:01

Episode 236: Roles Reversed: Dr. Ken Interviews...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2026/02/03

This week on Feeding the Mouth That Bites You, we flip the script.Instead of Cynthia asking the questions, Dr. Ken takes over—and interviews Cynthia on release day of her new book, How’d I Miss That? What follows is equal parts parenting wisdom, real-life chaos, and proof that even competent adults can forget to put the gas pump back.Dr. Ken digs into why modern parents feel so much pressure to get everything right—and why most of what feels urgent probably isn’t. Cynthia shares the heart behind

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28:23

Episode 235: Is Nicotine Really a Big Deal?

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2026/01/27

In this episode, Cynthia and Dr. Ken respond to a listener question many parents are facing: how to handle nicotine use with adolescents. The situation raises important questions about legality, respect, boundaries, and how parental authority shifts as kids grow older.Dr. Ken offers perspective on how nicotine use differs from alcohol and marijuana, why not all “bad choices” carry the same level of risk, and how parents can respond without overreacting or minimizing the issue. They discuss why

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29:34

Episode 234: Does My Teen Really Need Counseling?

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2026/01/20

This week’s episode was important enough to re-record: when (and if) you should push your teen to go to therapy. Cynthia and Dr. Ken unpack what therapy actually is, why forcing a resistant teen rarely works, and the surprising ways counseling can sometimes do more harm than good.Dr. Ken explains how to recognize when therapy becomes necessary, why parent coaching often helps more than sending a reluctant teenager, and what to consider when choosing a counselor—including privacy boundaries,

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22:39

Episode 233: Where’d You Hear That? Sorting Through...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2026/01/13

This week, Cynthia and Dr. Ken talk about the flood of parenting advice online—reels, headlines, podcasts, and posts that claim to have “the secret” to raising great kids. Cynthia admits she often hears something, remembers it later, and never actually checks where it came from. Dr. Ken steps in to help parents think wisely about sources, research, and trends—especially when videos or articles lean heavily on “brain science” that doesn’t actually match the data.Together, they look at a recent viral

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29:05

Episode 232: New Year, Same Teen? 3 Parenting Resets...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2026/01/06

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026! Cynthia and Dr. Ken kick off the year by ditching the pressure of New Year’s resolutions and instead encouraging parents to look at their parenting trajectory—if nothing changes, is that a good thing or not so much? Dr. Ken shares three foundational areas parents should revisit as the year begins—places that often create the most tension at home and the most confusion for parents trying to do the right thing. Along the way, they address control, conflict, and the

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00:28:37

Episode 231: Why Entitlement Is Shaping Our Kids More...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/12/16

This week on the show, Cynthia and Dr. Ken dig into the age-old issue of entitlement—how it shows up in American culture and how it shapes our teens. They talk about the everyday behaviors that reveal deeper beliefs about self-respect, responsibility, and personal standards.Dr. Ken explains why raising kids who expect rewards without effort creates long-term problems, especially when it comes to character, resilience, and financial responsibility. Together, he and Cynthia unpack how well-intentioned

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00:23:59

Episode 230: Why Adult Friendships Matter More Than...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/12/09

This week on the show, Cynthia and Dr. Ken dive into the often-overlooked world of adult friendship—why it matters for your emotional health and your parenting. They unpack new research on the “friendship recession,” why adults have fewer close friends than ever, and how that loneliness also impacts our parenting. Dr. Ken explains why parents need real community as their teens grow up and leave home, why your marriage can’t be your only source of companionship, and why having your teen as your “best

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00:29:40

Episode 229: You Asked, We Answered: Parenting Q&A...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/12/02

This week on the show, Dr. Ken and Cynthia dig into listener questions. They start with digital monitoring: What do you do when Life360 tells you your teen is speeding or texting while driving? Dr. Ken breaks down when consequences help, when they don’t, and why too much monitoring can accidentally communicate, “Your life is still our life.”Next up: a 21-year-old daughter who wants to stay at her boyfriend’s apartment when she comes home. Dr. Ken tackles how parents can hold to their moral

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00:24:38

Episode 228: Winning the Game: How to Parent Well...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/11/18

This week on the show, Cynthia and Dr. Ken dive into the wild, wonderful, and occasionally mind-numbing world of youth sports. Dr. Ken breaks down what’s really going on inside our teens—whether they’re thriving, quitting, or somewhere in between. He unpacks why control is the number-one issue in teen athletics, why even highly talented kids sometimes walk away from their sport, and how parents can set fair expectations without taking over their child’s identity. There are also discussions on

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00:27:13

Episode 227: Raising Teens in the Age of AI

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/11/11

Today, Dr. Ken and Cynthia talk about how AI is shaping the world our teens are growing up in. From homework help to “AI friends” and therapy bots, this technology is moving fast — and our kids are encountering it whether we feel ready or not.Instead of panic or hard bans, Dr. Ken encourages thoughtful, ongoing conversations. We discuss how AI is affecting schools, what healthy use can look like, and why it's important to help teens think critically rather than rely on technology to think or feel

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00:31:08

Episode 226: The Case for Earlier Marriage (and why...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/11/04

Today we’re talking marriage with Dr. Ken Wilgus — not our marriages (although we detoured there), but our kids’ future ones. Dr. Ken discusses research that says we shouldn’t panic if our kids consider getting married younger than the cultural norm. Marriage isn't just a “capstone” once you're fully established — sometimes it’s a cornerstone that builds adulthood together.We unpack cultural trends, fear-based parenting, and why avoiding the dating conversation doesn’t actually protect your teens

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00:34:23

Episode 225: Bullies, Victims and Bystanders - Teens...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/10/28

From managing the influence of social media to knowing when (and how) to step in, this conversation reminds us that our role as parents isn’t to fix everything—it’s to stay present and connect with our kids often.If you have a minute, please leave us a review. We love hearing listeners encouraging other listeners. You can order Dr. Ken's book "Feeding The Mouth That Bites You" hereYou can order Cynthia's book "Life Is Messy, God Is Good" here Got questions or feedback? We want to hear from you

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00:33:59

Episode 224: When Teens Wander

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/10/21

Dr. Ken takes on a tough but deeply relatable topic for many parents—what to do when a child drifts from faith, family values, or relationship. Whether it’s a season of wandering, strained connections, or hard choices that break your heart, this conversation walks us through what it looks like to navigate prodigal seasons with our teens.Cynthia and Dr. Ken talk about the difference between a child who’s estranged from you versus estranged from God, why power dynamics so often make things worse, and

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00:31:56

Episode 223: Show me the money (and boundaries)

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/10/14

In this episode, Dr. Ken tackles the often tricky topic of finances with teenagers and young adults. From who pays for what to how much control parents should keep as kids become more independent, they unpack what it looks like to guide—not grip—the financial reins.Dr. Ken and Cynthia dig into everything from financial responsibility in high school to the bigger choices college students face. They talk about how a parent’s own relationship with money inevitably trickles down to their kids, why

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00:31:41

Episode 222: Defiant or Dysregulated?

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/10/07

This week on Feeding the Mouth That Bites You, Dr. Ken unpacks a word every parent has heard lately—dysregulation—and what it really looks like in teenagers. Spoiler: it’s not always as clinical or mysterious as it sounds. Sometimes it’s just what we used to call “spiraling” or “losing it.” We talk about how to tell the difference between a teen who’s simply being disrespectful and one who’s truly overwhelmed by emotion, and why calling everything “dysregulation” can actually make parenting harder

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00:26:51

Episode 221: When Spouses Disagree on Planned...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/09/30

This week Dr. Ken and Cynthia discuss a challenge almost every parent faces—what to do when you and your spouse don’t see eye-to-eye on planned emancipation. From different approaches to devices and curfews, it’s not always easy to stay on the same page while raising young adults.We discuss why keeping your marriage first changes the conversation, how to navigate disagreements without turning them into power struggles, and what it looks like to support each other even when you don’t fully agree. We

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00:27:48

Episode 220: Parenting Teens Through Hard News and...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/09/23

This week Dr. Ken dives into a topic every parent is facing—how to walk with teenagers when the news in our country feels heavy and unsettling. From tragic events to the endless political chatter on social media, it can be hard to know how to navigate this with our teens. We talk about the tension of wanting to protect our kids while also respecting that they’re young adults who see and hear more than we realize.We also wrestle through questions like: How do we start meaningful conversations without

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00:28:10

Episode 219: But What About A Teen Who's Diagnosed...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/09/16

Today we tackle the common issue of how parents should handle planned emancipation when their teenager carries one or more diagnoses like ADHD or Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Autism Spectrum Disorder or Dyslexia or Depression or Anxiety or Trauma etc. etc. etc. This question comes up a lot! Dr. Ken’s take is clear and freeing—the diagnosis shapes how you coach but not whether you give freedoms. Parents can adjust their approach, offer tools, and expect some natural consequences, but lowering the

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00:27:16

Episode 218: Teens That Can't Wait To Leave And Teens...

Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens... ·

2025/09/09

This week we talk about teenagers who seem very eager to grow up and those who seem to fear adulthood. How should parents handle those differences? Is this a temperament thing? Are they afraid to leave us? Isn't it a good thing if our adolescents feel like they want to hang with us all the time?We cover this and much more. Did you even know we have an Instagram account? Dr. Ken didn't! Plus Dr. Ken and Cynthia decide on a "safe word" if Cynthia goes off the rails! If you have a minute, please

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237 results

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