Coaching Teens

By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – March 19, 2019

Coaching teens… if that doesn’t get the attention of most ADHD parents, I don’t know what will. Recently, on Attention Talk Radio and Attention Talk Video, we did a couple of shows on this topic that will serve as our theme.

On Attention Talk Video, I interviewed Master Certified Coach Jodi Sleeper-Triplett on the topic, “Are All Teens Coachable?” Unfortunately, there’s no magic pill. They can’t be forced; however, by adjusting their parenting style, parents can impact the likelihood their teen can be coached. Tips on this are addressed by Dr. Arthur Robin in our podcast series on defiant teens, titled “Defiant ADHD Teens: Tips from the Trenches – Part 2,” on Attention Talk Radio.

Dr. Robin is an author and is well known in the field. What stood out from my interviews with him is how you as a parent can’t affect the characteristics of you or your teen. Most times, there’s little that can be done to change the environment. Parenting style is the only thing you can have a huge impact on. What Dr. Robin suggests lends itself more to the notion that parents should get training as a way to improve the home environment over necessarily training the teen.

Remarkably, the advice from both Jodi Sleeper-Triplett and Dr. Robin is not just for ADHD teens. It applies to all teens. As a parent of a teen, I, too, have found the benefit in attending to my parenting style, which is not always easy. I found, if you stick with it, sometimes you stumble upon an aha that really helps.

This aha occurred to me a few years ago and resulted in an article I wrote entitled, “Puberty: “My Teenager is Under the Influence…..” By attending to my teen using this lens, I was able to attend to situations differently, which impacted my parenting style in a positive way. I share it with you in hopes it helps spark an idea that has an impact on your parenting style.

That’s it for now. But before I go, here’s a tip….

If the obvious solution isn’t working, chances are you are attending to the wrong thing! I can help you observe, identify, and work on the parts of your parenting style that could use some tweaking. What parent style doesn’t need tweaking?

Ways I can help:

Want to learn more? Email me: jeff@digcoaching.com

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