Welcome to the home of The Balanced Parent Podcast!

Parenting is often lived in the extremes. It's either Great Joy or chaotic overwhelmed. In one moment you’re nailing it and the next you're losing your cool I want to help you find your way to the messy middle, to a place of balance. You see, balance is a verb not a state of being. it is a thing you do not a thing you are. it is an action a process a series of micro-corrections each and every day to keep ourselves feeling centered. We are never truly balanced. We are engaged in the process of balancing.

Hello, I’m Dr. Laura Froyen and this is the Balanced Parent podcast, where overwhelmed stressed out and disconnected parents go to find tools, mindset shifts and practices to help them stop yelling at the people they love and start connecting on a deeper level, all delivered with heaping doses of grace and compassion. Join me in conversations that will help you get clear on your goals and values and start showing up in your parenting, your relationships, YOUR LIFE, with open-hearted authenticity and balance. Let’s go!

In this week’s episode of The Balanced Parent Podcast, I sit down with Michael Toledo, author of Be Limitless, Be Love, and storyteller, to discuss how storytelling can support parents as they guide their tweens and teens through the challenges of adolescence. Michael shares his own story, from his childhood as a first-generation Mexican-American to his diverse career experiences, and explains how these experiences have shaped his perspective on parenting. Together, we’ll dive into how stories can be used to maintain a connection with children as they begin to seek independence and navigate the complex emotions of growing up

Here are the topics we covered:

How parents can find reassurance in knowing that their efforts are seen
How storytelling—especially from peers—can help kids feel seen, understood, and supported during adolescence
How Maslow's hierarchy of needs can guide boundary-setting for both parents and kids
Supporting kids' self-reflection through gentle, nonjudgmental conversations about needs
Helping kids feel understood by helping them to express needs with empathy and nuance

Resources:

Be Limitless, Be Love

If you want to connect with Michael, visit his website belimitlessbelove.com.

Remember to maintain balance in your parenting by using storytelling to connect with your tweens and teens during their journey through adolescence.

Laura Froyen, PhD

Laura Froyen, PhD

Balanced Parent Podcast

Laura Froyen, PhD

Welcome to the home of The Balanced Parent Podcast!

Episode 228: Using Storytelling to Support Teens Through Challenging Seasons with Michael Toledo