Feel like nothing’s working? Start here.

The other day, I was on a call with a mom who was thinking about coaching.

She was doing everything she could think of to help her daughter—
Reading books, trying to stay calm, choosing her words carefully...

But nothing was working.

“I just feel like no matter what I do, it all falls apart,” she told me.

I could hear the exhaustion in her voice.
That bone-deep tired that comes from trying so hard and still feeling like you’re failing.

She didn’t need more strategies.
She needed something to shift.

So I said something I often come back to in my work with parents:

“When things feel out of control… what’s actually in your power?”

She paused.
Then said quietly:

“I guess… I can control how I respond.”
“I can control whether I stay calm, or start yelling.”
“I can control whether I take her behavior personally, or take a breath before reacting.”

And right there, something shifted.

Because when we feel powerless, we often grasp for control in the wrong places:
➡️ Their tone
➡️ Their choices
➡️ Their grades, friendships, effort

But real influence doesn’t come from managing the outcome.
It comes from how you respond in the moment.

Not by getting your teen to agree.
Not by making them behave perfectly.
Not by avoiding every hard moment.

But by staying grounded.
By choosing connection over control.
By leading with calm, even when they’re falling apart.

And honestly?
That’s what this work is about—helping you stop spinning and start leading with the calm confidence your teen actually needs.

So if you’re in a season where everything feels tense, reactive, or fragile…

Start here:

What’s one way you can show up differently in the next hard moment?

Imagine responding without the spike of panic in your chest.
Saying what needs to be said—calmly, clearly, without second-guessing.
And seeing your teen start to shift too.

Less defensiveness.
More trust.
A sense that maybe, just maybe... things can feel lighter.

🧡 Jeanine