Why “Because I Said So” Doesn’t Work

How did your last conversation with your teenager go?

If it ended with raised voices, a slammed door, and that familiar knot of frustration in your chest — you're not alone. And here's why it happens:

You're still communicating from an old parenting model — the one built for toddlers, not teens.

Most of us grew up hearing "Because I said so!"
It worked just enough to keep us in line back then.
But with your teenager? It backfires — every single time.

Because right now, they're not just testing boundaries.
They're fighting for something deeper: the need to feel respected, understood, and trusted.

And if we keep reaching for the old tools — the lectures, the punishments, the quick shut-downs — we miss the real opportunity in front of us:

To build a relationship that grows stronger, not weaker, in the hardest moments.

You don’t have to parent perfectly.
You don’t have to have all the answers.
You just have to be willing to lead differently.

Less controlling.
More connecting.

Less commanding.
More inviting.

Less "Do it because I said so."
More "I'm here. I’m listening. Let’s figure it out together."

So the next time your teenager storms past you, backpack chucked across the floor and bedroom door slamming behind them:

Every instinct in you wants to yell, chase, demand.
But tonight, you don't.

You sit quietly for a few minutes, letting your own frustration settle.
Then you send a simple text:
"Rough night. I'm here if you want to talk."

And when their door cracks open — even just a little — you'll know you didn’t push them farther away.
You built a bridge.
One choice, one moment at a time.

❤️ Jeanine

P.S. Most parents aren’t struggling because they don’t care — it’s because they’re stuck using tools that simply don’t work anymore.

When you're caught in the cycle of arguments and silence, it’s hard to see the way out on your own.

That's where I come in.

I'll help you shift into a new kind of leadership — one that brings steady peace back into your home and trust back into your relationship with your teenager.

Because there's nothing better than falling asleep at night feeling closer to your child, not lying awake wondering where things went wrong.

Book Your Parenting Breakthrough Call Here