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Episodes

July 29, 2025

Why Mothers Aren't Happy: Burnout, Mental Load and the Second Shift.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures Women's happiness has been in decline since the 1970's despite increased freedoms and opportunities, says Dr Giselle Goodwin. I've you've ever felt burnout out and the sense that you're somehow failing at being…

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July 22, 2025

Angry teenagers: How to parent tweens and teens through their anger - Vintage.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures We all loose our cool sometimes. but teenagers can find it particularly challenging to stay calm or calm down when enraged. It takes self-awareness and skill, and a level of brain development that just isn't there for some of them…

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July 15, 2025

How to Set Boundaries That Actually Work With Teens: Vintage.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures Having kids can seem like a non-stop obstacle course trying to get another living being to do things, whether for their own good or our own sanity. Getting the right balance between love and discipline is incredibly tricky, and for man…

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July 8, 2025

Motivation: How to motivate a young person, teen or tween: Vintage.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures We'd all love our children to breeze through school, enjoying a satisfying academic life, having lots of friends, and coming out at the end feeling a success. But what if you have a child that doesn't thrive in an academic en…

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July 1, 2025

Alcohol. A Smart Parents' Guide to Helping Teens Take a Healthy Approach.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures More than half of kids who've drunk alcohol under the age of 15 in the UK were offered it by their parents. Alcohol has been proven to cause seven types of cancer, according the World Cancer Research. According to other research, …

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June 24, 2025

Talk: How to talk so your teenager will listen, and teens wanting to sleep together.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures Remember those years when your child followed you everywhere, and gazed at you with adoring eyes because you knew everything? Have they now turned into a teenager who simply grunts, or screams at you, when they occasionally emerge from…

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June 17, 2025

Puberty, toxic friendships and 'Pick me' girls - teens talk.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures It's a rare luxury to have both my girls available for half an hour to record an episode, and when I do I love to talk about listeners questions. Poor Amelia had a really bad cold, but she was still keen to help, so sorry about th…

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June 10, 2025

Starting University: The supportive thing that makes all the difference.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures Long term listener, Cathy, has asked us some very heartfelt and important questions about how to support her teen at university. It's an excellent topic for us to tackle since Susie currently has one at university, I have one abou…

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June 3, 2025

Stop a downward spiral before it happens with Dr Greg Walton 'One of psychology's greatest'.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures Wouldn't it be great if we knew when and how we parents and teachers can make a massive long-term difference by doing something relatively small? What if we could catch those moments that might set off either an upward or downward…

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May 27, 2025

First love, breakups & LGBTQ: What to do and say.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures First love can be immensely powerful; a profound and unforgetable journey that shapes who we are. It teaches us about intimacy, boundaries and heartbreak and as parents it challenges all of our skills and perceptions. In this episode m…

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May 20, 2025

Underage sex, loneliness, puberty and finding hobbies.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures In this episode I asked Susie to come in and help me tackle some listener questions: QUESTION: After a recent chat with my 13 year old daughter, I'm extremely concerned that she thinks she is ready to have sex with her boyfriend. …

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May 13, 2025

Why school exam systems need to change and how to support our own kids now.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures The intense, content-heavy exam system in the UK kicks off at this time of year with GCSEs and A levels; high-stakes exams that can feel like a make-or-break moment for teenagers. I've already discussed with Susie how we can suppo…

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May 6, 2025

Success: Are siblings and community more important than parents?

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures What really shapes success β€” nature, nurture, luck? It's a perennial question. The Family Dynamic is a brilliant, captivating exploration of families in which all of the children became high-achievers. The award-winning auth...

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April 29, 2025

Respect, artifical intelligence and toxic femininity - the teenage view.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures When I asked listeners for their questions one stood out as a worthy of almost an entire episode: 'What does it take to respect people around you, especially your parents?' There's so much that could be said on this topi…

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April 22, 2025

Secondary school, friendship groups, and those awkward talks about porn and sexting.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures In this episode my teens, Phoebe and Amelia, joined me in the studio to help answer some questions emailed in by listeners, and sent to me on social media. We kick off by chatting about exploring their identity and what they think i...…

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April 15, 2025

How to get your teenager out of their bedroom - even one who's into gaming.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures So many parents feel a deep loss when their teenager begins to separate from them; staying in their room and behaving as if the person they used to adore is the most embarassing thing they have ever witnessed. In today's episode I…

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April 8, 2025

Identity formation - the main job of a teenager?

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=family-adventures In psychology, the term "identity" is most commonly used to describe the distinctive qualities or traits that make an individual unique. Identities are strongly associated with self-esteem, and individuality and - for a teena…

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April 1, 2025

Inheritocracy: Are education and hard work less important now than parents?

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=family-adventures I grew up believing in a meritocracy; with hard work - and government funding of my university education - I eventually escaped a difficult home and poor schooling to succeed in journalism. But times have moved on, and the reality ...<…

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April 1, 2025

Adolescence: Help for parents with the core themes.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=family-adventures The mini-series, Adolescence, is a global hit, topping Netflix charts in 71 countries and amassing 24.3 million views in its first four days. It's sparked a global conversation about parenting, masculinity, and the impact of socia…

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March 18, 2025

134: Are we too cynical? Helping our kids see hope in a world of cynicism.

What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover? Twenty years ago The Times asked young people in Britain a series of questions. The new Millenials gave answers which showed that the majority thought the UK was forward-looking and tolerant; they were proud to be British. This year that same survey - this time asking Gen Z - has brought in radically different results. 48 per cent thought that Britain is a racist country, compared with 36 per cent who did …

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March 10, 2025

Empty nest? Plan ahead for an life that's full of possibility.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=family-adventures Empty nest syndrome is real, and can be very painful to navigate. I've already discussed it with Susie, including ideas for how we can manage our feelings in a positive way to help us move on. https://www.teenagersuntangled.com/em…

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March 4, 2025

Work: What we parents can do to help our kids end up with a meaningful role in society.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=family-adventures Another day another newspaper headline that says young people aren't working. According to the Financial Times newspaper, 13.4 per cent of people in the United Kingdon in the 16 to 24 age group were not in employment education or …

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Feb. 25, 2025

Accepting our kids for who they are, not what our culture tells us they should be.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=family-adventures Parenting is a hard enough, but doing it in a culture that is different from the one we grew up in creates an extra layer of challenges to navigate. When it's our kids who have the greatest connection to that new culture it can be…

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Feb. 18, 2025

Skin care obsession: The social media 'Sephora' kid craze from a teen perspective.

Ask Rachel anything Explore Worldwide Holidays - Click here for an adventure your child will never forget: πŸ‘‡πŸ» https://www.explore.co.uk/experiences/family-holidays?utm_source=teenagers-untangled&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=family-adventures Most teens go through a phase of being hyper-focused on looking good; whether it's clothes, bodybuilding, skin-care or makeup. What can seem like an obsession could be a normal part of the process, so when should we start to worry…

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