88. How to Keep Going after a Setback: For Parents and Their Struggling Teens

Parenting Post-Wilderness: Parenting a Struggling Teen Before, During and After Treatment

Going back to old patterns is part of the process.

In a perfect world, we’d change our behavior and never make the same mistake again. And so would our struggling teens. But perfection doesn’t exist, and there’s no such thing as a magic switch that makes everything work out perfectly all of a sudden.

I know how hard it is to experience a setback yourself or see your teen go through it. But one thing that Seth and I would like you to walk away with today, is that a setback doesn’t mean failure.

Whether we’re talking about setbacks in communication, substance abuse, coping skills, healthy behavior, or holding healthy boundaries, when we get sidetracked, we often feel like we have to start from scratch again. We think we have completely failed and beat ourselves up. Sometimes it even leads us to give up entirely.

But you’re not starting over. You still have all the experience and work you’ve done before. And you have the opportunity to learn, to reorient yourself back to the path you want to be on in order to move forward.

Let’s dive into today’s episode on how to keep going after a setback, and learn more about:

• How setbacks are part of the process;
• How a setback doesn’t mean you’re starting from scratch;
• The feeling of discouragement and just wanting to give up sometimes;
• Supporting your teen in getting back on track after a setback;
• Honouring the process of change;
• Keeping your boundaries steady while supporting someone in experiencing a setback;
• And more!

Need support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Ps. Are you getting great value out of this podcast? It would mean the world to me if you could leave a review on Apple Podcasts. This way, you will help me reach and help more parents of struggling teens develop healthy responses and boundaries instead of acting out of fear and anxiety. You can leave a review by clicking here, scrolling to the bottom, tapping to leave a star rating and then write your review. Thanks so much!

And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to subscribe to our show so you don’t miss any of my future episodes!

And remember parents, the change begins with us.

Want to share something? You can always send me a message by clicking here. I'd love to hear from you! (Please know that this function doesn't allow me to respond to you so if you have a question, send me an email at [e-mail])