When your teen starts doing better (going to school, staying sober, following through), it’s natural to breathe a sigh of relief. It’s also natural for your teen or young adult to plead their case and ask you to loosen the boundary. But that’s the trap many parents fall into: they loosen the boundaries that helped create that progress in the first place.

Today, Seth and I unpack the psychology behind this “everything’s fine now” mindset and why it can quickly unravel the stability your family’s worked so hard to build. But that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate your teen’s growth! We’ll share how you can do so without removing the structure that keeps them grounded.

You’ll learn practical ways to reward your teen’s progress while maintaining healthy consistency, plus ideas for meaningful connection that don’t depend on relaxed rules or shifting limits.

In this episode on keeping healthy boundaries with your teen when things go upward, we discuss:

• Why parents often pull back on structure when things start improving;
• How to reward progress without losing accountability;
• How steady boundaries and structure create a sense of safety and connection for your teen or young adult;
• Creative, connection-based rewards that don’t involve loosening boundaries;
• What it looks like to stay steady even when your teen pushes back.

Looking for 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.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at [email protected]

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And remember parents, the change begins with us.