Plot Twist Parenting: Teenagers

About Plot Twist Parenting: Teenagers

Confident in most areas of life—but raising teens feels like a whole different story? Plot Twist Parenting gives you encouragement and real-life strategies to navigate the unexpected with hope.

Publisher

Julie Winchester Workman

Category

business · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Sept 2025

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

17 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Perspective Shift

   Who would you still be if the scary call came? In this episode, Julie explores how the perspective you practice becomes the person you are. Through the work world, applied science, and faith traditions, she shares quick tools: separate the event from the identity, stick to the facts, and be the ocean, not the waves. This episode explores different models used in coaching, and how faith teachings go even deeper. Bottom line: The call may come. Know what’s holding you up before it does. Same doors, different story. Tell me what’s holding you up right now at https://julie-w.com (https://julie-w.com).

2. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Phrases that Save (the day, relationships, time)

   Julie gave a teenager five minutes at a youth leadership retreat, he took a lot longer, and the two-second thing she said next became a lightbulb moment for a fellow chaperone who told me she was nervous around teens. This episode is about the words we reach for when we're tired, worried, or on autopilot, the ones we inherited or defaulted to when our kids were little, and why they can quietly work against the relationship we want now. We look at it through work, science, and faith lenses, and I share a phrase bank you can borrow today, including the one that matters most. If you've ever heard yourself say something and wondered where it came from, these aren't character flaws. They're defaults, and defaults can be updated. And if you're finding that your words reflect parenting a much younger child, these phrases might just save your relationship. Bottom Line: having some phrases at the ready, and speaking with intent and goodwill, can save the day.

3. 

   17 Aug 2026

   College Drop Off - The Rollercoaster

   Recorded in real time - you can hear the exhaustion in the recording [insert melting face emoji] In this episode, Julie shares practical, hard-won advice: expect a late-night "emotion dump" phone call, resist the urge to fix everything (or post about it on social media), anticipate personality whiplash, and let your kid write their own story — even if it looks nothing like you imagined. Bottom line: Stay off the roller coaster, don't panic, and trust the work you've already done. College drop-off is a wild time. And it doesn't necessarily get easier. But we can anticipate the roller coaster *and* choose to stay off of it. If you're dropping a kid at college, my heart is with you. If you might be in the future, I hope these notes are helpful.

4. 

   12 Jul 2026

   Neil the Amazing Adolescent Seal

   There's a one-ton elephant seal named Neil currently shutting down towns in Tasmania, and the whole internet thinks he's a rebel — but the scientists know he's just a young creature practicing to become what he's meant to be. In this lighter, breathe-easier episode, Julie makes the case that so much of the teenage behavior that terrifies us isn't pathology, it's practice: half-baked brains rehearsing adulthood on the only equipment available, which is usually our homes and our hearts. Through Neil, some bored orcas off Portugal, and one very over-loved llama, we find the real plot twist — that the wildness is rarely the danger, and the thing to actually guard against is holding on so tight they never get to become themselves. Come take the exhale. Find Julie at julie-w.com.

5. 

   10 Jun 2026

   Graduation Season is Weird

   Graduation Season: Behind the Curtain When you picture a high school graduation, you probably see the cap and gown, the walk across the stage, the backyard party. That's one version. This episode is about what's actually going on underneath it for a lot of parents — the grief sitting next to the pride, the disorientation nobody warned you about, the strange feeling of being unmoored even when everything is technically fine. Graduation season is complicated in ways that don't fit in a congratulations card. And you deserve to know you're not alone in that. Connect with me at julie-w.com — I read everything you send me.

6. 

   19 May 2026

   Be It til you Are It

   What do you do when you're supposed to show up as a connected, intentional parent — and you have absolutely nothing left? This is the episode for the depleted days. The ones where Date Day is on the calendar and everything in you wants to cancel it. Where you love your kids deeply but parenting feels like a performance you're failing to pull off. Here's the plot twist: you're not performing. You already are the parent you're trying to be. Let's reframe "fake it till you make it" for something with real roots: be it till you are it. Drawing from Brené Brown's research on daring leadership, the science of enclothed cognition, and the faith concept of metanoia (transformation of mind), this episode makes the case that showing up with your tools, even when the feeling isn't there, isn't performance. It's practice. And practice is exactly how identity is built. You'll walk away with three concrete strategies for leading with the tool instead of waiting for the feeling, and a challenge that takes less than five minutes. If nobody's told you lately: what you are doing matters so much.

7. 

   11 May 2026

   Mother's Day <3

   Why is Mother's Day in May? And is there a better time? Not really--there's no time of year when moms are just chilling. Pick any month and they're carrying so much. And moms of teenagers are doing some of the hardest parenting of their lives in what looks from the outside like the quiet years. The invisible work of parenting teenagers — the 10pm conversations, the restraint nobody sees, the steadiness you hold so their nervous system can find calm — is also some of the most sophisticated leadership development available to any human being. Science agrees. So does the origin story of Mother's Day itself, which turns out to be far more remarkable than greeting cards would suggest. You'll hear some of what actually happens to a woman's brain through pregnancy and why it's really a superpower, what Psalm 100 says about who you already are, and why the women who founded Mother's Day believed mothers were the steadying force in a fractured world. If nobody's handed you a gold star lately — this one's for you.

8. 

   2 Feb 2026

   You’re Doing Better than You Think

   A closing reflection on what it actually means to parent teenagers in the long, messy middle. This episode isn’t about doing more or fixing anything. It’s about noticing what’s already happening beneath the surface: the emotional labor, the restraint, the repair, and the quiet devotion that rarely gets named. Julie revisits the five practices from Season 1—connection, truth, trust, joy, and unconditional love—not as a checklist, but as postures parents return to over time. Drawing from leadership, applied science, and faith traditions, she reflects on how these practices help parents play the long game: staying connected, regulated, and present even when outcomes are uncertain. Most of all, this episode offers reassurance. Growth doesn’t always show up as immediate change. Often it looks like calmer responses, quicker repair, and a steadier nervous system. That work counts. Season 1 closes by inviting parents to let go of the question “Am I a good parent?” and replace it with something more honest and sustaining: “Am I a devoted parent?”

9. 

   19 Jan 2026

   When It’s Hard

   Parenting teenagers isn’t just challenging—it can be exhausting. Even when you’re doing everything “right,” some seasons are simply hard. In this episode of Plot Twist Parenting, Julie speaks directly to those moments—when trust feels fragile, emotions run high, and you’re wondering if you’ve already messed it up. Drawing from leadership wisdom, applied psychology, and faith traditions, you’ll learn how steadiness, presence, and repair matter more than perfection, and why trust is built not by avoiding mistakes, but by how we return after them. You’ll also hear a powerful metaphor for staying grounded under pressure—keeping a steady gaze and an open heart—and how this practice can change the way you show up when things feel overwhelming. If parenting feels harder than you expected right now, this episode offers reassurance, perspective, and a reminder you may need to hear: You are not behind. You are learning in real time.

10. 

    11 Jan 2026

    Unconditional: Presence Without Prerequisites

    What does unconditional love actually look like in the messy, emotional, real-life work of parenting teenagers? In this episode, Julie explores the fifth and foundational practice of Plot Twist Parenting: unconditional love—the steady presence that doesn’t walk away, even when everything feels chaotic. Drawing from a candid conversation with her son and a moment of unexpected connection in the middle of a difficult interaction, Julie unpacks why unconditional love is less about words and more about how we show up. You’ll hear why unconditional love is not permissiveness, not the absence of boundaries, and not pretending everything is fine. Instead, it’s a posture of care, curiosity, and commitment that helps teens feel safe enough to grow—and helps parents stay grounded when fear, perfectionism, or burnout threaten to take over. This episode offers encouragement, perspective, and a simple practice to help you notice the many ways you’re already showing up in love, even when it feels invisible. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re doing enough—or worried you’ve messed it up—this conversation is for you.

11. 

    30 Nov 2025

    Joy on Purpose

    Consider this plot twist: Joy might be the most overlooked lifeline in the teen years--for parents and for teens. To say it another way: joy is serious business. You’ll learn how joy becomes a protective force in your home, what science says about positive emotion and resilience, and how faith traditions across the world treat joy as an anchor during hardship. You'll also find simple, evidence-backed practices to bring light back into your home… even when things feel heavy. Joy isn’t a mood. It’s a muscle—and one of the most powerful tools we have as parents of teens.

12. 

    24 Nov 2025

    Trusting Teens (no, really)

    Consider this plot twist: a surprising shift that transforms parenting: moving from teaching teens “everything” to trusting them to learn, commit, and grow. You’ll hear why trust is a two-way street, how to play the long game, and why letting teens try, stumble, and try again builds confidence for everyone. With practical tools rooted in values, boundaries, consequences, and grace, you’ll learn how trust lowers tension, strengthens connection, and helps your teen become the thoughtful, capable human they’re meant to be. --- Trust isn’t magic—it’s a muscle. In this lively episode, Julie shows how to stop micromanaging, start trusting, and let your teen build the judgment they’ll need out in the world. More freedom, fewer freakouts. Yes, really.

13. 

    1 Nov 2025

    Being Trustable as a Parent

    Before we can ask our teens to trust us, we have to be trustable. In this episode, Julie shares real conversations with her kids about what earned their trust—and what didn’t go as planned. She explores how trust grows not from authority, but from consistency, care, and emotional safety. Drawing from the work world, behavioral science, and faith, Julie unpacks what it means to be “impeccable with your word,” build trust through integrity, and create a home where your teen’s nervous system feels safe. If you’ve ever worried you’ve “messed up” trust, this episode offers encouragement, restoration, and practical tools to rebuild it—one trustworthy moment at a time.

14. 

    22 Oct 2025

    Truth and Parenting Teens

    What do you really value as a family—and are you living it out in daily life? Truth, the second core practice, is all about clarity and alignment: What do we value, and how do our choices reflect those values? This episode explores where values come from (culture, faith, and intentional decision-making), and how to live them out with teenagers in real, practical ways. I share simple tools like value “experiments,” family check-ins, and repair scripts—plus a reminder that this is not about perfection. It’s about honesty, integrity, and creating a home where truth and grace can grow side-by-side. Let’s dive in.

15. 

    4 Oct 2025

    Date Day

    Connection is one of the five practices that can radically change parenting teenagers. BUT HOW? How do you connect with a cranky teen, or after a hardship? Or just through routine times? My offer: Date Day. Date Day is a weekly practice of 1:1 time with an individual teenager. For us it was usually before school, enjoying a delicious breakfast (waffles, lattes) that was usually out of the question on a school day. This episode walks through the big picture of Date Day, and reinforces the key concept that decreasing distance increases influence. I share some tactics and strategies that can help get you started creating a tradition of connection of your own, including what to do when it's hard to connect at all.

16. 

    27 Sept 2025

    Connection with Teenagers

    What if we were to identify the single most important component of parenting teenagers? I think, and I come with receipts: it would be connection. Connection can help us decrease distance to increase influence and trust. We know that busyness at work or at home doesn't necessarily translate to impact. How can we build meaningful connection, moving beyond the demands of everyday life to real connection? This episode offers some specific ways to create connection, explores connection through several lenses, and acknowledges that the whole thing can just be hard. But: we can do it, and I believe in you. Let's dive in.

17. 

    18 Sept 2025

    Hi! This is Plot Twist Parenting.

    Is anyone talking about what it's really like to parent teenagers? I think we should. In this first episode of Plot Twist Parenting, I share a bit of my own story, an overview of the five pillars that help me hold on through the ups and downs, and a few hard-won lessons. PTP weaves together personal experience, tools from corporate leadership, evidence-based insights from social science, and the wisdom of faith traditions to help us hold it all together on this journey. I know I said I wouldn't cry when I told the story about my daughter's graduation season--let me just say, bear with me on this first episode's editing. You'll hear the voice of a devoted mom as she's launching her kids into this big wide world. I edited out the tears. And if nobody's told you this lately: what you're doing matters so much. ----- Welcome to the very first episode of Plot Twist Parenting! I’m Julie Workman—mom, community advocate, and your fellow traveler through the wild twists of raising teenagers. If you’ve ever felt like a total pro in other parts of life, but find parenting teens to be the most humbling (and sometimes hilarious) role of all—this space is for you. In this episode, I talk about: Why I started this podcast and what I hope it offers The five pillars that keep me grounded: Connection, Truth, Trust, Joy, and Unconditional Love The real-life moments behind those pillars—graduations, sticky notes, blueberries in the fridge, and dogs waiting by the door Why encouragement—not perfection—is what we really need as parents I’m not here with a rulebook. I’m here with stories, reflection, and an open invitation to walk through this season together. If your heart feels cracked open by parenting, mine does too. Stick around—we’ll laugh, cry, and maybe even find joy again in the middle of this wild ride. Connect with me at julie-w.com (https://julie-w.com) . I’d love to hear what you’re carrying, what questions you’re asking, and what moments have surprised you along the way.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

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Guest appearances

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