Raising Teenagers Sucks

July 11, 2025•1 min read

Raising Teenagers Sucks - Audra Phelps

Yes, I said it. Raising teenagers sucks. And maybe you have perfect children, so you can keep scrolling. But for the rest of us who are at our wits end, here are some things to remember:

🧠 Their brains are not fully developed until they are 25. The prefrontal cortex - responsible for reasoning and logic, is not fully cooked. They’re running on emotion based decisions, and they can’t help it.

📚 They have a lot of pressure in school. More than we had when we were growing up. Classes have evolved from memorization to using critical thinking skills and inquiry. Their brains are tired by the time they get home.

📱 With phones and social media, they have anything they want at their fingertips. Phones give instant gratification and social media is engineered to be addictive. Not to mention that most of what they see on there is filtered and fake, tearing down their sense of self worth.

So take a deep breath and a walk on the beach (or park, or neighborhood) to clear your head and reframe your frustration. Parenting is tough. You got this.

Need some help having the conversation about leaving the LDS church? I have created a 3 step formula for talking to your kids that not only strengthens your relationship, but gives you a blueprint for creating a new pathway forward, together. Check it out here.

Cheering you on!

~Audra

Audra Phelps

I am a mom of 3, teacher and school administrator. I have seen a lot of good and bad parenting come through my classroom and office - and I have also been an energy-depleted mom looking for a better way to parent. After leaving the LDS church, I knew I wanted to raise my kids differently than I was raised. But I had no idea where to start, no one to mentor me, and no resources specific to this transition. I understand the frustrations and the reasons why we resort to parenting tactics that are more damaging than we like to admit. I will share with you what I have learned through raising my own kids, and observing the affects of different parenting styles on the students I work with. When we know better, we do better - and I am here to help you learn a better way to raise independent kids without the guidance of the Mormon church, and while rediscovering your authentic self.

Back to Blog