I know, I know… it has been a minute.
As you may have noticed, I did not send out a newsletter last week. I did not send an article either. In fact, I did very little that wasn’t absolutely necessary.
Turns out, having melanoma removed from your thigh is a bit more disruptive than I anticipated.
The incision is nine inches long, which, as it turns out, has a fairly significant impact on things like walking, sitting, sleeping, thinking clearly… and generally pretending life is business as usual.
So I did something I am constantly encouraging other people to do: I scaled back.
I rested. I canceled what I could. I let some things wait.
And I am healing.
By the time you receive this, I will have just gotten my stitches out, which obviously means I will head straight back to the gym.
She says with a sarcastic smile.
But while I was lying low, something BIG happened…
Eeeek.
It is equal parts exciting, vulnerable, slightly terrifying, and so much fun.
You can now listen—or watch—on (click for links) Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, YouTube, iHeartRadio, and wherever you usually get your podcasts.
If you have a minute, I would absolutely love it if you would follow or subscribe. ☝️ Those little clicks make a big difference when a brand-new podcast is trying to find its people.
And if you have ever thought, Ashley, I have something I would love to talk about with you, I want to hear from you.
Would you like to be a guest on the Name What Works Podcast?
👉🏻 Apply to Be a Guest
Fill out the form, and we can talk.
It’s fun. Promise.
And this week’s episode is a particularly vulnerable one for me because my daughters are coming on the podcast.
And let me just say… they did not hold back.
So you get to witness me being very real, very honest, and occasionally very humbled by the two humans I raised.
Watch the Full Episode on Youtube 👇 (p.s. Her name is spelled Kobain not Cobain like the subtitles say)
Which, when I think about it, feels pretty appropriate for a podcast called Name What Works.
Happy Sunday,
Ashley
I’m opening interest for a new 6-week parent coaching cohort designed for parents of teens and preteens who want less conflict, more confidence, and a stronger connection with their teen.
This will be a small, supportive group of up to 10 parents meeting weekly for live coaching, practical tools, real-life parenting conversations, reflection, and resources you can use at home between sessions.
We’ll talk about the things that come up again and again during adolescence: communication, boundaries, emotional regulation, pushback, shutdown, independence, repair, and how to stay connected when parenting feels especially hard.
And, of course, we’ll keep coming back to one of my favorite questions:
What is already working—and how can we build from there?
I’m currently gathering interest for the first cohort before setting the final dates.
If this sounds like something you might want to be part of, you can join the interest list here:
There is no commitment by joining the list. You’ll simply be among the first to receive dates, pricing, and registration details when enrollment opens.
Something is happening with our boys.
Many parents are watching sons who once seemed open, playful, affectionate, and eager to connect become quieter, more withdrawn, harder to read—or increasingly pulled toward gaming, social media, online influencers, and messages about what it supposedly means to “be a man.”
And parents are left wondering:
Where did my boy go?
In this week’s article, I explore what boys are navigating as they move through adolescence in a culture that is sending them some pretty confusing messages about masculinity, relationships, emotions, strength, and belonging.
Our boys still want connection.
They still need guidance.
They are still looking to the adults around them as they figure out what kind of person—and eventually what kind of man—they want to become.
But the way they reach for us changes.
Sometimes dramatically.
And if we continue looking for the little boy who used to tell us everything, we can miss the young man standing right in front of us.
This article explores the pressures boys are facing, the emotional world that can exist underneath the shrug and the “I’m fine,” and why staying curious about your son matters more than trying to force him to open up.
Because your son does not need you to drag him back into childhood.
He needs you close enough to meet him as he becomes.
Read:
If your son is talking less, pulling away, or answering every question with some version of “I don’t know,” it can be tempting to push harder.
Usually, that does not work.
The good news is that connection with boys often does not require a big emotional breakthrough. It is built through smaller choices—how we approach them, what we notice, the questions we ask, and what we do when they give us only a tiny opening.
In the paid section, I share five specific ways to stay connected to your son during adolescence, including what to do when he seems uninterested in talking, how to enter his world without taking it over, and how to create the kind of relationship he is more likely to return to when something really matters.
Because the goal is not to get your son to tell you everything.
It is to make sure he knows you are still someone he can come to.
Paid subscriptions are $6 per month and include this guide, the full paid archive, and future subscriber-only parenting tools and guidance.
Keep reading for the 5 ways 👇
“Sometimes I just feel better knowing I have somebody that is not going to shut me down for dreaming. Even if I am being unreasonable.” -teen client
Parenting teens can feel challenging enough without the added barrier of language. If you—or someone in your community—would prefer to read resources in Spanish, I want to make sure you have access to trusted, research-based information that supports connection, calm, and confidence at home.
Below you’ll find an incredible collection of Spanish-language parenting tools from the Center for Parent and Teen Communication—a respected organization dedicated to helping families thrive through the teen years.
Sabemos que la crianza de adolescentes puede ser un viaje lleno de amor, desafíos y muchas preguntas. Por eso, quiero compartir un recurso valioso para las familias que prefieren leer en español.
El Centro para la Comunicación entre Padres y Adolescentes (Center for Parent and Teen Communication) ofrece una colección de artículos y herramientas en español que apoyan la conexión, la comunicación y el entendimiento mutuo entre padres e hijos.
📚 Encuentra temas como:
Cómo mantener la calma en momentos difíciles
Estrategias para fortalecer la confianza con tu hijo o hija
Consejos basados en la ciencia del desarrollo adolescente
Puedes acceder a todos los recursos aquí:
👉 Recursos para Padres y Adolescentes en Español
💛 Criar adolescentes no es fácil, pero no tienes que hacerlo sola ni solo. Cada herramienta, cada conversación y cada pequeño paso hacia la conexión cuenta
If you know of anybody who might benefit from reading my weekly newsletter, hit that share button below and pass this on to them! Parenting can be so isolating that sometimes all it takes is one gesture from a friend to let us know we are not alone
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