Dr. Cam Consulting

Dr. Cam Consulting ⭐️ Parenting teens without the drama 🎭 | 🤨Translate baffling adolescent behaviors
(4)

02/10/2026

Comment “PODCAST” for the full episode.

In this episode, I sit down with someone who’s been on the front lines of online safety for
30 years.

This conversation will change how you think about screen time, rules, and your role in all of it.

We talk about:

🧠 What parents usually get wrong

🧠 Why panicking about screen time is making things worse

🧠 What actually helps teens stay safer
without constant power struggles

🧠 Why focusing on minutes misses the real issue

🧠 The skills teens need to think critically, not just comply

🎧 Want to listen to the full episode? Comment PODCAST and I’ll send you the link 👇

💾 Save this for later

🔁 Share with a parent who’s stuck in screen-time battles

➡️ Follow for calm, practical parenting tools that actually work

My latest podcast episode will change how you think about screen time, rules, and your role in all of it.🎧 Comment ‘PODC...
02/10/2026

My latest podcast episode will change how you think about screen time, rules, and your role in all of it.

🎧 Comment ‘PODCAST” for the link to listen.
 
You’re tired of the arguments.

You’re unsure what actually matters vs what’s just noise.

And you’re trying not to overreact… while also not missing something important.

 
In this episode, I sit down with someone who’s been on the front lines of online safety for
30 years.
No scare tactics.
No tech panic.
Just clarity.
 
We talk about…
🧠 What parents usually get wrong

🧠 What actually helps teens stay safer
without constant power struggles

🧠 Why focusing on minutes misses the real issue

🧠 The skills teens need to think critically, not just comply.
 
Want to listen to the full episode?

Comment PODCAST and I’ll send you the link.

💾 Save this for later

🔁 Share with a parent who’s stuck in screen-time battles

➡️ Follow for calm, practical parenting tools that actually work

02/10/2026

Fighting with your teen about screens doesn’t mean you’re failing. It usually means you’re focusing on the wrong thing. In this episode of Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam, I’m joined by Stephen Balkam, Founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute, who brings 30 years of experience help...

02/09/2026

This is why connecting with your teen feels so frustrating right now.

Trying to connect with your teen can look exactly like this.

You lean in.
They pull away.
You wonder if you’re making it worse.

Here’s a reframe that may help:

Pushing you away doesn’t mean they don’t need you.

It means closeness feels complicated right now.

They're being pulled towards autonomy and it's hard when deep down they still want their mommy!

Connection with teens isn’t about hovering or backing off completely.

It’s about staying available without pressure.

That balance isn’t instinctive.

But it is learnable.

That's why I created the COLLABORATE Method™ Parenting Program.

It's designed to help parents stay connected with their teen without chasing, controlling, or walking on eggshells.

➕ Follow for more tools that actually work with teens.

🔁 Share this with a parent who’s trying and feeling shut out.

When your teen pulls away, it hits a nerve most parents never talk about. It can feel personal.Like you did something wr...
02/09/2026

When your teen pulls away, it hits a nerve most parents never talk about.

It can feel personal.
Like you did something wrong.
Like you’re losing them.

😔 That’s when the spiral starts: reaching more, pushing harder, second-guessing every interaction.

🧩 What’s often missing isn’t love or effort.
It’s understanding what withdrawal is doing for them in that moment.

Space can be a way to regulate,
not a statement about the relationship.

And when parents can hold that truth, everything softens just a bit.

🧭 This is something parents work through inside the COLLABORATE Method™ Parenting Program.

💾 Save this for the moments it feels personal.

📤 Share with a parent who needs this reminder.

➕ Follow for calm, grounded tools that protect the relationship.


02/08/2026

We need to talk about walking on eggshells 🥚😮‍💨 … because pretending it’s working isn’t helping.

It keeps you tense, exhausted, and constantly second-guessing yourself.

When you monitor every word and reaction, your teen feels the pressure.

Not because you’re doing it wrong. Because anxiety is contagious in families.

🌊 Teens don’t calm down because we’re careful.

They calm down because we’re steady.

🧠 Steadiness is a skill.

And most parents were never taught how to stay grounded when emotions spike, without fixing, lecturing, or shutting down.

That’s why insight alone doesn’t stick.

You need a clear way to respond in the moment so you’re not guessing.

💛 Start with the COLLABORATE Method™.

Comment “COLLAB” and I’ll DM you the details.

✅ Follow for tools that help you stay calm, clear, and in charge when it matters most.


If you’ve ever thought, “Where is my kid getting this?” you’re not being dramatic. When your teen starts sounding more l...
02/08/2026

If you’ve ever thought, “Where is my kid getting this?” you’re not being dramatic.

When your teen starts sounding more like the internet than themselves, it’s unsettling.
 
Disagreeing with you doesn’t mean they aren’t thinking critically.

In fact, it can be a good sign.

Teens are supposed to test ideas.
 
⚠️ The concern is when they stop thinking for themselves.

When we notice a pattern over time: less curiosity, more certainty, more us vs them.
 
And of course our instinct is to point out their faulty thinking or shut it down.
It feels urgent.
It feels protective.
 
🚫 Hard truth: when teens feel controlled by us, they don’t become less influenceable.

They just become less influenceable by us, which can make outside voices louder.
 
🛡️ The most protective factor is a close relationship with us built on trust and mutual
respect.
 
That’s easier said than done, especially when you’re exhausted.
 
That’s exactly why I created the
COLLABORATE Method™ Parenting Program.

💬 Comment "COLLAB" if you want to learn more.

🔖 Save this for hard conversations.

📤 Share it with a parent who feels like they’re losing their teen too.
 

A little piece of me cries every time I see parents try to get their teen to talk by asking more questions.Not because q...
02/07/2026

A little piece of me cries every time I see parents try to get their teen to talk by asking more questions.

Not because questions are bad.

But because the create pressure and pressure shuts teens down faster than silence ever will.

Here’s what’s actually happening:

When a teen doesn’t feel emotionally safe, their brain goes into self-protection.

That’s when you get “fine,” “nothing,” “I don’t know,” or no response at all.

And the cost adds up.
You ask more.
They share less.
You walk away feeling rejected and still stuck.

Start here instead: raise safety before you raise questions.
 
One simple shift sounds like: “I’m not here to interrogate you. I just want to understand. We can talk when you’re ready.”

When safety goes up:
✅ defenses come down
🧠 thinking gets clearer
💬 honesty feels less risky

That’s when real conversation happens.
 
Understanding this is the easy part.

Doing this consistently is the hard part.
 
That’s why I created the COLLABORATE Method™ Parenting Program.

🟢 When you’re ready for a plan, start there.

💬 What do you hear most: “fine,” “nothing,” or “I don’t know”?

👉 Follow for tools that actually work with the teen brain.

 

One hard moment with your teen (or even a series of them) doesn’t define your relationship.But it can make you question ...
02/06/2026

One hard moment with your teen (or even a series of them) doesn’t define your relationship.

But it can make you question everything.

Here’s the mindset reset:
This isn’t the whole story.
It’s just one scene.

And the next chapter is shaped by what you do from here.

Not by being perfect.

By choosing a different direction on purpose.

Because with teens, the same stress can lead to two totally different outcomes:

more power struggles

or more calm and connection

The difference is how you show up.

That’s the part most parents can’t sustain on willpower alone.

You need something to lean on when it gets messy.

That’s why I created the COLLABORATE Method™ Parenting Program.

🟢 When you’re ready for a plan, start there.

💬 Comment "COLLAB” if you’re ready for a better next chapter.

👉 Follow for tools that actually work with the teen brain.

👉 Comment “PROMPTS” and I’ll DM you my list of 30 simple phrases that help your teen open up and keep talking.These prom...
02/05/2026

👉 Comment “PROMPTS” and I’ll DM you my list of 30 simple phrases that help your teen open up and keep talking.

These prompts take the pressure off you, lower your teen’s defensiveness, and help conversations feel safe instead of tense, so your teen actually wants to talk to you again.

BTW...

If parenting feels harder than it should and you’re exhausted from trying everything, and nothing working...

I teach my full, research-based parenting framework, The COLLABORATE Method, in a self-paced course designed for real life (messy moments included).

No gimmicks. No BS. Just practical tools that help you lower conflict and actually reach your teen.

✨ Learn more at askdrcam.com/collab. Link’s in my bio.

🛟 Save this post I case you need a reminder
🫶 Spread the support, share with a friend
👣 Follow for daily parenting insights and encouragement

You don't have to figure this out alone!!

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Brambleton, VA

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Tuesday 12pm - 1pm
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Saturday 9am - 1pm

Telephone

+15712101948

Website

http://www.thrivingschool.org/

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Family coach

Yes, parenting teens is hard, but it doesn’t have to be THIS hard! Through family coaching, I can help you transform your relationship with your teen and restore harmony to your home. Imagine how great it would be to spend time with your son or daughter and BOTH enjoy it. It’s possible. Schedule your complimentary phone session with me today to find out how. Email: drcam@drcamconsulting.com or call 571 210-1948. You have so much to gain and nothing to lose.