Feeding The Mouth That Bites You: Parenting Teens Into Adulthood

Episode 269: Parenting Pitfall: Are Your Expectations Too High? (Part 2)

September 22, 2026·32 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

How much freedom should parents actually give their teenagers?Doing their own laundry. Choosing what they wear. Picking their friends. Dating someone you’re not crazy about. Spending their own money. And yes… even tattoos and piercings.This week, Dr. Ken Wilgus and Cynthia Yanof are back for Part 2 of their conversation about reasonable expectations—and what it really looks like to “hand the bar over” as kids get older.They cover laundry and appearance, tattoos and piercings, friendships and dating, money, and honesty—along with the bigger question underneath all of it: When should parents step in, and when is it time to let go?Cynthia also has to rethink her longtime “no tattoos on our payroll” policy, and Dr. Ken talks about why teens sometimes need room to make their own decisions and experience the outcome.If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re letting go too much—or still trying to control too much—this episode is for you.If you have a minute, please leave us a review. We love hearing listeners encouraging other listeners. You can order Dr. Ken's book "Feeding The Mouth That Bites You" hereYou can order Cynthia's book "Life Is Messy, God Is Good" hereYou can pre-order Cynthia's book "How'd I Miss That" here Got questions or feedback? We want to hear from you! podcast@feedingthemouth.com Music provided by the great John David Kent - https://www.johndavidkent.com/Our Sponsors:* Check out Amazing Generation: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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