How to Get on the Same Page With Your Partner About Your Teen

When parenting a teenager turns into a battleground between parents, everyone suffers, including your teen. One parent becomes the "tough one," the other becomes the "soft one," and teens quickly learn how to play the gap.

👉 Tired of being the bad cop, or the pushover? Inside Parenting Teens Academy, parents learn to stay calm when they disagree, find common ground on the big decisions, and present a united front without pretending to agree on everything. Try it free for 7 days

In this episode, I sit down with couples therapist Dr. Tracy Dalgleish. We talk about why parents so often end up on opposite sides during the teen years, how tension between parents can get redirected onto the teen (known as family triangulation), and how to support each other even when you disagree.

The good news: most parents share the same core values, even when their approaches look completely different. You don't need identical parenting styles. You need shared values, room for different ways of expressing them, and the skill of repair.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why teen conflict often divides parents, and how to stop it
• How family triangulation quietly hurts your whole family
• How to stay connected to your partner when your parenting styles clash
• How to repair after conflict and rebuild trust with your partner
• How to handle resentment, shame spirals, and pressure from extended family

EPISODE CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Why parents end up on opposite sides
• 02:51 How parenting styles affect your relationship
• 05:59 Handling conflict and communication
• 08:53 Why self-reflection matters
• 11:49 Building a stronger partnership
• 14:22 Empathy for your partner's approach
• 17:16 Shame and taking responsibility
• 20:25 Aligning on shared values
• 23:10 Managing old patterns
• 25:21 How to disagree well
• 29:20 Playing to each other's strengths
• 30:19 Dealing with outside pressure
• 33:37 Why affirmation matters
• 37:45 Modeling self-reflection and self-care
• 42:02 Focusing on what you can control

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• You, Your Husband and His Mother by Dr. Tracy Dalgleish
• Dear Dr. Tracy podcast

CONNECT WITH DR. TRACY DALGLEISH

• Website: DrTracyD.com
• Instagram: @DrTracyD

CONNECT WITH DR. CAM CASWELL

• Website: AskDrCam.com
• Instagram: @DrCamCaswell
• Parenting Teens Academy

ABOUT THE SHOW

Parenting Teens with Dr. Cam is hosted by Dr. Cam Caswell, an adolescent psychologist and certified parenting coach. Each episode gives you practical strategies, expert advice, and real-world insight to build a stronger relationship with your teen.

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