Is there anything harder than raising a teenager in today’s world? Ash and Aidan welcome the two co-founders of Your Teen Media, a leading platform for information and advice on raising teenagers. Stephanie Silverman and Susan Borison, who’ve raised several teens themselves, are as insightful as they are candid and fun, which made for a lively and provocative discussion on mom’s perspective. All in this week’s episode of Hold Me Back. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.
Mom’s Perspective
Is there anything harder than raising a teenager in today’s world? Ash and Aidan get mom’s perspective from the two co-founders of Your Teen Media, a leading platform for information and advice on raising teenagers. Stephanie Silverman and Susan Borison, who’ve raised several teens themselves, are as insightful as they are candid and fun, which made for a lively and provocative discussion. This interview will surely raise some eyebrows because Sue and Stephanie openly and thoughtfully challenge many widely held – and likely outdated – common conventions on raising teens. This episode covers everything from test babies to kids parenting kids. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
- Why was this episode one of the must fun ones to record?
- How do parents approach boundaries?
- Have Sue & Steph seen parenting get harder in the digital age?
- How do moms & dads approach sports, school, and hobbies differently?
- Where can parents & teens go to get help?
- How has the stigma changed with mental health?
- Is there a fundamental difference between parenting a child and parenting a teen?
- How do moms get over feelings of not being a good parent?
Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote at the bottom of this post.
Enjoy the show! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.
Show Notes
- Intro to Mom’s Perspective
- [0:00] This episode of Hold Me Back is brought to you by Motto. Get started with Motto at Aspen Dental or MottoAligners.com
- [1:22] Welcome to Hold Me Back
- [1:28] Meet Aidan (Gen Z) & Ash (Gen X)
- [1:46] Boomers
- [1:55] Why was this episode one of the must fun ones to record?
- [4:03] Northwestern University, UChicago (The University of Chicago)
- [4:12] Podcast
- [5:46] Feedback
- Interview With the Founders of Your Teen Media
- [7:24] Stephanie Silverman, Susan Borison, Your Teen Media
- [8:42] Why did Sue & Steph start Your Teen Media?
- [9:07] Therapist
- [10:04] Why does Your Teen Media focus on moms & teenagers?
- [10:42] How does the dad play a part in this?
- [12:46] How do you navigate different parenting styles?
- [13:01] Disney Dad
- [16:09] Anxiety
- [16:14] How do parents approach boundaries?
- [18:08] Do kids come to you more when you don’t push?
- [19:01] Do mom & dad differ on privacy boundaries?
- [19:26] Curfew
- [20:41] Have Sue & Steph seen parenting get harder in the digital age?
- [21:03] Social Media, Content
- [23:24] Probable Cause
- [23:51] Do parents struggle where to draw that line on what’s appropriate?
- [24:11] Tweens
- [25:15] Hold Me Back Podcast #7: The Content War: Parenting in an R-Rated World
- [25:29] Do moms & dads approach content differently?
- [25:41] PG-13
- [25:48] X-Men
- [26:49] Do we have test babies?
- [27:54] Does Aidan’s sister thank him?
- [28:05] Mental Health
- [28:12] Hold Me Back Podcast #3: Youth Sports – You Think This Is a Game?
- [28:35] Do moms & dads approach grades differently?
- [29:33] Technology (Tech)
- [30:02] How do moms & dads approach sports, school, and hobbies differently?
- [31:03] Friday Night Lights
- [31:52] How do parents adjust to parenting children and teens?
- [33:17] Browns
- [37:00] How has the stigma changed with mental health?
- [37:08] COVID-19
- [37:37] Why are there so many mental health issues?
- [38:14] Depression
- [38:20] Facebook Lives
- [38:44] Where can parents & teens go to get help?
- [38:54] Your Teen Media website
- [39:06] Dr. Dan Siegel
- [40:00] Mindfulness
- [40:09] Calm, Breathe, Apple
- [41:01] Are mental health issues more common now?
- [41:58] Why did Sue & Steph start Your Teen Media?
- [42:19] Doomscrolling
- [43:15] Facebook
- [43:18] “Another Friday Night At Home? Getting My Son Out Of The House“
- [44:29] Has this journey brought about peace?
- [45:12] Is there a fundamental difference between parenting a child and parenting a teen?
- [45:42] Parents Magazine
- [47:24] Moral Code
- [48:14] How do moms get over feelings of not being a good parent?
- [48:57] LinkedIn
- [50:14] Has your philosophy worked out when raising your kids?
- [51:38] Learn more at YourTeenMag.com, Your Teen with Sue and Steph, social media, and Facebook Lives
- [52:55] This episode of Hold Me Back is brought to you by Motto. Get started with Motto at Aspen Dental or MottoAligners.com
- You Convinced Me
- [54:36] Lesson #1: It’s important for parents to have a set of shared values
- [55:42] Lesson #2: Parents should parent their teens differently than when they were children
- [56:34] Lesson #3: Make sure your teens have access to help for mental health issues
- [57:38] Lesson #4: It’s okay for parents to have different roles most of the time
- [58:53] Lesson #5: Know when to take a Constructionist Approach vs. Guidance Approach
- [1:00:09] Aidan’s teaser for an upcoming agile parenting episode
- [1:00:29] Thank you for listening! Follow Hold Me Back on HoldMeBack.com
- [1:00:35] Who was more convincing: Aidan or Ash? Vote below

Thank you for listening to Hold Me Back. To hear more episodes, follow Hold Me Back at HoldMeBack.com.
WHAT IS HOLD ME BACK?
Gen X and Gen Z live together, but we occupy different worlds. As the generational gap widens and conventional wisdom on parenting and education fails, is it even possible to understand one another? In this unique son-and-father podcast, Aidan & Ash ElDifrawi hash out a new contract between generations, forcing them to violate comfort zones on today’s most charged topics: social media and screen time, bullying and loneliness, inequality and privilege, sex and drugs, education and etiquette, even politics, religion, and sports. All to uncover a path toward greater harmony and a hopeful future for the next generation.