Pivot Parenting: Expert Tips for Navigating Teen and Tween Challenges

296. Protecting Harm with Connecting Conversations, with Jason Reid

·44 min·4 clips

Jason Reed shares how losing his 14-year-old son to suicide led him to start Tell My Story.

In episode 296 of Pivot Parenting, host Heather Frazier interviews Jason Reed, a father who lost his 14-year-old son Ryan to suicide in March 2018. Jason explains how this tragedy led him to create Tell My Story, an organization focused on youth mental health. He stresses that parents must own their children's mental health like physical health, noting a common gap where parents rush to fix physical ailments but struggle with emotional crises. Jason outlines the episode's two parts: first, how to communicate to mitigate harm, and second, how to comfort after harm occurs. He highlights generational differences, pointing out that today's kids face pressures from global news, cyberbullying, and academic expectations unlike in the past. Jason uses a cloud metaphor to describe depression, advising parents to ask about 'clouds' rather than apply logic. He recommends practical tips like talking during car rides or using resources from Tell My Story, such as the 'Songs for the Drive Home' albums and a card game. Jason shares personal anecdotes, like his son Derek's success after being cut off at 18, to illustrate treating kids individually. He discusses his films 'What I Wish My Parents Knew' and 'Shift', which are used in schools to spark conversations. In the second portion, Jason addresses how to support after suicide, emphasizing that schools should talk about it and that asking direct questions about self-harm is crucial. He notes the shortage of mental health resources and encourages gratitude practices. The episode concludes with Jason urging listeners to ask themselves if they love themselves and to be lifelines for others.

As heard by us

A hard conversation about grief, parenting, and the conditions that make honesty possible.

The episode stays with grief and parenting without trying to polish either one. Jason Reed talks about losing his 14-year-old son to suicide in March 2018, while Heather Frazier keeps the focus on what parents can do when a teen will not meet them straight on.

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Why you'd press play

When teen silence meets grief, this episode offers a calmer way in.

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