Nov. 19, 2025

How to Hold High Standards With Teens (Without Power Struggles)

The player is loading ...

Show Notes
Leave a Comment

Are you trying to set teen boundaries without your child calling you “controlling” or “the worst parent ever”?

If you want your teen to live by high standards—around tech, food, friends, habits, and lifestyle—you can’t just make it your standard and enforce it. It has to become their standard. In this episode of the Extraordinary Family Life Podcast, Greg and Rachel break down exactly how they helped their own teens buy in so deeply that they now say things like, “I’m not putting that garbage in my body,” or “I don’t waste my life on that.”

Instead of rules and power struggles, they show you how to prioritize relationship over rules, lean on unconditional love, and teach the laws that govern health, happiness, success, and addiction—so your kids see for themselves where certain choices lead. When teens understand the why behind your standards, they stop feeling controlled and start choosing those standards for themselves.

You’ll also hear how the Dennings have intentionally made real life more compelling than video games or junk food—often inviting friends along for the ride—so the “different” lifestyle isn’t a punishment, it’s an upgrade.

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I hold the line without wrecking the relationship?” this conversation will give you a new framework: less control, more conviction—and a family standard that everyone owns.

🎉 Enrollment is now open for our Winter 2026

Habits for a Successful Life Online Class for Teens → Learn More Here

Key Takeaways

✅ It can’t be my standard; it has to become our standard as a family, or teens will always feel controlled.

✅ Prioritizing the relationship over the rules makes high standards easier to hold and easier for teens to accept.

✅ Unconditional love is the foundation, but standards and boundaries are still essential—just not weaponized.

✅ Focus less on control and correction, and more on conviction, conversion, and clear “why’s” behind your standards.

✅ Treat standards like universal laws (like gravity)—not arbitrary parent rules—so kids see cause and effect for themselves.

Memorable Quotes

🗣 “It can’t be my standard I enforce on my kids. It has to be our standard.”

🗣 “If we don’t live the message, we suck as the messenger.”

🗣 “The goal isn’t to make your child do what you want—it’s to help them want it for themselves.”