A Soft Place to Land

Grandparenting Today's Teens · Sep 17, 2026 · 12m

"Your presence says, 'I want you. I don't want a better version of you.'"

A grandmother told Mark Gregston that her grandson had stopped sharing music with her. When Mark asked why, she admitted what happened the last time he played her a song: she blurted out, "That's trash." He shut off the playlist, and the conversation went with it.

Teens hear criticism all day long — about grades, from coaches, in comments online, and from the voice in their own head telling them how they're falling short. What they need from you is a safe relationship that keeps the door open.

In this episode, Mark…