Challenging Teenage Sons

Challenging Teenage Sons We see households as a place where all family members foster authenticity, teamwork and trust to ensure more love.

Reduce your son's video game addiction, depression, & anxiety, so that you can have more connection with your teenager. | BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION 👇 cts.drmarkmentor.com We envision a world where young men are held in high regard and adults consistently model the values they know young men need in order to realize their true potential. With flourishing relationships between parents and their sons, young men will make the world a much safer and more prosperous place for humanity.

As a family mentor for 26 years, I’ve read lots of books, listened to hundreds of podcasts and watched dozens of intervi...
05/28/2025

As a family mentor for 26 years, I’ve read lots of books, listened to hundreds of podcasts and watched dozens of interviews with experts on raising young men.

Here are my top eight experts:
1) Warren Farrell, PhD
2) Richard Reeves
3) Michael Gurian
4) William Po***ck
5) Leonard Sachs
6) Jed Diamond
7) Michael Meade

All of these experts play an influential role in the work that I do guiding parents and their teenage sons to have more caring and cooperative relationships.

The one thing they all have in common is that they believe young men should experience a rite of passage initiation.

In the late 1990s, I was desperate to dramatically improved the relationship with my beloved son, Gabe. He and I loved each other, but I had a hard time connecting with him, and I didn’t know how to stay close to him during his teenage years.

It was really painful being so close to, and so far from my son.

I heard about a rite of passage initiation event in Canada (Young Men’s Adventure Weekend). I went as a medical volunteer and Gabe went as a participant.

It really helped us bond closer in just a few days.

When I started the Young Men's Ultimate Weekend (YMUW) in the year 2000, I wanted to have another opportunity with Gabe to keep moving our relationship in the right direction.

Not only did it help us become the closest of friends that we are now, but it also helped the other 204 young men who showed up!

Since that time, and to this day, I continue to follow those six experts in order to keep up with the challenges that our teenage sons face today in this era of digital dominance and artificial intelligence.

I’m hosting a series of Preview Calls over the next few weeks to educate parents about the YMUW and how it’s helped thousands of young men – just like your son - become more responsible, resilient, and relaxed, all while having a ton of fun!

Here are the details:
Time: 7 PM – 8 PM
Cost: Free
Register: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/S7eLBH567nQrgPPF1xCL
Dates:
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Monday, June 16, 2025

As a benefit for parents attending the call, I’ll also be revealing my most important tip to help you more effectively communicate and motivate your son to become more responsible for his own well-being - without nagging or yelling.

05/15/2025

Ancestral Intelligence meets Artificial Intelligence.

For 2 million years, families raised young people by focusing inward and helping them reflect on their thoughts, their emotions, and their relationships.

Today, with AI and constant digital distractions, our young people are focused outward.

They are learning to trust the outside world more than their own inner wisdom.

And we're moving too fast.

Without a clear rite of passage, too many teen boys are left drifting without purpose or direction.

We can’t go back to the "old ways."

But we can create new ways to help young men reconnect to themselves, to their families, and to something bigger than technology.

That’s exactly what we do at Young Men’s Ultimate Weekend, a modern rite of passage for teenage boys and young men who are ready to step into responsible manhood.

If you want your son to experience a real transition into strength, accountability, and leadership, YMUW can provide that opportunity.

📅 June 19–22, 2025
🔗 Learn more and register for a preview call for more information: https://go.ymuw.org/2025

05/06/2025

🧠 Why do teens listen to mentors when they tune out their parents?

It’s not because you’ve failed. It’s because mentors come without the emotional history and tension that can build up in families.

At Young Men’s Ultimate Weekend, teens get to hear wisdom from trusted adults who aren’t trying to control them — just guide them. That’s what makes the message land.

🌀 No judgment. No power struggles. Just real talk that gets through.

In the newest episode of Challenging Teenage Sons, Dr. Mark Schillinger breaks down why mentorship works — and how parents can still lead with love and clarity.

📺 Watch it on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/uniteyourfamily

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05/02/2025

📱 Old-school parenting isn’t enough anymore.

You’re not imagining it — raising a teen today is harder. Digital distractions. Social pressure. AI everywhere.

👉 “Because I said so” just doesn’t cut it in this era.

You still have your instincts. You still carry ancestral wisdom.

But you need a practical way to lead your teen through today’s chaos — with clarity, calm, and confidence.

In our latest episode of Challenging Teenage Sons, Dr. Mark Schillinger shares why modern parents need new tools — and how to unite your family before AI and tech pull it apart.

📺Watch now: https://youtu.be/_s5yshrLIFI

I believe that if young men have the appropriate tools and resources to approach these distractions, they won’t fall pre...
04/19/2025

I believe that if young men have the appropriate tools and resources to approach these distractions, they won’t fall prey to losing their ability to have healthy relationships by knowing how to communicate in real time, face-to-face conversations.

Which is a central point of what I’ll be covering in my workshop this weekend, Mastering Respectful & Cooperative Relationships.

Not only that, I’ll show all the young men in attendance how to:

* develop empathy and emotional awareness
* honor personal boundaries — his and others’
* handle disagreements calmly and maturely
* adopt a respectful, grounded view of sexuality
* communicate with clarity and confidence

This course is open to all young men ages 13-20. After 25 years of mentoring at the Young Men’s Ultimate Weekend and in private mentoring, I know how to communicate and motivate young men.

To learn more about the workshop and to reserve his spot (limited to 15 young men) or to get the recording, click here: https://cts.drmarkmentor.com/mastering-respectful-relationships

Even if your son can’t make the sessions live, in person, he won't miss a thing.

The session will be recorded. You’ll receive the transcript, a summary of the transcript, and the video. And, to get the full benefit from this training, your son can email me his questions and I’ll gladly personally answer them.

Details
Date: Saturday, April 19, 2025
Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Live, on Zoom and Recording will be available
Cost: $47 (portions of the proceeds donated to YMUW)

03/21/2025

⏰ Reminder: The Mastering ADHD & Regulating Emotions Workshop starts TOMORROW!

If your teen struggles with focus, emotional regulation, or time management due to ADHD—this is the workshop designed to actually help.

Led by Dr. Mark Schillinger, this experience will equip your teen with practical tools to:
✔️ Stay focused
✔️ Manage distractions
✔️ Develop time management skills
✔️ Work *with* their ADHD brain
✔️ Regulate their emotions and attention

🎥 Can’t make it live? No problem. Every participant gets access to:
✅ The full recording
✅ A written transcript
✅ A concise summary

📍Spots are still open
Get all the details and register here: https://cts.drmarkmentor.com/mastering-adhd

03/14/2025

Society favors linear, logical thinkers—those who fit neatly into structured environments like schools and offices.

But where does that leave young men with short attention spans?

Too often, they’re made to feel less than.

But the truth is, their brains aren’t inferior—they’re just different.

And when they finally hear this perspective, the relief is instant.

In this episode of the Challenging Teenage Sons podcast, I challenge the norm and share how to empower your son to embrace his unique way of thinking.

📺Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JEDGL9arhaA?si=IGzb0l1B64WStmpG

03/10/2025

Discipline isn’t about force—it’s about consistency. 🧘‍♂️

If your son struggles with a short attention span, the key is helping him replace unhealthy habits with intentional, daily routines that support his mental and physical well-being.

In this episode of the Challenging Teenage Sons podcast, Dr. Mark Schillinger shares how to guide your son toward focus and self-discipline—without constant reminders.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/JEDGL9arhaA?si=PAla87bODrVawZPb

03/07/2025

Happiness and productivity for young men with short attention spans come down to two key ingredients:

✅ They need a way—a clear path to follow.
✅ They need the will—the motivation to stay on that path.

When mentoring young men, I emphasize that success isn’t just about natural ability.

It’s about having the right tools and the drive to use them.

In this episode of the Challenging Teenage Sons podcast, I break down how to help your son develop both.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEDGL9arhaA

🧠 Does Your Teen Struggle to Focus? 🎯ADHD doesn’t just make school harder—it affects your son’s ability to plan ahead, m...
03/01/2025

🧠 Does Your Teen Struggle to Focus? 🎯

ADHD doesn’t just make school harder—it affects your son’s ability to plan ahead, manage time, regulate emotions, and build habits for success.

But ADHD is not a roadblock. 🚧

🤝With the right mentorship, he can learn to harness his strengths and navigate his challenges.

That’s exactly what our workshop, Mastering ADHD & Regulating Emotions, is designed to do. 💡

🚀 In this workshop, your teen will learn:

✔️ 4 proven techniques to stay focused and manage distractions
⏳ How to develop time management & organization skills
🧩 Strategies to work with his ADHD brain—not against it
📶 How to get into flow states and self-regulate emotions & attention

Spots are limited! Click the link for more info: https://cts.drmarkmentor.com/mastering-adhd

💡 BONUS: Can’t make it live? No problem! You’ll get a recording, transcript, and summary so your teen won’t miss a thing.

📢 Tag a fellow parent who needs this! 👇

Join the Waitlist: Go to www.YMUW.org and subscribe to our newsletter and get notified when registration opens.Parents ...
01/26/2025

Join the Waitlist: Go to www.YMUW.org and subscribe to our newsletter and get notified when registration opens.

Parents no longer have the assistance of their community in raising young men who can take good care of themselves, their family and their community.

In one transformational weekend, our trained mentors provide a safe setting for your son to voice his concerns about adulthood, discover his own values and learn the importance of teamwork.​

The YMUW community empowers young men, ages 13 to 20, to develop self-respect by mastering their strengths and overcoming their weaknesses.

Address

San Rafael, CA

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+14157858818

Website

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Our Story

Challenging Teenage Sons is founded on the premise that our adolescent sons are good young men who run the risk of becoming irresponsible, entitled, withdrawn, or over-empowered or habituated towards drugs, alcohol or digital devices. Our work focuses on teaching parents how to successfully overcome the negative influences of technology and media on their sons. We do this by showing parents a specific communication style that will help them talk to their son in a language that will activate his own healthy masculine wisdom. This new method of communication will also motivate him to become more responsible for his own well-being and success. Using our technology, parents learn how to trust their protective instincts and then apply that insight by skillfully using their authority and influence to mentor their sons - without nagging, yelling or punishing.

OUR FAMILY EDUCATORS SHOW PARENTS HOW TO:


  • Use effective consequences

  • Deal with hyper-activity or apathy