Struggling to Connect with Your Teen? Pro Surfer and Mom Shares This Tip

Published: April 9, 2025

By Mallory Mattingly

Women’s surfing legend Bethany Hamilton knows what today’s young people “are struggling with most,” and she has the solution.

“I’m driving with my family the other day and we got to a red light. And I tend to be nosy and I look to the car to our left and see a young man sitting next to his father,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram. “In these pivotal years as a teenager, he has his headphones on and his eyes tuned to his phone. Meanwhile, his father sits alone. This could have been a moment of likely much-needed connection and instead, there was nothing but disconnect.”

She then listed several other challenges she has noticed young people struggling with: “faithlessness, lack of moral foundation, struggling health, excess screen time, low confidence, little mentorship, and cultural lies.”

Hamilton encouraged her followers that, if they desire a change in their family, they should set boundaries, and it begins by doing that inside the home.

“A few tips that come to mind…Start by taking the time to dream of what you want for your home and examine pain points,” Hamilton continued. “Then make a plan to implement little steps to walk towards that goal. I imagine there might be resistance, but I wouldn’t let that resistance hold you back. As parents that’s our job! Maybe invite the whole fan to design some of the steps with you!”

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A post shared by Bethany Hamilton (@bethanyhamilton)

These problems in society are the reasons why the mother-of-four founded The Bethany Hamilton Network, a “community designed to help you and your family stay strong, connected, and anchored in faith amidst today’s ever-changing culture. Together, we’ll tackle real-life challenges, deepen relationships, and grow in ways that truly matter.”

She and her husband, Adam, host live shows and choose guests to make an appearance to have “open conversations and connections with your family!”

“I’m on a mission to be a part of bringing change and encouragement to this next generation! Let’s flip the anxiety, and low confidence and empower this generation to be OVERCOMERS!” Hamilton concluded her Instagram post.

Through The Bethany Hamilton Network, Hamilton and her husband will focus on deep topics like “How God is always shaping and molding our lives, even in the toughest moments. How to rise above life’s challenges, grow, and adapt with faith and courage. Why family and community are everything — and how to strengthen those connections,” Hamilton shared in another Instagram post.