Ep 82. Chasing Red Flags: Parenting, Perfectionism & Youth Mental Health with Teri and Ella Macduff

Your child can look successful and still be struggling.

In this episode, Dr. Amna Shabbir sits down with mother-daughter duo Teri and Ella Macduff, founders of Chasing Red Flags, for an honest conversation about perfectionism, parenting, mental health, and the pressure young people face today.

Ella shares how anxiety, unhealthy relationships, social media, and the need to appear “fine” affected her mental health. Teri reflects on what she learned as a parent, including the importance of moving from fixing to listening and creating a space where kids feel safe being themselves.

They also explore how parents can unintentionally pass down perfectionism, why failure helps build resilience, and how honesty can create stronger relationships. Plus, they share the story behind their Let’s Get Real guided journal and its therapist-approved prompts for deeper self-reflection and connection.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

A child can look successful and still be struggling. Good grades, achievements, and a busy schedule do not always reflect what is happening internally.Stop fixing and start listening. Ask, “Do you want me to listen, or do you want me to help?” before jumping into problem-solving.Parents can unintentionally pass down perfectionism. Pressure to do things “the right way” can teach children that mistakes are unacceptable.Failure helps build resilience. Kids need space to make mistakes, recover, and learn that they can handle setbacks.Your child is not you, and that’s a good thing. The goal is to guide them while still allowing them to develop their own identity, path, and way of doing things.

About Teri and Ella Macduff

Teri and Ella Macduff are the mother-daughter founders behind Chasing Red Flags, a mental wellness brand built on the belief that the “red flags” in our lives are often the signals pointing us toward growth and self-awareness. Together they co-wrote Let’s Get Real, a 364-page guided journal with 240 therapist-approved prompts designed to help people reflect more honestly, understand themselves better, and have deeper conversations with others. Through their work, they encourage people to stop hiding their struggles and start turning those red flags into roadmaps for healing and change.

Connect with About Teri and Ella Macduff

WEBSITE https://chasingredflags.com/

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FFFBJDJ6

INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/chasingredflagsofficial/