Episode 140: Ellen Riley

In this deeply personal episode, Ellen Riley reflects on her son Aiden’s social media mistake, the legal response that followed, and the grief that changed her family’s life. After someone shared a screenshot of Aiden’s inappropriate comment, police arrested him when he was 13 years old. Ellen describes the nine-month legal battle that followed and shares why families need to meet young people’s mistakes with accountability, compassion, and room to recover. Ellen discusses the shame and isolation Aiden experienced, the bullying and community pressures that added to the family’s pain, and the questions she continues to ask about how adults and systems respond when young people make mistakes. Ellen also explores what it means to hold teens accountable while still leaving room for learning, repair, and recovery.  She also shares why she believes families need safe ways to work through mistakes together, and why a child’s relationship with their parent matters alongside rules and consequences. They discuss how screenshots and social media can make a difficult moment feel permanent, as well as the challenge of guiding young people through technology that continues to change. Ellen talks about the different ways her daughter and younger son have grieved, how she and her husband try to keep Aiden present in family life, and why siblings need care and understanding too. She remembers Aiden as adventurous, funny, gifted, and full of life, and shares the message his family carries forward: “Be brave enough to be kind”.