This Is So Awkward

There’s a tremendous list of stressors bearing down on teen girls – body image struggles, mental health issues, and academic pressures just to name a few. The key to supporting them is finding ways into connection and conversation. Licensed Clinical Social Worker Cathy Cassani Adams leverages decades of clinical, academic, and personal experience to advise adults on how to reach teen girls.

Show Notes:

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Restoring Our Girls

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Ask a bunch of 6th graders to define “popularity,” and you’ll get as many answers as kids. It’s hard to define – for tweens, teens, and even adults – but popularity can have powerful impacts on friendships and well-being. This episode explores the types of popularity: being well-liked vs powerful. We cover the connection between popularity and social control, intimidation, even bullying. While the topic might transport us back to our middle school days, popularity in both its good and bad forms persists well into adulthood.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Go to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code AWKWARD to receive UP TO $300 off air purifiers

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

To celebrate Phyla’s exciting new launch, we’re offering 25% off your first order. Go to phyla.com and enter the code "puberty" at checkout.

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She grew up in the rural south, not knowing that her period pain – so intense it sidelined her each month – wasn’t typical. It was only when Dr. Loretta Duggan was in her training in Family and Adolescent Medicine that she put a name on it and got treatment. Now she runs a practice in her home state of Georgia, providing care to adolescents and young adults with joyful delivery of health information and open lines of communication. Our wide ranging conversation covers everything from menstrual health as a vital sign to hormonal therapy to STI prevention, it all boils down to this: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Go to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code AWKWARD to receive UP TO $300 off air purifiers

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

To celebrate Phyla’s exciting new launch, we’re offering 25% off your first order. Go to phyla.com and enter the code "puberty" at checkout.

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

HER Health

Dr. Loretta Duggan

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Australia has just banned social media for kids under the age of 16. This prompts so MANY many questions including: What counts as social media? How will the ban work? Who’s responsible for implementation? Should we have a similar ban in the US? And perhaps most importantly, we explore what is the data (if any) sitting at the root of the ban, including what would be the ideal basis on which to write and enact laws. 

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Get 10 FREE meals at HelloFresh.com/FREEAWKWARD

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

To celebrate Phyla’s exciting new launch, we’re offering 25% off your first order. Go to phyla.com and enter the code "puberty" at checkout.

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

Windows of developmental sensitivity to social media

Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule ("COPPA") | Federal Trade Commission

US state age assurance laws for social media – AVPA

What Jonathan Haidt Gets Right… and Wrong

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Over the last few decades, cultural conversations around sexism have gotten more – not less – complicated. From social media and pervasive beauty culture to slut shaming and toxic masculinity, there’s a lot to manage for kids and adults supporting them. Jo-Ann Finkelstein, clinical psychologist and author of Sex & Sensibility, offers framework and guidance for all of these complex topics.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Get 10 FREE meals at HelloFresh.com/FREEAWKWARD

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

To celebrate Phyla’s exciting new launch, we’re offering 25% off your first order. Go to phyla.com and enter the code "puberty" at checkout.

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

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Consent conversations can – and should – start early. So early that they begin around topics that have absolutely nothing to do with sex. We offer ways to apply the lessons of consent to a bunch of different topics in kids’ lives and start a conversation that will happen many different times in many different ways throughout a kid’s life.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Get 10 FREE meals at HelloFresh.com/FREEAWKWARD

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

BLACK FRIDAY DEAL: visit PhylaBiotics.com and get 60% off their serum, and the entire 3-step system for only $48. Use the code PUBERTY60.

• Tea and Consent Video
• Cycling Through Consent Video
• Teens and the Law with Jonathan Cristall, Esq.
• Advice from Famous Sex Educator Shafia Zaloom

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

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Our two mothers have, between them, more than 100 years of parenting experience. They share it all – including lots of lessons learned while raising the two of us and what they love most about being grandparents. And if you’re wondering, the answer is yes, we absolutely ask them about how they talked to us about puberty, sex, teenagers, and all the rest of it. Enjoy this love-filled episode! 

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Go to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code AWKWARD to receive UP TO $300 off air purifiers

Get 10 FREE meals at HelloFresh.com/FREEAWKWARD

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

BLACK FRIDAY DEAL: visit PhylaBiotics.com and get 60% off their serum, and the entire 3-step system for only $48. Use the code PUBERTY60.

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kid’s organizational skills (or lack thereof) can be a huge source of tension and frustration for adults. But executive functioning are skills that can be learned over time – we just have to be patient with brains in progress and dominant limbic systems. And certain challenges, like procrastination, are actually much more complex than they initially seem. Psychologist and executive functioning expert, Dr. Tori Cordiano, joins us back on the podcast.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Get 10 FREE meals at HelloFresh.com/FREEAWKWARD

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

BLACK FRIDAY DEAL: visit PhylaBiotics.com and get 60% off their serum, and the entire 3-step system for only $48. Use the code PUBERTY60.

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

Dr. Tori Cordiano 

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Produced by Peoples Media

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When it comes to college, getting in is only the beginning. The much longer journey includes twists and turns about handling independence, making new friends, managing academic rigor, experiencing loneliness, facing rejection, and finding community. We’re joined by college-life guru and social media megastar Harlan Cohen, who shares his heartfelt guidance for supporting kids through these bumpy times.

Show Notes:

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Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

Year 13 For Parents on Facebook

Best First Year

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Fearmongering works for clickbait, but don’t rely on it to pave the way to a great relationship with your kids. There are so many reasons to choose joy over fear, starting with the impacts of non-stop stress causing the body to release cortisol round the clock. This is especially true when toeing into tricky topics. This episode starts with a rant – because any more negativity coming from the world of news will undo us! – and then moves to why + how we opt to make these conversations fun. 

Show Notes:

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Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

What Teens Need to Know About Sex 

Talking to Tweens About Sex

What School Aged Kids Need to Know About Sex

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Boys need – and deserve – all of the same conversations that girls get (and deserve!): they want to learn about their changing bodies, express their ideas, and make sense of their realities. Clinical psychologist Dr. Chris Miller offers a path forward based on 25 years of working with boys and their families.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

Boys Institute for Growth (BIG)

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Should I let my kid play tackle football? That listener question raises a tangle of others, so we set out to address the big ones including: what is a concussion? How they should be treated? When do the prevention strategies or treatments cause their own issues? And why has concussion advice changed so much over time? Getting into conversation with kids about concussions does not have a one-size fits all answer, but this episode offers all the tools you need to help.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

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Produced by Peoples Media

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There’s so much research swirling around! From substance use to gaming to porn, the overwhelming number of studies can make raising kids feel overwhelming. Dr. Yalda Uhls founded The Center for Scholars and Storytellers to help make sense of all of this data by bridging the gap between families and tech companies, content creators, and studios.

Show Notes:

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Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD



Center for Scholars and Storytellers

Media Moms and Digital Dads: A Fact Not Fear Approach to Parenting in the Digital Age



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Lying is normal – literally everyone does it – but it peaks during adolescence. Sometimes they’re little white lies, sometimes they’re big, scary lies. To help us understand how to handle all of them – and the difference between consequences, discipline, and punishment – child development specialist and parenting guru Betsy Brown Braun guides us through.

Show Notes:

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Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD



Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Our favorite otolaryngologist, Dr. Nina Shapiro, dropped in to cover all that can go wrong with tween + teen ears, noses, and throats. We talk about everything from piercings to pimples, bloody noses to snoring, and HPV to Herpes. Fun times!

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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HYPE: A Doctor’s Guide To Medical Myths, Exaggerated Claims and Bad Advice: How to Tell What’s Real and What’s Not

The Ultimate Kids’ Guide To Being Super Healthy

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Produced by Peoples Media

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When we speak to kids in schools, we practice what we preach: we are in conversation with them. We learn from them as much as they learn from us. This episode is packed their advice for the adults in their lives.

Show Notes:

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Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

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Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

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Produced by Peoples Media

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For anyone who has ever wondered if that much blood is too much blood, this is the episode for you. Pediatric Hematologist, Dr. Kristina Haley, covers a range of bleeding issues from heavy periods and endless nose bloods to clotting disorders and anemia. She explains when it’s time to call in reinforcements.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Evolving relationships – and budding romantic ones – are a big part of puberty and adolescence. This incredible conversation with Ebele Onyema from the OneLove Foundation, dives deep into how to identify unhealthy versus healthy ones, and steps to take when there’s reason for concern. We encourage adults and teens to listen. 

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

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In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Click bait headlines change the health decisions we make on a daily basis. This started 20 years ago with press coverage demonizing hormone replacement therapy for women in menopause. Today there’s tons of buzz about the importance of HRT – much of this is thanks to the indefatigable work of Dr. Avrum Bluming. You don’t want to miss this episode!

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

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Produced by Peoples Media

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It can feel like touching the third-rail to even consider talking about masturbation. We get it. Truly. But it’s a healthy — and very important! — part of development for kids to learn what feels good, the autonomy they have over these feelings, and the value of privacy. So take a deep breath. We’re here to help you figure out when and how to begin these conversations. 

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

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Produced by Peoples Media

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“Healthy Gamer” sounds like an oxymoron. But not necessarily according to our guest, psychiatrist Dr. Alok Kanojia, who untangles the upsides from the downsides of video games. Why are kids drawn to gaming? Why is gaming more addictive today than ever before? How does it build community and shape identity? Does it feed into toxic masculinity? And how in the world can parents be in partnership with their kids to develop healthy gaming habits?!

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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How to Raise a Healthy Gamer

Healthy Gamer

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Parents and other trusted adults screw up. We’re human. Not to mention, tween and teen’s time of incredible transformation is a breeding ground for errors – ours and theirs. But it’s also a perfect time to take do-overs, a form of repair that creates connection, builds empathy, and offers grace. Cara and Vanessa share their own shame-inducing mess-ups, including the beautiful positives that emerge out the other side.

Show Notes:

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Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

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Produced by Peoples Media

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How can we foster kids' independence while setting limits? This sits at the heart of helping develop their autonomy as they move from childhood to adulthood. We’re joined by an incredible guide for this journey: Dr. Emily Edlynn, licensed clinical psychologist specializing in pediatric health psychology. We promise she makes it fun!

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Tween and teen brains are like bumpy dirt roads under construction and will be for quite some time! Neuropsychologist Dr. Molly Colvin helps us understand the upsides and downsides of the adolescent brain and offers practical pathways to communicate with and support the kids in our lives.

Show Notes:

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Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Substance use and abuse is a massive, ongoing conversation with tweens and teens. These layered conversations happen over years. But here’s what they all share in common: at some point – often at many points – most kids find themselves faced with a choice to use or not. So how do we inform and empower them? And when should we be concerned? Dr. Joseph Lee, psychiatrist and CEO of Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, shares all.

Show Notes:

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Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

Monitoring the Future

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Spoiler alert: the only life hack for sleep deprivation is… more sleep! Lisa Lewis is the journalist who helped pass California’s new later school-start time law, all in an effort to prioritize teen sleep. This episode makes you look at sleep needs – for our kids and us, too – in a whole new light.  

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

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Adults often bring their own baggage into conversations with tweens + teens. Nowhere is this more evident than with body image. It’s a fraught and complex issue to begin with – helping kids achieve positive (or at least neutral) body image becomes nearly impossible when we entangle their feelings about their bodies with our feelings about our own. Psychologist and leading expert in body image research, Dr. Charlotte Markey, offers invaluable advice. 

Show Notes:

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Adultish

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Listen more and lecture less. It’s the golden nugget piece of advice about being in conversation with tweens and teens. But zipping your mouth can be tough – because you know the right answer or because your worry overruns your self control or because constructive conversation gets hijacked by your frustration. This episode is all about how, why and when we need to shut our mouths.

Show Notes:

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Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

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Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

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People often ask for advice about talking about tricky topics when there are big age gaps between kids in the home. The short answer is that there are some conversations everyone can be a part of, and others need to be handled individually. The longer answer, which we get into with journalist Ericka Sóuter, speaks to which conversations might be age-segmented and how to help kids understand what they should — and shouldn’t — share with their siblings.

Show Notes:

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Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

How to have a Kid and a Life

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Produced by Peoples Media

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As technology has evolved, family communication has changed right along with it. Enter the family chat – which can take place on messaging apps or social media platforms. This space might be a forum for political arguments, meme sharing, telling kids it’s time for dinner, or all of the above. It’s fun! It can be LOL funny! But how can we use text “conversations” to stay connected without further increasing our tech dependence?

Show Notes:

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Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Changing bodies and fluctuating hormones require kids to develop a new awareness of their own bodies and new skills to care for them. Occupational therapist Dr. Allie Ticktin joins us to explore sensory integration, the importance of the 3 “hidden senses” (vestibular, interoception, proprioception), and what dysregulation looks like in kids this age. 

Show Notes:

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Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Play 2 Progress

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For today’s tweens and teens, youth sports specialization reigns supreme, a new “normal” that presents enormous physical, emotional and financial challenges for kids and their families. We get into all the pros and cons, from helping kids fulfill their potential and achieve their goals to keeping them safe and healthy. 

Show Notes:

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Go to K12.com/AWKWARD today to learn more and find a tuition-free K12-powered school near you.

Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Most people feel pressure to look a certain way regardless of gender or age. And at least as long as we can remember, fad diets and supplements have been marketed as shortcuts to achieve these goals. Things have only amplified over the past decade thanks to social media. So what diets are effective? And safe?? If any! And how should tweens and teens make sense of all of the information streaming their way at the very same time their bodies are transforming? We try to make sense of it all.  

Show Notes:

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Three Sixty-Five brand by Whole Foods Market

Go to K12.com/AWKWARD today to learn more and find a tuition-free K12-powered school near you.

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Tina Bryson provides a masterclass in the science of why it’s so important to show up for kids and how we can do it, even imperfectly.

Show Notes:

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The Power of Showing Up

The Center for Connection

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Days before they leave for college, Cara and Vanessa’s 2nd-born sons made their debut appearance on the podcast. Listeners will have to make their way through even more laughter than usual as we ask them hard hitting questions like: What’s it like being the second kid? What do they wish they could change about their mothers? And why are their rooms such a mess? Unvarnished, hilarious, and deeply honest, this episode is one for the ages.

Show Notes:

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Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

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Homework can be a massive source of conflict throughout the school years. Brian Platzer is an expert on how to minimize this: he’s a teacher, tutor and writer. His advice isn’t just realistic and actionable, it changes the dynamic for good!  

Show Notes:

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Taking the Stress Out of Homework

Teachers Who Tutor

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Boys face strong cultural messaging about how they should look, act, and express themselves. Social media only amplifies the narrative, delivering it to tweens and teens in every imaginable way. Which is why our conversation with journalist and author Ruth Whippman was so valuable: starting from a place of deep understanding of science and data, she interviewed boys and young men and then wove their stories with her own parenthood in the new book BoyMom.

Show Notes:

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BoyMom by Ruth Whippman 

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Dealing with executive functioning in tweens and teens can be a perfect storm of frustration, anger, and low self-esteem. Clinical psychologist, Tori Cordiano, shares insight into what’s happening in the brain and trade secrets about how kids and adults alike can maximize executive function skills at different ages.

Show Notes:

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Three Sixty-Five brand by Whole Foods Market

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

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Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Teaching our kids to take charge of their personal health means covering everything from knowing their SSN to understanding their family’s health history. It’s an important part of the journey toward independence. So how can we educate our kids about all of these details and empower them to take charge of their personal health? Listen in!

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Three Sixty-Five brand by Whole Foods Market

Go to Quince.com/awkward for free shipping and 365-day returns

Get $25 off any Gabb smartphone GABB.com/AWKWARD

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Get 25% off your first order of Phyla, when you visit PhylaBiotics.com and use the code PUBERTY at checkout!

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

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Produced by Peoples Media

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There’s a timeline for puberty - when it starts and how fast it proceeds - which means that there’s also “early” and “late.” Layered on top is the relativity of puberty: when everyone else is going through it (or not), the person who’s not (or is!) feels out of sync. This episode explores the science behind the timing of puberty and how adults - both parents and doctors - might approach a late bloomer.

Show Notes:

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Nick Kroll on Being Late to the Puberty Party

Roger Bennett on his English Adolescence 

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Boys continue to be socialized to cover their true emotions, despite moves to shift away from this status quo. One of the strongest forces working to make change is Ashanti Branch, a pioneer in education reform and founder of the Ever Forward Club. Ashanti shares the necessary tools and support necessary to further rewrite this narrative.

Show Notes:

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Ashanti’s Instagram/Twitter: @branchspeaks

Ever Forward Club Instagram/Twitter: @everforwardclub

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There isn’t ONE time to start puberty or end puberty and someone has to go first. In this episode, Cara explains the science behind early puberty and we explore the social and emotional impact of being an early bloomer. Plus you get to learn what an orchidometer is! This is a great episode to listen to with your kids.

Show Notes:

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Andrew Goldberg on Being a World Famous Early Bloomer

Dr. Louise Greenspan’s on Puberty’s Dramatic Shift

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How tall will your kid be? Almost every parent asks their pediatrician… and given our height obsessed culture, kids begin to do the same from surprisingly young ages. This episode covers the science behind when and how kids grow, decoding all the different growth charts and, as always, offering the language to discuss these tricky topics.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Late Bloomer episodes:

Nick Kroll On Being Late To The Puberty Party

Roger Bennett on his English Adolescence

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Produced by Peoples Media

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The number one puberty question we get asked is: when is my daughter going to get her period?!!! And while no one can say for certain, this episode will cover what are red herrings (pun intended) and what are true signs that her period is coming. Listen in for some practical information as well as Cara and Vanessa’s own first period stories.

Show Notes:

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Young people get plastic surgery for a host of reasons, sometimes related to health and sometimes cosmetic. Plastic surgeon Dr. Steven Teitelbaum helps people put aside any judgment by explaining the various physical and emotional reasons why kids might get surgeries like breast reduction, breast augmentation, or rhinoplasty (AKA nose jobs)… and why at times they should not go under the knife.

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One of the most common questions - and worries - about puberty are zits. Why do we get them? Where? When? And what can be done? Get everything you need to know about acne, backne, chestne, buttne, and more…

Show Notes:

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Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

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Produced by Peoples Media

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The word “healthy” is everywhere, but its meaning can be utterly unclear. If you think it’s hard to decode what’s healthy and what’s not, now imagine attempting to do so with a tween or teen brain. It turns out, there are four fundamental tenets called the pillars of health: sleep, nutrition, exercise, and hygiene. This episode breaks them down, offering nitty gritty information about each one in order to help people of all ages achieve better health.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

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Produced by Peoples Media

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This episode is all about breast development: when they grow, why they can be painful or lumpy (or both), and how to manage this shifting landscape.

Show Notes:

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Produced by Peoples Media

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The million conversations to have with kids ages 8-18 (and beyond!) require patience and strategy. Listen to this episode with child development specialist Dr. Robyn Silverman to make your life a million times easier. Buckle up!

Show Notes:

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How to Talk to Kids About Anything

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Erections and nocturnal emissions – AKA boners and wet dreams – are big pieces of puberty that often go unmentioned unless they’re punchlines in a joke. Which is a big conversational miss, because these topics can cause unnecessary confusion, shame, worry, or awkwardness. In this episode, we break down the science behind boners and wet dreams (and yes, we also use the language that kids use) and then offer practical ways to help males manage these unexpected and uncontrollable experiences.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Fibroids, Endometriosis, PCOS…the list of gynecologic hot topics goes on and on. Gyn Dr. Karen Tang is author of the myth-dispelling It’s Not Hysteria. She takes on pretty much every question about women’s reproductive health – starting in the tween and teen years — combining science with actionable guidance.

Show Notes:

It’s Not Hysteria

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The third re-release in the series: What do teenagers need to know about sex? A lot. By the teen years, these conversations become both personal and complex. Some teens still need foundational knowledge, while others are ready for far more sophisticated information. For those who need help teasing apart what they need to know, by when, and how to say it, we’ve got you.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Planned parenthood https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex

Tea and consent video https://youtu.be/oQbei5JGiT8?si=4rNEBx5YW4oeWPI_

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Swinging moods are a hallmark of the puberty years. And since kids start puberty earlier than ever before, so too do those emotional ups and downs. Understanding the physiology of rising and falling hormones makes it much easier to develop strategies for managing this roller coaster ride – for adults and kids alike.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Order our book This Is So Awkward

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Produced by Peoples Media

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The second re-release in a series of 3: What do middle school kids need to know about sex and when? The learning curve is steep between 5th - 8th grade. Not only is this a time when kids are progressing through puberty, but it’s also when most begin health and sex education classes in school… and also when most get their own phone. We cover how to stay ahead of all of it.

Show Notes:

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Stress is ubiquitous, with new stressors appearing regularly in tween and teen lives. Clinical psychologist Dr. Jenny Taitz shares practical strategies for people of all ages to manage overwhelming emotions. 

Show Notes:

Stress Resets by Dr. Jenny Taitz

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The first re-release in a series of 3: What do younger kids need to know about sex and when? We cover all the conversations kids need, from kindergarten until they start middle school. How to build the foundation — anatomically correct vocabulary, consent, and privacy — using age-appropriate and inclusive language.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Trends in sexual behaviors continuously evolve, with often older generations often judging the choices of younger ones. That’s nothing new. But today, there are some new norms that feel particularly alarming like, for example, the prevalence of choking during sex and other forms of rough sex. Professor Debby Herbenick, sexuality researcher responsible for much of the emerging data, joins us to share her insights.

Show Notes:

Yes, Your Kid: What Parents Need to Know About Today's Teens and Sex

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A new bestselling bookThe Anxious Generation is making big waves in the parenting world. Jonathan Haidt presents incredibly important data, but the messaging around the book is scaring many parents, making some feel terrible about their tech choices. This episode walks through what he gets right (sociological data, tech use trends, and the importance of limit setting) and what he gets wrong (specifics about puberty and brain development).

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Order our book This Is So Awkward

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Whether it’s a kid who has moved out of their childhood home or one who’s just away for the summer, there’s a list of conversations to have before they fly the coop. Dr. Jill Grimes, author of the Ultimate College Student Handbook – one of our favorite high school graduation gifts! – shares her best tips on everything from drugs to birth control to when to take yourself to the emergency room.

Show Notes:

Updated Ultimate College Student Health Handbook

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Human bodies aren’t designed to live with chronic stress, and yet these days, so many do. Including kids. This episode explains the physiology of the stress response, what happens in tween and teen bodies in particular, and steps to manage it.

Show Notes:

 *Note: This episode tethers to a newsletter article for our membership – if you want to receive deep dive articles, join at Less Awkward

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Disordered eating and eating disorders – two separate issues along a single continuum – are widespread among tweens and teens. While these struggles aren’t new, rates are up and people are talking about them more openly. This episode starts by defining terminology like anorexia, bulimia, bingeing, purging, bigorexia, and orthorexia. Then we get into all of the reasons why kids (and adults) might experience one or more.

Show Notes:

Center for Emotional Wellness

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A listener asks: Is it ok to snoop through your kid’s phone? And if you do, and then you find something surprising or worrying, what next? We cover the complexities of talking to kids when information was gathered while spying on them. 

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHP 

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This sounds negative, but it’s not: helping kids to avoid failure is a major parenting goal. They need to learn to handle setbacks in order to navigate life. Educator and author of 8 Setbacks that Can Make a Child a Success Michelle Icard goes beyond managing kids’ failure to making space for healthy risk taking.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Order our book This Is So Awkward

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Ah, the first pancake: it’s either overcooked, undercooked, or somehow both simultaneously. Every parent (and grandparent, too!) lives a steep learning curve the first time through, racking up a long list of what and how they could have done better. But there’s also a silver lining as we all get better at the job over time. This episode is about letting go of the guilt we feel when we make mistakes, instead leaning into a parenting growth mindset.

Show Notes:

Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP 

Order our book This Is So Awkward

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Produced by Peoples Media

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Trailblazing integrative pediatrician and author of Healthy Kids, Happy Kids Elisa Song has long been a deep believer in the brain-gut connection. Her two decades in functional medicine have made her a leading voice… you’ll understand why when you hear how she explains the gut microbiome to the youngest kids and connects it to issues like teen anxiety for the older ones. 

Show Notes:

Order Elisa's book: Healthy Kids, Happy Kids

NEW! Community Membership and link this https://lessawkward.com/community/

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

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Produced by Peoples Media

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A listener wrote in asking: if I give my kid a hard “no” answer to something I know they really want to do, am I just setting them up to go behind my back and do it anyway? Limit setting would be so much easier if it were black and white. This episode explores the gray area of boundary-setting so that adults can remain in conversation with the kids they’re desperately trying to keep safe.

Show Notes:

NEW! Community Membership and link this https://lessawkward.com/community/

Order our book This Is So Awkward

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Author and economist Emily Oster covers all the ways to apply data to thoughtful decisions, from wellness to managing illness. There’s science all around us, but sometimes so many numbers that we feel overwhelmed. Emily to the rescue.

Show Notes:

NEW! Community Membership and link this https://lessawkward.com/community/

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Odors make a grand entrance as bodies grow and change. This episode covers everything from how we smell (olfaction) to how we smell (stinky or delicious). There are lots of specific ways to prevent potent odors on increasingly sweaty, oily, hairy bodies — we dig into many of them. 

Show Notes:

NEW! Community Membership and link this https://lessawkward.com/community/

Order our book This Is So Awkward

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Menopause maven Dr. Mary Claire Haver, author of The New Menopause, joins us to debunk myths and educate listeners about some of the big topics like: hormone therapy treatment, the data on estrogen, and new ways to approach this complex stage of life that so often intersects with puberty.

Show Notes:

The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver

North American Menopause Society

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Recent news highlights troubling trends in sex, like sexual strangulation (often called choking). Acknowledgment of sexual aggression among teens and young adults — and they report lots of it — has motivated many adults to engage in conversations about sexual mores with the kids in their lives… not one of the sex talks they ever imagined having. This episode provides some initial ways into those conversations.

Show Notes:

The Troubling Trend in Teenage Sex

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Managing technology use is one of the steepest climbs in the modern age. It’s true for ourselves, and goes double for kids we care about. Dr. Michael Rich, author of The Mediatrician’s Guide and founder/director of the Digital Wellness Lab, frames the current issues and then offers calm, thoughtful advice.

Show Notes:

The Mediatrician’s Guide

Digital Wellness Lab

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In this live recording, Dr. Aliza Pressman offers actionable and realistic ways to build resilience in kids (and ourselves). Her advice, grounded in the fundamental principles of developmental psychology, adds a joyful and humorous twist!

Show Notes:

Order Dr. Aliza Pressman's book The 5 Principles of Parenting

(And our book This Is So Awkward)

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Substance use and abuse education is critical to keeping kids healthy and safe through adolescence and beyond. We’re joined by bestselling author and teacher Jessica Lahey who combines the best research about teen brains with clear how-to-advice. This episode is so rich with science and data, you’ll revisit this episode down the road. 

Show Notes:

Jessica Lahey Videos 

The Addiction Inoculation by Jessica Lahey

Dopamine Nation by Anna Lemke

High by David and Nic Sheff

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Artificial intelligence – and especially ChatGPT – have been ascendant this year. This episode asks (humans) about all the ways this technology has rapidly integrated into our lives. Suddenly there are a whole host of conversations to have with kids about the use of AI, in school and beyond.

Show Notes:

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Navigating the intersection of autism and puberty requires a combination of scientific information, shared vocabulary, and sensitivity to everything from learning style to temperament to neurodiversity type. Hear the guidance of neuropsychologist Dr. Donna Henderson, who is passionate about identifying and supporting autistic individuals. 

Show Notes:

Is This Autism? A guide for clinicians and everyone else 

Is This Autism? A companion guide for diagnosing

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Move over sex and drugs, there’s a new hot topic to add to the list of the zillion talks you’ll have with the kids in your life: gambling. It’s time to start conversations about everything from online gambling sites to gaming platforms to fantasy sports leagues. Plus the fact that kid-targeted phone-based apps offer lots of entry points into the world of wagering. 

Show Notes:

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Let go of your assumptions about adolescents – it’s time for a reframe! Author and researcher Ellen Galinsky has spent decades studying societal questions – particularly about kids and their families – and offering actionable advice. She sees adolescence as a time for opportunity, creativity and positive change. This episode will have you positively giddy from Ellen’s insights, optimism, and positivity.

Show Notes:

The Breakthrough Years

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Changing bodies plus individuation plus warming temperatures. Springtime is a time kids begin to make new choices about what they wear. Some feel insecure, some feel super confident, and some are looking to reflect the latest trends… adults often have lots of opinions about all of it.

Show Notes:

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The college admissions process starts almost as early as puberty does! Okay, not quite… but it can feel that way. It’s ever-evolving, as mystifying as it is complex. Joining us to make sense of it all and reframe the insanity is journalist and author of Who Gets In and Why, college admissions expert Jeff Selingo.

Show Notes:

Who Gets In and Why

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Nicotine ranks up there with heroin and cocaine on the list of most addictive substances. And yet it has been folded into daily routine life, making it a substance that is both abused and normalized. We dive into the delivery devices for nicotine – explaining the evolution from cigarettes to smokeless tobacco in the form of vapes, chew, and nicotine pouches – and then examine why this substance works differently in developing tween and teen brains. 

Show Notes:

Episode Resources:

Adolessons 

Huberman Lab podcast on nicotine

Big Vape documentary

NY Times article on Zynfluencers

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Kids’ chronic headaches can be one of the most frightening, mystifying, and frustrating issues parents face. To help us understand headaches, particularly migraines and why teen girls (and women) are so prone to them, is pediatric neurologist and headache medicine specialist Dr. Daniel Noam Lax. 

Show Notes:

American Headache Society

American Migraine Foundation

Daniel N. Lax, MD

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In a world that fears or reviles teen girls, Chelsey Goodan, seasoned tutor and author of Underestimated, offers powerful insights into what we get wrong about teen girls. Relying on the voices and perspectives of the girls themselves, Chelsey offers a new way forward for supporting and empowering the girls in our lives.

Show Notes:

Underestimated: Connecting to The Wisdom and Power of Teenage Girls

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Youth is marked by the feeling that anything is possible, a readiness to take on the world. And then somewhere along the way, many of us lose that feeling. Photographer and New York Times bestselling author Kate Parker has captured the feeling of unstoppability in her new book, Force of Nature. She shares how she found inspiration in young women across the country, and how we might rediscover it in ourselves. 

Show Notes:

Order Kate's book: Force of Nature

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Girls and young women who specialize in sports and dance are vulnerable to the female athlete triad – an interconnected set of risks which include eating disorders, amenorrhea (loss of menstruation), and osteoporosis. We explore these issues and the reasons why they post long term physical and mental health dangers to young people. Even more, we examine how many of these risks are not particular to females, but affect male athletes as well.

Show Notes:

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So much about school has changed over a generation, not the least of which includes a dramatically amped-up college process. By understanding today’s educational landscape, we can help kids develop the tools they need in the classroom and the real world beyond. Ana Homayoun, author of Erasing the Finish Line, is perfectly poised to teach us all.

Show Notes:

ERASING THE FINISH LINE: The New Blueprint For Success Beyond Grades and College Admissions.

More on Ana Homayoun

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Thought supporting your kid through high school was the end of the stressful parenting days? Think again. These days, summer jobs and internships are the next hurdle in our high pressure world. We dissect how life has changed from back in our day with the ultimate goal of keeping in perspective what really matters.

Show Notes:

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The Care and Keeping of You turned 25! And its younger sibling, The Care and Keeping of You 2 is 10. You don’t want to miss this special episode where author of the original TCKY, Valorie Schaefer, and Cara describe their anniversary collaboration – a behind the scenes look at what was changed in this iconic book, starting with much more inclusive content. The world has changed… The Care and Keeping  is keeping up.

Show Notes:

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Cara is now on the banned booklist – that’s a new milestone! Cara is the doctor behind The Care and Keeping of You, a 25-year old beloved book about body changes that was recently banned from the children’s section at the Huntington Beach Library. Which means it’s harder for kids to find good body information but, meanwhile, they’re one click away from porn with no safeguards put in place. We talk about all the reasons books like these are critical to help keep kids healthy and safe, and why limiting kids’ access to porn is where energy should be spent instead.

Show Notes:

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We’re all for sex education in schools, but it’s as important (maybe more so!) for these conversations to happen at home, too. The trick is making them inclusive and shame-free while acknowledging our communities and contexts. Melissa Carnagey, sex educator and founder of Sex Positive Families, is full of thoughtful and actionable guidance for families.

Show Notes:

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A heartfelt listener question that stopped us in our tracks is also a version of one we get frequently: My teen daughter treats me so badly that I just want to pull away from her. Our advice starts with the science behind adolescent mood swings and then moves into setting limits in the heat of the moment and beyond.

Show Notes:

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It’s more complicated than ever to have conversations with tweens and teens about politics. Cue Beth and Sarah from Pantsuit Politics, who guide us along the bumpy path of raising civic-minded kids, from informing without catastrophizing to instilling values without hitting them over the head.

Show Notes:

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Why do teenagers faint? Also known as vasovagal syncope, this form of passing out can happen for a bunch of different reasons. We get into all of them. 

Show Notes:

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Cleveland Clinic on vasovagal syncope

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The concepts related to gender feel confusing to many. Aydin Olson-Kennedy, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than fifteen years of experience providing psychotherapy to transgender and non-binary people, joins us to better understand all of this. He offers advice about how to best support all kids allowing caregivers to be loving and inclusive.

Show Notes:

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According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, about 70% of kids drop out of youth sports by 13. Here to discuss the factors that have gone into the “professionalization” of youth sports and how to raise truly empowered athletes on all levels is Kirsten Jones, former D1 athlete, performance coach, and author of “Raising Empowered Athletes."

Show Notes:

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A recent uproar blames tween girls for clogging the aisles at big box beauty stores like Sephora, lathering their faces with expensive skincare and makeup products designed for adults. A few of the brands have doubled-down, pitching their lotions and potions to kids living through a deeply vulnerable moment in their development, placing them in the crosshairs of social media influencers and savvy marketers. Girl-world expert turned corporate guru Rachel Simmons helps untangle this complex web of forces and offers some ways forward.

Show Notes:

Rachel Simmons

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Caring for kids is not a straight line (especially during puberty!). Enter developmental psychologist Dr. Aliza Pressman, host of the Raising Good Humans podcast and author of the new book The 5 Principles of Parenting, with research-based advice delivered as only Aliza can – profound and hilarious all at once.

Show Notes:

The Five Principles of Parenting

Raising Good Humans podcast

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Getting physical and getting hives – two things that aren’t commonly thought about simultaneously. But over the past couple of decades, allergies, especially to food, have become front-and-center. As has hook-up culture. We were reminded by a listener that their intersection deserves attention, too, when we got this question: How do I teach my kid to be safe and respectful when hooking up with someone who has allergies? And if my kid is the one who’s allergic, how do they stay safe while getting intimate? 

Show Notes:

FARE: FoodAllergy.org 

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Anxiety abounds: it was surging before COVID, but then leapt to new highs (> 20% of all kids!) during and after the pandemic. We’re joined by LCSW Amy Killy to learn about innovative anxiety management strategies like SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), because having tools to manage anxiety makes us all a little less anxious. 

Show Notes:

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Happy Holidays! Today we re-run our Season 1 episode with Henry + Zoe Winkler is a father/daughter. This is a master class on how grandparents play loving, supportive and epicenter-of-fun roles in their grandchildren’s lives. If we’re lucky, children have grandparents who can act as an extra set of trusted adults, helping them navigate the twists and turns of childhood. But every parent knows that when it comes to grandparents, the rules tend to get thrown out the window - cake for breakfast anyone? We laughed and cried during this inspirational conversation with a very special family… we think you will, too.

Show Notes:

This Is About Humanity

Alien Superstar Book Series

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples MediaTranscript

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We’ve had countless requests to dive into the topic of neurodiversity, and we’re thrilled to start here with podcaster, author, and founder/CEO of Tilt Parenting Debbie Reber. It’s a conversation about puberty plus ADHD, autism, and so much more.

Show Notes:

Tilt Parenting 

Differently Wired: A Parent’s Guide to Raising an Atypical Child with Confidence and Hope

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com

To bring us to your school or community email [email protected]

To submit listener questions email [email protected]

Watch the full episode on Youtube!

Produced by Peoples Media

Transcript

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

That’s a wrap! It was such an honor to spend the past two months speaking across the country about our new book This Is So Awkward. Even though we did a lot of talking, we also did a lot of listening and learning, too. Passing along the top lessons learned from speaking to thousands of folks through the fall.

Show Notes:

Order our book This Is So Awkward

Check out all our speaking and curriculum at www.lessawkward.com and our super comfy products at www.myoomla.com