This Is So Awkward

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: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP Nick Kroll on Being Late to the Puberty Party Roger Bennett on his English Adolescence 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP Ashanti’s Instagram/Twitter: @branchspeaks Ever Forward Club Instagram/Twitter: @everforwardclub 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP Andrew Goldberg on Being a World Famous Early Bloomer Dr. Louise Greenspan’s on Puberty’s Dramatic Shift 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP How to Talk to Kids About Anything 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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_ 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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/ 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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) 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: 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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices