This Is So Awkward

Back by popular demand, clinical psychologist Dr. Tori Cordiano explains study skills: from setting realistic expectations to understanding how they evolve over time. Tori is a Puberty Podcast favorite because she offers clear advice and guidance that will save us adults from completely losing it! Show Notes: Tori Cordiano Insta and Tori Cordiano newsletter sign-up and website 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

Questions swirl around bras: Does a kid need to wear one? When should they start? What type should they wear? The list goes on and on, and we cover all of it. Spoiler alert: the answer often boils down to it all depends… 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

Listener questions can open up profoundly important conversations. Like this one, that asks whether their menstruating 10-year old daughter should start taking a birth control pill because the family lives in a state where abortion is illegal even in the case of rape. We answer from every angle, wading into medical, parental, social, and emotional considerations. 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 author of our own puberty narratives — literally — is coming to theaters everywhere this weekend. Judy Blume’s stigma-shattering story “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” has been adapted into film more than 50 years after its initial publication. There’s so much to say about the impact of this story, then and now. 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

It’s hard to find anyone who hasn’t been gobsmacked by Peggy Orenstein’s chronicles of adolescence, laid out in her books Girls & Sex and Boys & Sex. During peak COVID, Peggy wrote on a new and wildly unrelated topic: Unraveling dives into the hilarious and harsh realities of raising teens while anticipating an empty nest. We talk to her about all of it! Show Notes: Unraveling by Peggy Orenstein 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

Caregivers of tweens and teens sit in the middle of the family sandwich, looking out for kids and aging parents, but often stretched so thin we can’t even identify — let alone meet — our own needs. This episode is all about how to ask for the help we need, finding balance so that we can look after ourselves as well as everyone else. 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

There’s lots to say on a controversial subject that ranges from hair removal to nose jobs. We explore it all with one reigning principle: leave your judgment at the door. 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

When 19-year-old Henry was in the 4th grade, he received a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. His tween and teen years were intertwined with chronic illness, but he made the conscious choice not to be defined by it — instead, becoming a multi-sport athlete and fiercely independent adolescent. Then, sophomore year of high school, a second, separate medical challenge came his way. Adults and kids will all be inspired by Henry as he shares his personal journey on this special episode. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We welcome Dr. Kelly Fradin back to the podcast to discuss a highly complex aspect of parenting: managing kids’ medical diagnoses and subsequent challenges. Her new book, Advanced Parenting, is an empathetic guide designed to help adults understand and manage all kinds of health challenges — both physical and mental. Show Notes: Advanced Parenting Follow Dr. Kelly Fradin on Social Media Instagram Facebook Twitter Website Substack Newsletter Transcript 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 stressful – not to mention (sometimes prohibitively) expensive – college process lands some kids where they want to be. But others are left disappointed. And many describe being somewhat traumatized by the whole experience, regardless of outcome. How can we be supportive to the kids in the midst of a process that itself has gone haywire? Show Notes: www.grownandflown.com 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 microbiome is an important component of health throughout the body: in the gut, on the skin, and yes, even in the genital tract. During puberty, as bodies change these ecosystems shift, particularly in the moister, oilier, and hairier parts. We get into why the situation turns itchy, focusing on one major category: yeast infections. Show Notes: The Vajenda by Jen Gunter 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

This is one of the most common questions we get from adults! Can I talk to a kid about their changing body when I don’t have the same parts? Spoiler alert: 100% YES. We spend this episode explaining why and how to cover mechanics and logistics, even when you don’t share the same biological equipment. 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

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: Tori Cordiano Insta and Tori Cordiano newsletter sign-up and website. 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

Excellent listener question alert! What’s a parent supposed to do when they follow our advice and attempt to start conversations, only to be repeatedly shut down by their kid? 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 thought our recent social media post about masturbation was benign, offering straightforward advice about safe ways to talk to your kid. But it sparked a massive reaction — good and bad. Which is why we decided to do an episode talking about why masturbation really freaks people out. Show Notes: IG Reel discussed in the episode 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

Braces, retainers, and all other mouth hardware offer a rite of passage for the awkward years. This hardware affects self-esteem, finances, executive functioning and more. Thanks to a beautiful listener question, we unpack all the ways that orthodonture impacts adolescents… and their parents. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lying is normal – literally everyone does it – but it peaks during adolescence. Sometimes their 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: www.betsybrownbraun.com Facebook.com/BetsyBBraun Twitter @BetsyBBraun 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

Hickeys are back… but they never really went away. This episode focuses on these classic teenage suction-splotches and the age-old questions like: do we say something when we see them or zip our lips?! And what causes them anyhow? 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

Science journalist and author Donna Jackson Nakazawa explores the two-sided science of estrogen: as a source of female superpower and the root of certain mental health disadvantages. In light of recent data about teenage well-being, this is a must listen for anyone who wants to understand teen girls. Show Notes: Girls on the Brink donnajacksonnakazawa.com Instagram: @DonnaJacksonNakazawa Twitter: @DonnaJackNak Facebook: @donnajacksonnakazawaauthor 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

Different families, different rules… a fact most apparent during sleepovers. Turns out, even Cara and Vanessa have surprisingly divergent opinions about sleepovers and how to handle the sticky situations that can arise. Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We tackle the hormonal science behind voice changes and their social and emotional impacts, including the perennial question: why are these ups and downs so embarrassing? Show Notes: Join the Awkward Roller Coaster Newsletter Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This bonus episode with Dr. Lisa Damour dives into specific topics like substance abuse, gender socialization, gender identity, and race. Lisa parses the research to shed light on modern day life as an American teen. Show Notes: The Emotional Lives of Teenagers Ask Lisa Podcast Subscribe to The Awkward Roller Coaster Newsletter Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adults walk a fine line in an effort to both support the teens in their lives and help them learn to manage the expected distress of adolescence. The incredibly wise and wonderful Dr. Lisa Damour shares invaluable advice from her newest book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, packed with data and decades of experience. Show Notes: The Emotional Lives of Teenagers Ask Lisa Podcast & Subscribe to The Awkward Roller Coaster Newsletter Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week saw a massive – and massively important – data dump about the physical, emotional and sexual behaviors of teens. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey from the CDC provides critical though imperfect insights into the lives of post-pandemic high schoolers. Show Notes: 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Associated Press Article on YRBS Subscribe to The Awkward Roller Coaster Newsletter Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines about the treatment of obesity in children and adolescents last month, a firestorm ensued, starting with the medicalization of the term obesity. Therapist and body positive activist Zoe Bisbing shares her perspective of this evolving, complex conversation. Show Notes: @mybodypositivehome on IG My Body Positive Home Link to AAP guidelines Emily Oster newsletter NY Times Daily episode Subscribe to The Awkward Roller Coaster Newsletter Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does it matter if a kid is sloppy, leaving shoes strewn across the room or wet towels piled on the floor or school papers shoved half-in/half-out of a 3-ringed binder? These habits leave many adults frustrated because they imply that kids don’t care about their surroundings or the feelings of others. But is this accurate? Show Notes: Subscribe to The Awkward Roller Coaster Newsletter Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pediatrician, co-author of You-ology, and Girlology co-founder Trish Hutchison joins us to cover the questions we get all the time: When is the right time to talk about… fill in the blank. We have no doubt this informational and fun episode addressing everything from anatomy to sex to pornography will be helpful as you attempt these conversations with the kid(s) in your life. Show Notes: Girlology You-ology Trish on Instagram Girlology on Instagram Subscribe to The Awkward Roller Coaster Newsletter Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every kid will knowingly disobey a rule – sometimes many rules – but occasionally the reason is completely understandable. Like the time (last week) when Vanessa’s kid downloaded Snapchat against her explicit wishes… Show Notes: Subscribe to The Awkward Roller Coaster Newsletter Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are a million things we tell kids to keep them safe and as they grow up, the conversations evolve. But there are 5 specific topics – narrower conversations, if you will – that adults need to cover with teens before they head out the door for the night. Show Notes: OOMSHORTS Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Period underwear brand Thinx recently settled a class-action suit alleging their underwear contained PFAS, a family of thousands of chemicals found in everything from fabrics to take-out containers. PFAS add functionality, but they’re not particularly healthy (for humans or the earth). The suit against Thinx aimed at the claim that their products are sustainable, organic and non-toxic. We answered tons of questions about what to do with period underwear. Show Notes: The Vajenda from Dr. Jen Gunter The Awkward Rollercoaster Our PUBERTY PORTAL Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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: https://www.joinonelove.org/ Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Technology and social media have become increasingly intertwined. Researchers and authors Carrie James and Emily Weinstein, go deep into what they know about how tech affects adolescent social interactions and vice versa, and what teens wish adults understood about their digital existence. Show Notes: Behind Their Screens Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While it’s tempting – and often-time fair – to demonize the role of technology in the lives of teens, there are lots of positives, too. In fact, at times the pros outweigh the cons. Hear all the data and insights from Carrie James and Emily Weinstein, authors of Behind Their Screens. Show Notes: Behind Their Screens Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Common Sense Media released data from a study of 1300 teens (ages 13-17) collected in September 2022. Finally updated information about teens and their pornography consumption! Common Sense did an outstanding job collecting and presenting it. We hit the highlights and offer advice about how this data changes the way we talk to kids about porn. Show Notes: Common Sense Media Report on Teens and Pornography New York Times Article on Common Sense Media Report LA Puberty Workshop on January 28th www.myoomla.com Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes kids share concerns about their friends. The question becomes: what to do with that information? The path through figuring out when something needs to be shared beyond you – with another parent, for instance – can be tricky, especially when the kid who shared in the first place interprets this as a violation of their trust and confidentiality. Show Notes: Los Angeles Puberty Workshop Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We loved this listener question! How to handle large age spans – sometimes they’re as big as 18 months – between the youngest and oldest kid in a grade, especially when the wide range of physical and emotional development adds to already complex social challenges. Show Notes: Los Angeles Puberty Workshop Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s not uncommon to hear the same questions about race that we hear about sex: How do we bring it up? What if we bungle the conversation? When is the right time? Is it ever too early to begin? Journalist and author of Bringing Up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World Uju Asika answers all of this and more is a deeply moving conversation about race and kids. Show Notes: Bringing Up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World Babes about Town blog Los Angeles Puberty Workshop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We hear this all the time: How do I get my quiet kid to talk? In short, it’s an art not a science. There are, though, tried and true tips and tricks for drawing out the silent kid in your house. Show Notes: Los Angeles Puberty Workshop Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re not big believers in New Year’s resolutions, but we ARE big believers in resolving to make change. This episode is about learning lessons from the past year and harnessing that wisdom as we head into the new year! Show Notes: Los Angeles Puberty Workshop Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kids’ friendships are a huge source of stress for both the kids themselves and their adults. The number one worry we hear from the latter is this: do they have enough friends? Spoiler alert! They only need one. This episode offers advice for helping kids build new friendships, one or many. Show Notes: Los Angeles Puberty Workshop on January 28th Dionne Warwick - That’s What Friends Are For Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between what they eat and how much, not to mention who’s doing the prep and cleanup, food can be a battle between kids and adults. Stacie Billis to the rescue! The co-host of the podcast Didn’t I just Feed You draws on her culinary chops and her child development background to dish out realistic and practical ways to get our tweens + teens fed. Show Notes: Didn’t I Just Feed You Instagram Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It would be nice if kids intuitively understood the value of money, where to keep it, how to budget and save, and how to check their bank balances. But these are all skills that need to be taught step by step, creating building blocks for more sophisticated conversations about financial literacy. In response to questions about how to start, we share some basic first steps. Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

High school romances today share lots of similarities with decades past, with emotional and physical connection still at the heart of these first relationships. But when things like technology, social media, and hook-up culture are layered on top, high school romance has a distinctly “modern” vibe. Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A great question from a listener! And one that *lots* of people have… but feel awkward about asking. Bedwetting can extend well into the tween and even teen years. So we dive into the medical and psychological reasons, plus the fixes. Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Becky Kennedy is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Good Inside and a social media parenting whisperer. Listen as she shares simple but deeply resonant advice about how to frame – and deal with – challenging behaviors in tweens and teens. Show Notes: www.goodinside.com Instagram Twitter Facebook Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People ask us ALL THE TIME about shoplifting: the adults are generally shocked, despite this being an incredibly common phenomena among adolescents. A listener recently asked about how to handle shoplifting and its downstream moral quandaries. Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes buying gifts for tweens + teens can feel like a no-win situation. So we’re doing a verbal gift guide with lots of suggestions about the whole gift-giving process with kids. And maybe a gift idea or two ;) Show Notes: OOMSHORTS Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Note to adults: this episode addresses specific sexual acts. So often we hear from adults, “But how do I say it?!” Amy Lang, sex educator and author of Sex Talks with Tweens: What to Say and How to Say It has wonderful and realistic strategies for tricky conversations with adolescents. Show Notes: Sex Talks with Tweens: What to Say and How to Say It Website:www.birdsandbeesandkids.com Social Media: Instagram Facebook Podcast:Just Say This! Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Getting together with family and friends for the holidays can feel like a minefield with growing kids – unsolicited comments and awkward conversations abound. We walk through ways to prepare for and mitigate unwanted collateral damage this holiday season. Show Notes: Discount Code: 15% OFF at myoomla.com Code: PUBERTYPODCAST Production by Peoples Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices