Talking To Teens: Expert Tips for Parenting Teenagers

Matthew R Kay, author of Not Light, But Fire , shares his vast wealth of knowledge on how to have productive discussions about race. As an educator and speaker, Matthew is well-versed in what to avoid and what to move toward in conversations. Full show notes You know you have to discuss race....but you’re not sure where to start. With everything going on in the news and centuries of history to cov...

Diane Tavenner, author of Prepared and founder of Summit Public Schools, joins us to shed light on the practical to-dos she has learned from running some of the highest ranked public schools in the United States. Full show notes When it comes to our kids’ education, we don’t want to cut corners. We want them to have access to a thorough, fulfilling schooling so that they’ll have a bright future! H...

Dr. Ethan Kross, author of Chatter , briefs us on his research on internal chatter: what it is, why it matters, and how to help your teen harness it before it gets out of control. Full show notes There’s a lot to be worried about these days!  Whether you’re feeling anxious about the ongoing pandemic or just concerned that your teen is struggling in school, it’s easy to let distress clutter your mi...

David Bradford, PhD, co-author of Connect , shares his insights for how to create a deeper, more meaningful connection with your teen by tweaking communication. Full show notes We often hear that the secret to a healthy relationship of any kind is communication...but what does that really mean? Does it mean apologizing when we feel we’ve messed up, or daring to discuss uncomfortable topics? Are th...

Christian Jarrett, author of Be Who You Want , brings us knowledge on the science of changing: what exactly can we change and how can we make changes stick. Plus, how to turn difficult personalities into successful ones. Full show notes It’s hard to think of a group that gets labelled more than teenagers. Whether we declare them slackers, class clowns, popular kids or outcasts, it can be easy to p...

Dr. Sarah McKay, author of The Women’s Brain Book , demystifies the research on the brain--the difference between males and females, the impact of hormones, and why the teenage years are such an exciting time for the brain. Full show notes When our middle or high schoolers are driving us up the wall, we often attribute their wacky behavior to hormones. They weren’t this crazy when they were younge...

Andrew Reiner, author of Better Boys, Better Men , explains the new rigid rules for boys and how we can help our emerging men feel secure in a masculine identity. Plus, tips on how to build emotional resilience in our male teens. Full show notes We’re all familiar with the term “boys will be boys.” It’s often used when guys are physical, detached, aggressive, and violent. making it seem as though...

Dr. Steven R. Gundry, author of The Energy Paradox and The Plant Paradox , gives us insight into what the science says is slowing us all down, fogging up our brains, and making us look downright lazy. Surprisingly, the answer isn’t simply to get more sleep. Full show notes It feels like these days, we’re all a little more tired than we’d like to be! We pour ourselves an extra cup of coffee in the...

Frank Figliuzzi, author of The FBI Way , shares knowledge on effectively instilling values in a family unit. He walks us through creating a code of conduct based on your family’s values, and shares the number one thing everyone gets wrong about consequences. Full show notes Parenting can sometimes feel like it’s never predictable. Even when we think we know our kid, some new interest or personalit...

Dr. Judson Brewer, author of Unwinding Anxiety , explains how anxiety is in fact a habit--one we can break. He shares insight from his years of research to debunk the myths surrounding modern views on anxiety and the truth about stopping the cycle. Full show notes Anxiety is a pretty common feeling–you likely know how it feels to have your heart suddenly race in your chest, your palms go sweaty an...

Natalie Wexler, author of The Knowledge Gap , clues us in onto the widening knowledge gap: what it is, why it’s happening, and how we might begin to narrow it. Full show notes For many of us, education is the #1 priority for our kids. A good education can help lift kids out of poverty, can ensure a financially stable and independent future, and can open up the doors of opportunity and possibility,...

Michael A Heller and Jim Salzman, authors of Mine! , share the hidden rules behind ownership disputes and the secret to better bargaining and leveraging your power as the parent. Full show notes There’s one slice of pizza left, and all three of your kids want it. One kid argues that he called dibs on it before it even came out of the oven, so it’s definitely his. Another says that since she had tr...

John Moe, author of The Hilarious World of Depression , joins us for a candid and surprisingly fun look at living with depression and how to talk to teens about it. Full show notes Dealing with depression is tough–whether you’re battling it yourself or trying to help a teen who’s struggling. Depression can distance us from friends and loved ones, cause us to stop eating and sleeping and make thing...

Judith Warner, author of And Then They Stopped Talking to Me , speaks with us about why the middle school years are such trying times for parents and teens. Judith shares her thoughts on how to make things better for everyone. Full show notes We all remember middle school….probably not too fondly! Between the relentless social drama to the embarrassing body changes, middle school is pretty much th...

Bill Stixrud and Ned Johnson, authors of The Self-Driven Child , re-join us to talk about their latest book What Do You Say. Whether your teen is unmotivated or over-anxious, Ned and Bill have just the thing to say. Full show notes Enforcing rules on teens is no easy task. Half the time they ignore you, sometimes they lie to you, and they love to find plenty of reasons to do the exact opposite of...

Matis Miller, author of The Uncontrollable Child , dishes on how to handle defiant, unruly teens. His practical tips based in DBT all start with one simple step, that’s sometimes harder than it sounds: acceptance! Full show notes Falling into a destructive cycle with your teen is far too easy–and incredibly frustrating. You yell at them to stop coming home late every night, or beg them to stop neg...

Jessica Lahey, author of The Addiction Inoculation and The Gift of Failure , joins us for a second time to talk about her latest book and the power of inoculation theory to help teens say no to alcohol, drugs, and other risky behaviors. Full show notes Stories of addiction and overdoses are incredibly scary. We hear about teens who lose their way after getting in with the wrong crowd, or watch fri...

Peter Lovenheim, author of The Attachment Effect , shares insight into how attachment styles might be at the root of a distant or dramatic teen--or any relationship problems for that matter! Learn your teen’s attachment style to understand how to prepare them for adulthood. Full show notes It’s important for our teens to connect to others. When we send our kids off into the world, we want to know...

Sid Garza-Hillman, author of Raising Healthy Parents , joins us to discuss healthy living and how anyone can start living healthier by taking small steps every day. Plus, the importance of dealing with stress, the number one obstacle standing in the way of what parents want. Full show notes Getting kids to eat healthy is no easy task. Not only do they resist apples and broccoli, they tend to have...

Aviva Legatt, author of Get Real and Get In , joins us for a behind-the-scenes look at the college admissions process and what your teen can do to stand out from the crowd. Plus, how being on student council might actually hurt their chances!  Full show notes We’ve always been told that the secret to getting a teen into college is for them to look perfect on paper. We nag them to join the honors s...

Dr. Beth Akers, author of Making College Pay and an economist, takes a cold hard look with Andy at what the data says about “investing” in college. What’s more important: choice of major or choice of college? Full show notes Deciding on a college is one of the biggest decisions teens will make in their lives. There are so many factors to consider. How big are the classes? Will they be able to make...

Pete Davis, author of Dedicated , speaks to us about the power of commitment in an age of infinite options. Plus, what to say to a teen trying everything to gain status. Full show notes Some teens just don’t want to commit to anything! They go to one lacrosse team practice but quickly lose interest, quit piano lessons when the songs get difficult and avoid debate team meetings after school...even...

John Zerilli, PhD, author of A Citizen’s Guide to Artificial Intelligence , clues us in on how AI is affecting us right now and what it means for our teens and families. Plus, John’s prediction for when AI could take over--and what skills teens should hone in preparation. Full show notes Our kids are growing up in a world where technology is expanding at a mind blowing pace! Every year they find t...

Dr. Barbara Oakley, author of Uncommon Sense Teaching , delivers the best ways to get ahead in academics based on her research in education, neuroscience, and teaching. Is memorizing helpful or a waste of time? Who can procrastinate and get away with it? How can we help our teens be better learners? Full show notes Getting teens to sit down and practice math can feel impossible. We go around in ci...

Leidy Klotz, author of Subtract , shares his research on the science of taking things away, simplification, and subtraction to make more space for better ways of living. How to scale back tech use, clean up our calendars, and streamline family rules is coming up! Full show notes When kids are driving us up the wall and we want to regain control, we add rules. Then, later down the line...we add mor...