This Is So Awkward

Middle school and middle schoolers get a really bad rap and their educators are looked upon with sympathy. But what if we flip that narrative on its head and view this stage with excitement? Here to shift the perspective on this transformational age into one of opportunity and wonder is school founder, middle school principal, and author Chris Balme. Show Notes: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP  G...

The study of microplastics is a rapidly expanding field because they are literally ubiquitous – in our bodies, our oceans, our food. Found everywhere from brains to testicles, from tap water to sea salt, this episode unpacks what we know and what we don’t yet know about the impact of microplastics on the human body.  Show Notes: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP  Go to Quince.com/awkward for free s...

When kids misbehave or act out, it’s natural for adults to react with anger, disappointment, punishment, or even disconnection. But struggling kids actually need the opposite – their behavior improves when they feel connection and belonging. Psychologist and lifelong educator Doug Bolton translates decades of experience into actionable, empathic ways forward. His book, Untethered, offers a beautif...

Adults are baffled, bemused, and slightly horrified by what they hear about teen dating. Our 16-year-old guest, Elle Kristine, helps set the record straight on today’s teen relationships. She uses decidedly modern methods to offer teens relationship advice, like her @AskElle account on TikTok and her AI-based teen dating app. Ultimately, Elle believes that today’s teens are looking for the same th...

The language of teen relationships is literally foreign: the glossary-requiring terms they use to describe their romantic lives vary from kid to kid, with little agreement. What do words like “situationship,” “talking” (which isn’t actually talking), and “hook-up” mean? Now layer on the virtual world in general – and social media in particular – and you can feel like you need to get a PhD in the l...

It can be increasingly hard to find valid, science-based health guidance in this age of rampant misinformation and now missing information. This episode zooms in on the prevention of pregnancy and STI/STD transmission, one corner of health and sex education that is in the midst of erasure from many government websites. We cover everything from abstinence to barrier methods, hormonal contraception,...

Teens can be so brutally honest at some moments and utterly clueless at others. Chip Leighton, the self-described middle aged dad influencer Leighton Show and author of What Time Is Noon, memorializes it all with a hefty dose of barb-filled humor. Chip lays bare a hilarious, unvarnished view into the experience of parenting teenagers. Show Notes: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP  Go to airdoctorpr...

Parenthood is complicated by a million complex issues, only ramping up in the tween + teen years. Then layer on the common truth that any two people can disagree. Adults bring their own knowledge and history to parenting – their upbringing, temperament, and even values can differ radically, often landing them on different sides of the same question. So what are co-parents to do when they don’t see...

Life is messy. Tyler Moore AKA Instagram’s The Tidy Dad helps families declutter not just their physical messes but also their emotional baggage too. Everything from middle school mayhem to toilet bowl hygiene, this episode is chock full of practical advice. But there’s no judgment for those who have a ways to go before they qualify as tidy! Show Notes: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP  Go to aird...

This is not a political episode but sex education is a political issue. At the start of a new presidential administration we are already seeing shifts in what can and cannot be taught in schools. Our guest, Jaclyn Friedman, helps clarify the facts and project what the future of sex ed may look like. Show Notes: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP  Go to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code AWKWARD to...

Why do we double down on a decision even when all evidence points to it being the wrong choice? It’s often thanks to the phenomenon known as cognitive dissonance and its companions: self-justification and memory rewriting. Social psychologist Carol Tavris explains what these words mean, how they play into decision-making, and why adults can’t help but fall into this trap even as their kids get old...

New Year’s resolutions are fine, but goal setting is better. This reframe makes physical and emotional wellness more achievable, for kids as it is for adults. But sometimes, in an effort to get “healthy,” people of all ages develop behaviors that are anything but. This episode opens with our what’s in and what’s out list for 2025 – far more fun than standard resolutions – and offers tips for ident...

One week ago, Los Angeles erupted in flames. Firestorms engulfed entire communities on both the east and west sides of town. Thousands have been displaced, losing not just their homes but their schools, parks, and community gathering spots. In this episode, we cover how to prepare for emergencies – not just the physical items you need to have at the ready, but also the conversations to be had with...

In the evolving narrative around motherhood and work, our guest, Neha Ruch, founder of Mother Untitled and author of The Power Pause, is on the frontlines. She emphasizes the diverse choices women make regarding career pauses for family life, highlighting the tradeoff of foregoing one’s professional identity for a period with more time spent with our children. We cover everything from the primacy...

Kids have different learning styles, sometimes to the pride (or frustration) of their parents. They also have different learning modes, that can shift and change even throughout the day. Journalist Jenny Anderson and education researcher Rebecca Winthrop have created a framework to understand why kids become disengaged learners or unhappy achievers, and how the adults in their lives can help to re...

Handling complicated sibling dynamics while managing the adolescent years can be a heavy lift. Having kids at different stages of puberty, not to mention the impact of mood swings on the family, can require very careful navigating. Luckily Dr. Corinna Tucker who specializes in the science of sibling relationships, guests on the podcast to help with all these tricky questions. Show Notes: Join our...

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: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP  Go to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code AWKWARD to receive UP TO $300 off air purifiers Go to...

Nick Kroll – the comedian, actor and Big Mouth creator – sits down for an honest, authentic conversation about what life was like as someone late to the puberty party. Nick offers a window into how developing and growing later than his peers affected him in both good and hard ways throughout his life. This is a great episode to listen to with a late bloomer in your life! Show Notes: Join our LESS...

Parents juggle so many decisions about their kids’ health – from preventive ones (Should they get that vaccine?) to urgent ones (Do we need to go to the Emergency Room?!) There’s not a singular approach, but pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman has a lot to say about how to make the best decisions for your family. Show Notes: Join our LESS AWKWARD MEMBERSHIP  Go to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code...

Telling kids to “suck it up” doesn’t translate into resilient, emotionally healthy kids. But in one of our recent viral videos on our @less.awkward Instagram account, many commenters still espouse that very approach – kids are soft these days; they have toughen up; you’re raising snowflakes; you’re kid isn’t going to be able to cope in the real world… This episode explores the research showing why...

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 N...

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...

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 informati...

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 wri...

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 Not...