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MONDAY, MAY 25, 2026 · MINED FROM 131 PODCASTS

May 25 · Consoling the victim stops toddler hitting

Good morning.Processing a toddler's feelings after they hit often accidentally rewards the bad behavior.

Parenting coach Lisa Bunnage argues that deep emotional discussions after a toddler hits actually reward the aggression with attention. Instead, her framework requires a single firm refusal, immediate removal from the situation, and shifting all parental focus to consoling the victim.

Little kids pick

Discussing emotions immediately after a hit inadvertently rewards the aggressor with attention. Consoling the victim instead shifts the reward away from the misbehavior.

Discipline

Immediate separation for toddler hitting

When a toddler hits, say 'no' once, immediately remove them from the situation, and console the victim instead of discussing the hitter's feelings.

Why it matters: Modern parenting often emphasizes processing emotions, which can inadvertently reward aggressive actions with parental attention.

▾ Show more ▴ Show less

For: Parents of toddlers exhibiting aggressive behavior like hitting.

“When they're acting bad just say no and then have a consequence... remove the fun from them... and then console the victim. Parents tend to want to discuss all the bad behavior... that's ridiculous.”

Approach Discussing big feelings after a hit rewards the aggressor with attention; consoling the victim shifts the reward away from the misbehavior.

Discipline Errors Toddler Parents Make · May 19, 2026

▶ Listen

Big kids pick

Arguing about study habits creates defensiveness. Stating plainly that their current method isn't working aligns you with their goals while forcing a strategic pivot.

Communication

Academic intervention conversation script

When a teen insists they know how to study despite failing grades, align with their goals by saying, 'what you're doing isn't working.'

Why it matters: Teens often care about their grades but lack the tools to improve, masking their frustration with defensiveness.

Dr. Lisa Damour · Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

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For: Parents of teens who are defensive about their poor test grades.

“I think that the first overture is to say, hey, buddy, you want to be doing well on the tests... And then when the kid's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it. My favorite line that I use clinically is to say, well, but what you're doing isn't working.”

Approach Arguing with a teen about their study habits creates defensiveness; stating plainly that their current method is failing forces a pivot without a fight.

272: Why Is My Teen Bombing Tests? · May 19, 2026

Today's Parenting Tips

Actionable advice distilled from this week's parenting podcasts.

Discipline

Immediate separation for toddler hitting

When a toddler hits, say 'no' once, immediately remove them from the situation, and console the victim instead of discussing the hitter's feelings.

Why it matters: Modern parenting often emphasizes processing emotions, which can inadvertently reward aggressive actions with parental attention.

▾ Show more ▴ Show less

For: Parents of toddlers exhibiting aggressive behavior like hitting.

“When they're acting bad just say no and then have a consequence... remove the fun from them... and then console the victim. Parents tend to want to discuss all the bad behavior... that's ridiculous.”

Approach Discussing big feelings after a hit rewards the aggressor with attention; consoling the victim shifts the reward away from the misbehavior.

Discipline Errors Toddler Parents Make · May 19, 2026

▶ Listen

Communication

Academic intervention conversation script

When a teen insists they know how to study despite failing grades, align with their goals by saying, 'what you're doing isn't working.'

Why it matters: Teens often care about their grades but lack the tools to improve, masking their frustration with defensiveness.

Dr. Lisa Damour · Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

▾ Show more ▴ Show less

For: Parents of teens who are defensive about their poor test grades.

“I think that the first overture is to say, hey, buddy, you want to be doing well on the tests... And then when the kid's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it. My favorite line that I use clinically is to say, well, but what you're doing isn't working.”

Approach Arguing with a teen about their study habits creates defensiveness; stating plainly that their current method is failing forces a pivot without a fight.

272: Why Is My Teen Bombing Tests? · May 19, 2026

Emotional Regulation

Allowing discomfort during OCD resistance

When your child successfully resists an OCD compulsion, allow them to sit with the resulting anxiety rather than trying to fix their discomfort.

Why it matters: Fixing a child's discomfort after they resist a compulsion accidentally replaces the original compulsion with parental reassurance.

Natasha Daniels, child therapist · AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

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For: Parents supporting children through Exposure Response Prevention therapy

“we don't fix the discomfort because that's actually where the treatment is we don't fix the discomfort because that's where the recovery is... learning how to navigate discomfort is the goal”

Approach Parents naturally want to soothe their child's distress, but in OCD recovery, the distress itself is the medicine.

When Parents Become the “OCD Police” (And What to Do Instead) · May 19, 2026

Communication

Low-Pressure Reconnection Venues

When trying to rebuild a relationship with an older child, suggest a walk or a drive rather than dinner to remove eye-contact pressure.

Why it matters: Traditional sit-down dinners can backfire when tension is high, causing teens to withdraw further.

Dr. Kathy Koch, PhD in educational psychology · Raising Boys & Girls

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For: Parents experiencing conflict or distance with older teens or young adults

“A lot of kids don't like the dinner table or the restaurant table because you have to stare at each other. They'd rather talk in the dark... They'd rather drive because they can't make eye contact.”

Approach Direct eye contact can feel confrontational to a defensive teen; side-by-side activities lower their guard and encourage vulnerability.

Episode 377: The Power of Family and Staying Connected Through Adulthood with Dr. Kathy Koch · May 21, 2026

Communication

Question-Based Teen Conversations

Instead of delivering lectures to correct behavior, ask your teen challenging questions that force them to mentally process and defend their own viewpoints.

Why it matters: Lectures often cause teens to shut down, whereas intellectual challenges respect their developing autonomy and critical thinking skills.

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For: Parents struggling to communicate with defensive or withdrawn teens.

“She asks me challenging questions and challenges me and that's what I enjoy about it... It causes the gears to start turning in my mind and I get intrigued and I start just... I think through it.”

Approach Parents often lecture to impart wisdom, but teens are actually more engaged and receptive when forced to defend their own logic.

Teen Stories: Longing to Belong · May 19, 2026

▶ Listen

Communication

Transitioning from teaching to training

When a child hits age 13, shift your parenting style from lecturing to asking questions to help them apply the tools you've already taught them.

Why it matters: At age 13, children transition into a broader world of imperfection and need to learn how to navigate it using their own judgment.

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For: Parents of newly minted teenagers (13-year-olds).

“You got to move from this teaching model... to start training them. You have less lectures and more discussions. You quit giving answers and start asking questions.”

Approach Parents often continue lecturing teens as if they are young children, but adolescents require a coaching approach that asks questions to build critical thinking.

I Mustache Mark a Question: Self-Esteem, Scary Shows and Communication Struggles · May 22, 2026

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Emotional Regulation

Frustration Tolerance Prerequisite

To cultivate genuine gratitude in your children, you must first allow them to practice wanting an item and not receiving it.

Why it matters: Children accustomed to instant gratification experience a survival-like panic when they cannot immediately acquire what they want.

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For: Parents frustrated by their children's constant requests for more items.

“Gratitude only comes after the tolerance of frustration. If my kid isn't used to wanting and not having... then our frustration crowds out the gratitude.”

Approach We treat gratitude as a baseline expectation, but it is actually a secondary skill that can only emerge once a child masters frustration tolerance.

EMERGENCY Squishy Drop · May 23, 2026

▶ Listen

Relationships

The Guinea Pig Admission

Diffuse tension over past parenting mistakes by acknowledging to your older child that they were your guinea pig and you did your best.

Why it matters: Parents often judge their past decisions using their current wisdom, leading to unnecessary guilt and defensive communication.

Dr. Kathy Koch, PhD in educational psychology · Raising Boys & Girls

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For: Parents navigating resentment from older teens or adult children

“And you say to your kid, hey, you're the guinea pig. You've always been our guinea pig. You know, and we did what we thought was right. And we're so sad to know that you felt that it was not right.”

Approach Owning your lack of experience when they were younger validates their feelings without requiring you to carry inappropriate guilt.

Episode 377: The Power of Family and Staying Connected Through Adulthood with Dr. Kathy Koch · May 21, 2026

Emotional Regulation

Silent proximity for grieving teenagers

When a grieving child isolates in their room, sit quietly outside their closed door instead of forcing a conversation to fix their pain.

Why it matters: Adolescents often withdraw during intense grief or crisis, leaving parents unsure of how to maintain connection without violating boundaries.

Alena Pitts Franklin · Raising Boys & Girls

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For: Parents of grieving or highly distressed teenagers

“I think about some of the darkest moments and my dad just being on the other side of the door that I had closed, like just sitting there, just resting there, waiting.”

Approach Parents often feel the need to swoop in and fix their children's pain with words, but silent, steady proximity is sometimes the most powerful support.

Episode 376: Helping Teenagers and Young Adults Find Their True Identity and Capabilities with Alena Pitts Franklin · May 19, 2026

Emotional Regulation

Window of presence boundary

If you feel yourself about to react in a way that violates your values, you have left your "window of presence" and must pause.

Why it matters: Recognizing the physical threshold of dysregulation allows parents to step away before causing relational damage.

Celia Bray, psychologist and somatic therapist · Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

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For: Parents prone to yelling or shutting down during high-stress parenting moments.

“when we start to notice ourselves get into the point when we get really anxious or where it's going to control our actions and we're going to do something outside of our value system we know we're outside of our window”

Approach Reframing a loss of temper not as a moral failure, but as a physiological exit from your "window of presence" that requires a physical reset.

TPP 504: Celia Bray on Staying Anchored in an Intense World · May 19, 2026

Emotional Regulation

The lilted tone tantrum response

Completely ignore a toddler's tantrum, and the moment they finish, use a lilted, friendly tone to ask if they want to read a book.

Why it matters: Parents often match their child's frustration, which escalates the situation and gives the toddler emotional control.

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For: Parents dealing with frequent toddler tantrums.

“So when you're dealing with tantrums, you completely ignore them. As soon as they're finished, you say, oh, y'all done? Do you want to go read a book? See my tone?... Put a little bit of a lilt in your voice.”

Approach Using a lilted tone immediately after a tantrum proves to the child that their outburst did not successfully manipulate your emotional state.

Discipline Errors Toddler Parents Make · May 19, 2026

▶ Listen

Emotional Regulation

The leg-cling ignore technique

If your toddler whines and clings to your leg while you do chores, state what you are doing and then completely ignore the clinging behavior.

Why it matters: Parents often feel guilty doing chores, but toddlers need to learn independent play.

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For: Parents of toddlers who demand constant physical attention.

“If she comes in and starts whining, I would just walk around with her stuck on my leg... just pretend you don't even notice she's there. She's got to learn that she cannot pull you into her orb.”

Approach Acknowledging the clinging often reinforces it; ignoring the physical demand teaches the child they cannot control your movements.

Discipline Errors Toddler Parents Make · May 19, 2026

▶ Listen

Communication

The BRIEF conversation framework

When discussing sensitive topics with tweens, use the BRIEF method: Begin peacefully, Relate, Interview for data, Echo what you hear, and provide Feedback last.

Why it matters: Tweens are separating from parents and developing their own language, requiring a shift from lecturing to collaborative communication.

Michelle Icard · Raising Good Humans

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For: Parents of middle schoolers

“So it begins with the letter B for brief and B stands for begin peacefully. And what I mean by that is rather than thinking, okay, I have a few seconds, I need to dive in the deep end here.”

Deodorant, Porn, and Nudes: How to Actually Talk to Your Tween About the Hard Stuff · May 22, 2026

Emotional Regulation

The Mom Guilt Equation

When you feel guilt, use Dr. Jennifer Reed's equation—subtract your actual behavior from your situational expectations—to pinpoint exactly where the feeling originates.

Why it matters: Understanding the gap between expectation and reality helps depersonalize the guilt so you can address the root cause instead of spiraling.

Dr. Jennifer Reed · No Guilt Mom | Overcoming Mom Guilt, Parenting Tips, & Self Care for Moms

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For: Parents experiencing frequent guilt over their reactions or parenting choices.

“The mom guilt equation is basically taking the expectations for the situation and subtracting it from your actual behavior. And that difference, that is how much guilt shows up.”

Approach Guilt isn't a random punishment; it's a measurable gap between who you want to be and how you're actually behaving in a specific moment.

Why You Keep Yelling Even When You Promised Yourself You’d Stop · May 21, 2026

Emotional Regulation

Ignoring Verbal Manipulation

When a child says 'I hate you' or threatens to run away, ignore the bait and respond with a bored 'whatever' to remove their power.

Why it matters: Children use extreme statements to test their parents' emotional reactions; staying neutral establishes the parent as an unbothered leader.

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For: Parents of young children testing boundaries with hurtful words

“If she packs up, say, well, you can pack up your clothes, but you're too young to go out on your own... don't say, well, I love you and all that stuff. Then she would be winning.”

Approach Parents often try to connect or show hurt when a child lashes out verbally, but this validates the behavior by giving the child the control they seek.

The Secret to Raising Polite (But Confident) Children · May 21, 2026

▶ Listen

Education

Active retrieval study method

Instead of letting your teen reread notes, teach them to write potential test questions and answer them without looking at the material.

Why it matters: High school tests require applying concepts in new ways, making middle school memorization tactics obsolete.

Dr. Lisa Damour · Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

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For: Parents of high schoolers struggling with test preparation.

“you have to actually test memory in order to make memories... students need to write the questions they think will be on the test... and then they have to try to generate it without looking at any of their notes”

Approach Rereading and highlighting feel productive but are the least effective ways to study; true retention requires the friction of active recall.

272: Why Is My Teen Bombing Tests? · May 19, 2026

Communication

Reverse-engineered departure schedules

Use a whiteboard to write your flight time at the top, then work backward with your child to estimate and schedule each departure step.

Why it matters: Rushing out the door spikes cortisol for the whole family; visual backward-planning creates shared expectations.

Debbie Reber · Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

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For: Parents managing stressful travel departure mornings with children

“I would write at the top what time, for example, the plane was leaving. And then I would write down below that, what time do we need to be at the gate? And I would do this with Asher.”

Approach Collaboratively estimating travel times builds executive function skills while securing the child's buy-in for a stressful transition.

TPP 375a: How Can Our Family Navigate Vacations When They Throw Off My Child's Need for Routine · May 22, 2026

Special Needs

Visual vacation itineraries

Create a simple printed document with pictures of your destination and a rough morning-to-evening flow, leaving open windows for your child's preferred activities.

Why it matters: Travel disrupts the predictable routines that help neurodivergent children stay regulated.

Debbie Reber · Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

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For: Parents of neurodivergent children who rely on routine

“I made like a PDF that I printed out and it was like a day by day, very detailed, but not so detailed that it was hard to engage with. But it had pictures of where we were going.”

Approach Over-scheduling vacations backfires with neurodivergent children; a visual guide with built-in downtime provides predictability without pressure.

TPP 375a: How Can Our Family Navigate Vacations When They Throw Off My Child's Need for Routine · May 22, 2026

Emotional Regulation

Pre-trip stressor brainstorming

Ask your child about specific travel worries—like unfamiliar bathrooms or strange food—and look up hotel menus or pack specific comforts together.

Why it matters: Addressing specific sensory and environmental concerns before a trip prevents meltdowns upon arrival.

Debbie Reber · Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

▾ Show more ▴ Show less

For: Parents of anxious or neurodivergent children preparing for travel

“identify what are those potential stressors? What are the concerns that you might have ahead of time? And they might be things, again, that completely aren't on your radar, but It might be things like I'm really concerned about what the bathrooms are going to be like”

Approach Children's travel anxieties often center on hyper-specific sensory details adults overlook, like bathroom layouts or coat textures.

TPP 375a: How Can Our Family Navigate Vacations When They Throw Off My Child's Need for Routine · May 22, 2026

Discipline

The problem with discipline countdowns

Counting to three when a toddler misbehaves teaches them that they have three free seconds to continue the bad behavior without consequence.

Why it matters: Parents often use countdowns to avoid immediate conflict, which delays accountability.

▾ Show more ▴ Show less

For: Parents of toddlers using countdowns for discipline.

“They'll keep kicking for those three counts and then they break... there's no consequence for it. All they've learned is I can be rotten and mean for three counts.”

Approach Countdowns are a staple of modern parenting, but they inadvertently sanction short-term misbehavior rather than stopping it immediately.

Discipline Errors Toddler Parents Make · May 19, 2026

▶ Listen

By Stage

What each age group needs this week — patterns across multiple shows.

Teen Communication

The End of the Face-to-Face Lecture

Experts are urging parents of adolescents to abandon direct, eye-to-eye lectures. Instead, practitioners recommend side-by-side activities to lower defenses, coupled with challenging questions that force the teen to defend their own logic rather than passively receiving parental wisdom.

Toddler Discipline

Neutralizing the Audience Effect

A clear consensus is forming around removing parental attention as a currency for dysregulated toddlers. Whether dealing with physical clinging, verbal threats, or full-blown tantrums, coaches advise completely ignoring the behavior in the moment and re-engaging with a friendly tone only after the nervous system resets.

Neurodivergent Travel

Hyper-Specific Pre-Trip Anchoring

Traveling disrupts the predictability neurodivergent children rely on. To prevent vacation meltdowns, specialists suggest building visual daily itineraries with built-in downtime and explicitly brainstorming sensory stressors before leaving home.

Expert Corner

When the psychologists and pediatricians weigh in with specifics.

Gratitude Requires Frustration

Dr. Becky notes that gratitude is a secondary skill that cannot emerge until a child first masters frustration tolerance. If a kid is not accustomed to wanting an item and not having it, their panic crowds out any capacity for thankfulness.

Source

The Window of Presence

Psychologist Celia Bray frames losing your temper not as a moral failure, but as a physiological exit from your window of presence. Recognizing this physical threshold allows caregivers to step away and reset before causing relational damage.

Source

Real Talk

Honest moments from the mic — the stuff that made us nod along.

The Guinea Pig Admission

Dr. Kathy Koch suggests defusing tension with older children by simply acknowledging they were your first draft. Owning your lack of experience when they were younger validates their resentment without requiring you to carry inappropriate guilt today.

Source

Quantifying the Guilt

Dr. Jennifer Reed offers a mathematical approach to spiraling emotions: subtract your actual behavior from your situational expectations. That exact difference is where the guilt lives, changing it from a random punishment into a measurable gap.

Source

From the Conversations

BratBusters Parenting Podcast

The problem with discipline countdowns

Discipline Errors Toddler Parents Make

May 19, 2026 · 23m · 4quotes pulled

“They'll keep kicking for those three counts and then they break... there's no consequence for it. All they've learned is I can be rotten and mean for three counts.”

Lisa Bunnage
▶ Listen

Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

Reverse-engineered departure schedules

TPP 375a: How Can Our Family Navigate Vacations When They Throw Off My Child's Need for Routine

May 22, 2026 · 23m · 3quotes pulled

“I would write at the top what time, for example, the plane was leaving. And then I would write down below that, what time do we need to be at the gate? And I would do this with Asher.”

Debbie Reber

Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

Academic intervention conversation script

272: Why Is My Teen Bombing Tests?

May 19, 2026 · 35m · 2quotes pulled

“I think that the first overture is to say, hey, buddy, you want to be doing well on the tests... And then when the kid's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it. My favorite line that I use clinically is to say, well, but what you're doing isn't working.”

Dr. Lisa Damour

Sources

  • BratBusters Parenting Podcast

    Discipline Errors Toddler Parents Make

    #169 In this episode, Lisa discusses her thoughts on toddler discipline. She covers four things toddlers may do, three common discipline methods she doesn’t recommend for toddlers, consistent corrective actions, the importance of patience, and navigating the unknown of parenting. Lastly, Lisa addresses four listener questions, strategies for managing a 17-month-old whining, approaching teeth brushing for a 20-month-old, the challenges of balancing a toddler and a baby and how to respon...

    ▶ Listen
  • Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

    272: Why Is My Teen Bombing Tests?

    Your teen does everything right. Homework done. Pays attention. Stays organized. Has study skills. And still struggles with tests. ​​Sound familiar? You're not alone, and this is not your kid's fault. In this episode of “Ask Lisa,” clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan dig into one of the most frustrating and confusing problems parents face: the capable, motivated teen who just can't seem to perform on assessments.  Drawing on the science of learning and memory, Lisa explains exactly why this happens, what's actually going on in your teen's brain, and how you can help without turning study time into a battleground. 💡 YOU'LL LEARN: - Why being great at class has almost nothing to do with being great at tests - Why the transition to high school catches so many teens (especially boys) off guard - The study habits that feel productive but actually don't work (and what to do instead) - A step-by-step approach to starting the study skills conversation with your teen - Why your teen probably won't take your advice, and who they will actually listen to - How to broker the right kind of help so your kid feels supported, not managed Whether your teen is heading into finals, is making the jump to high school, or has been struggling for a while, this episode gives you real, research-backed tools to help them turn things around. BOOK: Outsmart Your Brain by Daniel T. Willingham, PhD ________________ Today's Sponsors: Task Rabbit: Get fifteen dollars off your first task using promo code ASKLISA with the Taskrabbit app or at https://www.taskrabbit.com. Donors Choose: Have your gift matched today at ⁠https://www.donorschoose.org/asklisa⁠. iRestore: Receive discounts on their red light therapy devices at https://www.irestore.com/ Children&Screens: Check out Screen Deep wherever you listen to podcasts. ________________  GET DR. DAMOUR'S FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER Guidance, strategies, and tips delivered straight to your inbox → ⁠https://drlisadamour.com/sign-up-for-my-newsletter/⁠  DR. DAMOUR'S BESTSELLING BOOKS - Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood – ⁠https://bit.ly/UntangledBook⁠ - Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls – ⁠https://bit.ly/UnderPressuretheBook⁠ - The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents – ⁠https://a.co/d/cbOmTKp⁠  UNTANGLING 10TO20 MEMBERSHIP Premium courses & resources for teens and the adults who care for them → ⁠https://lnkd.in/gr52MB-F⁠  VISIT DR. LISA'S WEBSITE → ⁠https://drlisadamour.com/⁠ ________________ Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens is the essential podcast for parents seeking expert guidance, tested strategies, and psychological insights on raising kids, especially tweens and teens. Join renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and former journalist and mom of two Reena Ninan as they explore real-life parenting challenges.  Looking to learn more about how to boost kids’ resilience, build their confidence, or support their emotional well-being? Dr. Lisa and Reena have got you covered! Together they address listener questions about stress, anxiety, social media concerns, school pressures, and challenges in peer relationships. Each episode provides practical advice and science-backed solutions to help parents raise resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy kids. Tune in every week for the latest topics in parenting, child psychology, and family wellness. Get answers to your most pressing parenting questions. New episodes drop every Tuesday. ________________ Episode keywords: teen failing tests, why does my teen bomb tests, high school test anxiety, how to study for tests teen, teen study skills, freshman year grades dropping, teaching teens how to study, teen not studying right, middle school to high school transition, test prep tips teens, retrieval practice teens, teen homework vs test grades, boys falling behind school Podcast keywords: ask lisa podcast, dr lisa damour, reena ninan, psychology, parenting, podcast, teens, tweens, parenting teens, parenting tweens, teen parenting, tween parenting, parenting tips, parenting advice, positive parenting, parenting podcast, teen behavior, tween challenges, raising tweens, raising teens, parenting hacks, parenting help, family dynamics, kids podcast, mental health, teen mental health, attachment styles, emotional intelligence

  • AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

    When Parents Become the “OCD Police” (And What to Do Instead)

    <p>Watching our kids struggle with OCD can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and emotionally draining. When we understand OCD and begin recognizing compulsions more clearly, many of us naturally shift from accommodating behaviors… to hyper-focusing on every compulsion, reassurance loop, and avoidance pattern.</p><p>This is what I call becoming the “OCD police.”</p><p>In this episode, I explore how parents can unintentionally move from helping to over-monitoring, constantly pointing out compulsions, questioning behaviors, and trying to control OCD at every turn. While this often comes from a place of deep love and fear, hypervigilance can damage trust, increase shame, and create communication breakdowns.</p><p>I discuss why becoming the OCD police can backfire, how it may cause kids to hide symptoms or shut down, and why managing OCD isn’t about catching every compulsion.</p><p>Most importantly, I break down what to do instead.</p><p>You’ll learn how to shift from policing to coaching, how to prioritize the compulsions that involve you, when to push, when to pause, and how to build skills without sacrificing connection.</p><p>If you are a parent who feels stuck between accommodating and over-correcting, this episode will help you find the middle ground that truly supports healing.</p><h2><br></h2><h2>Resources Discussed on Episode:</h2><p>When to Push and When to Pause</p><p><a href="http://www.childocdtherapist.com/power-of-the-pause/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> www.childocdtherapist.com/power-of-the-pause/</a></p><p>SPACE Study Course</p><p><a href="http://www.atparentingsurvivalseries.com/space/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> www.atparentingsurvivalseries.com/space/</a></p><p>AT Parenting Community</p><p><a href="http://www.atparentingcommunity.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> www.atparentingcommunity.com</a></p><p>Pulling Back OCD Accommodations</p><p><a href="http://www.childocdtherapist.com/pulling-back-ocd-accommodations/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> www.childocdtherapist.com/pulling-back-ocd-accommodations/</a></p><p>Trust and Communication</p><p><a href="http://www.childocdtherapist.com/trust-and-communication/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> www.childocdtherapist.com/trust-and-communication/</a></p><p>How to Help Kids with Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors</p><p><a href="http://www.childocdtherapist.com/how-to-address-picking-and-pulling-behaviors/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> www.childocdtherapist.com/how-to-address-picking-and-pulling-behaviors/</a></p><p>***</p><p>This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to</p><p><a href="https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting</a></p><br><p>This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.</p><br><p>Parents, do you need more support?&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p>🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️</p><br><p>Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:</p><p><a href="https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com</a></p><br><p>Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):</p><p><a href="https://atparentingcommunity.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://atparentingcommunity.com</a></p><br><p>Take one of my FREE webinars:</p><p><a href="https://www.natashadaniels.com/webinars" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars</a></p><br><p>Check out my books:&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.natashadaniels.com/books" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.Natashadaniels.com/books</a></p><br><p><strong>🌸 Other social places I hang out:</strong></p><br><p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival&nbsp;</a></p><p><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival</a></p><p><a href="http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival</a></p><p><a href="http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

  • Raising Boys & Girls

    Episode 377: The Power of Family and Staying Connected Through Adulthood with Dr. Kathy Koch

    Dr. Kathy Koch joins Sissy Goff and David Thomas to discuss the growing challenges facing today’s young adults and families, especially around resilience, identity, technology, and relationships between parents and adult children. Dr. Kathy explains how overparenting, screen dependence, fear of failure, and endless choices have contributed to anxiety, lack of perseverance, and “failure to launch” struggles, while also offering hope through intentional connection, healthy boundaries, faith, and small relational repairs. She encourages parents to stop leading from guilt, help kids practice making decisions and asking for help, create healthier technology rhythms, and focus on rebuilding trust and communication one step at a time. Resources mentioned: Celebrate Kids Resolve Conflict and Find Peace and Hope with Adult Children: Strategies and Conversations that Work by Dr. Kathy Koch Five to Thrive: How to Determine If Your Core Needs Are Being Met (and What to Do When They're Not) by Dr. Kathy Koch Resilient Kids: Raising Them to Embrace Life with Confidence by Dr. Kathy Koch 8 Great Smarts: Discover and Nurture Your Child's Intelligences by Dr. Kathy Koch Summit Ministries Impact 360 Institute . . . . . .  Sign up to receive the⁠ bi-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monthly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Pre-order our new book, Capable and grab tickets for Capable - The Book Tour here! See our speaking dates, purchase books and check out our courses here.. . . . . .  If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise With Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form. QUINCE: Go to ⁠Quince.com/rbg⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. BOLL & BRANCH: Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at Bollandbranch.com/rbg⁠. Exclusions apply. SHOPIFY: Go to https://tinyurl.com/RBGShopify to learn more about Shopify! LEGACY BOX: Legacybox is running their Mother’s Day sale and they’re also offering an additional $10 off your order. Visit Legacybox.com and use discount code: RBG GO MINNO: Visit GoMinno.com to get a one month FREE TRIAL using code: RBG WAYFAIR: Get organized, refreshed, and ready for the holidays for way less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. CASPER: Save up to 30% on mattresses and up to 35% on everything else when you go to casper.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Parenting Today's Teens

    Teen Stories: Longing to Belong

    <p>Every teen craves a sense of belonging — sometimes even more than they realize. In this episode, Mark sits down with two Heartlight residents who share how they faced isolation, family struggles, depression and choices that spiraled out of control. Both girls describe growing up in families where connection with a parent felt out of reach, whether lost in busyness or overshadowed by life&#39;s upheavals. Their stories reveal a deep longing to be seen, invited in and truly known. Tune in as they reflect on how those missing connections shaped their struggles, and how open conversations are paving the way to hope.</p><p>Want to learn more about Heartlight? Go to heartlightministries.org today!</p><p>Parenting Today&#39;s Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org.</p>

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  • Parenting Today's Teens

    I Mustache Mark a Question: Self-Esteem, Scary Shows and Communication Struggles

    <p>On today’s episode, Mark tackles some more real struggles parents face with their teens — from communication breakdowns and self-esteem issues to handling bad influences and tough questions about when scary shows are age-appropriate. He shares actionable strategies to build stronger connections, shift from lecturing to listening and create an environment where teens feel understood, not judged. Remember, it’s all about building relationships, asking the right questions and meeting your teens where they are.</p><p>Have a potential question for the show? Send it in to Mark at markgregston.com!</p><p>Parenting Today&#39;s Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org.</p>

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  • Good Inside with Dr. Becky

    EMERGENCY Squishy Drop

    Dr. Becky has a close call with fidget toys.

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  • Raising Boys & Girls

    Episode 376: Helping Teenagers and Young Adults Find Their True Identity and Capabilities with Alena Pitts Franklin

    In this episode, Elina Franklin shares how grief, faith, and family shaped her understanding of capability and identity. She reflects on her early acting role in War Room, the loss of her mother Winter Pitts, and how God’s steadiness carried her through seasons of fear, insecurity, and growth. Throughout the episode, Elina encourages parents to lead with peace, encouragement, and authentic faith rather than fear, while reminding girls that their identity is rooted in God’s love instead of culture, achievement, or comparison. She also discusses her new book God Is, her ongoing work with For Girls Like You Ministries, and her passion for helping girls discover confidence, purpose, and resilience through a relationship with God. Resources mentioned: War Room God Is ― A Devotional for Teen Girls & Young Women: 60 Days of Learning Who God Is to Understand Who We Are by Alena Franklin and Priscilla Shirer For Girls Like You Ministries  All Eyes on Lena Box Set by Alena Pitts and Wynter Pitts . . . . . .  Sign up to receive the⁠ bi-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠monthly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep up to date with where David and Sissy are speaking, where they are taco'ing, PLUS conversation starters for you and your family to share! Pre-order our new book, Capable and grab tickets for Capable - The Book Tour here! See our speaking dates, purchase books and check out our courses here.. . . . . .  If you would like to partner with Raising Boys and Girls as a podcast sponsor, fill out our⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Advertise With Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ form. QUINCE: Go to ⁠Quince.com/rbg⁠ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. BOLL & BRANCH: Get 15% off plus free shipping on your first set of sheets at Bollandbranch.com/rbg⁠. Exclusions apply. SHOPIFY: Go to https://tinyurl.com/RBGShopify to learn more about Shopify! LEGACY BOX: Legacybox is running their Mother’s Day sale and they’re also offering an additional $10 off your order. Visit Legacybox.com and use discount code: RBG GO MINNO: Visit GoMinno.com to get a one month FREE TRIAL using code: RBG OUR PLACE: Stop cooking with toxic cookware, and upgrade to Our Place today. Visit fromourplace.com/RBG and use code RBG for 10% off sitewide. HIYA HEALTH: Visit hiyahealth.com/RBG to get 50% off your first order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

    TPP 504: Celia Bray on Staying Anchored in an Intense World

    Today we’re exploring what it means to reconnect with our bodies and how that can transform not just our emotional health, but our parenting and relationships as well, with Celia Bray, a psychologist, somatic therapist, and the award-winning author of Inscribed: Your Body’s Hidden Script. In our conversation, Celia shares her own journey from disconnection to what she calls somatic mastery, and why learning to tune into our body’s signals can be such a powerful guide for decision-making and regulation. We talk about simple, accessible practices parents can begin using right away, and how developing this awareness can shift how we show up—for ourselves and for our kids—with more presence, clarity, and ease.  About Celia Bray Celia Bray is a psychologist, somatic therapist, and award-winning author of Inscribed – Your Body’s Hidden Script. With over 20 years’ experience, she has lived and worked internationally across Australia, India, Kenya, and beyond, blending psychology with embodied healing practices. Celia is the founder of Somatic Psychology International, where she supports people to unlock the wisdom written in their bodies so they can heal, grow, and live authentically. She also facilitates Open Floor Movement, Therapy in Motion, and Family Constellations, empowering individuals and communities to reconnect with their freedom and joy. Things you'll learn from this episode How Celia Bray’s personal journey from emotional suppression to somatic healing informs her work Why Gestalt therapy’s focus on present-moment, body-based awareness can be so transformative How trauma and emotional experiences are held in the body—and how somatic practices can support release and integration How simple practices like “Landing in the Body” build awareness and reconnect us with our internal cues Why resistance to body awareness is common, especially within certain cultural contexts, and how to navigate it How somatic work can influence parenting, decision-making, and emotional resilience, and where to begin exploring it Resources mentioned Celia Bray Somatic Psychology Celia Bray’s YouTube Channel Inscribed–Your Body’s Hidden Script: Decode Your Body’s Wisdom for Emotional Healing, Wise Choices, and the Path to an Awesome Life by Celia Bray Pat Ogden’s Sensory Motor Therapy — For further somatic therapy practices Trauma-Informed Yoga — Explore gentle body-based trauma release Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • Raising Good Humans

    Deodorant, Porn, and Nudes: How to Actually Talk to Your Tween About the Hard Stuff

    What if the reason the hardest conversations with your middle schooler keep going badly isn't the topic — it's that we keep starting them like a lecture? This episode is for any parent who has braced themselves to "have the talk" about porn, dating, nudes, or consent and watched their kid mentally exit the room before the second sentence. I'm joined by Michele Icard, parenting expert and author of Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen: The Essential Conversations You Need to Have with Your Kids Before They Start High School.  What you'll learn: Why most thorny conversations go wrong before they start, and the BRIEF model that fixes it. Why shame is the wrong tool.  What you might be missing about middle school dating, consent, and touch hunger.  The throughline of the whole conversation is practice. These aren't talks you nail on the first try, and the goal isn't a single perfect conversation — it's becoming fluent enough at curiosity that you stop needing an agenda at all.  Great Wolf Lodge: Bring your pack together at a Lodge near you. Learn more at GreatWolf.com Tumble: Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at Tumbleliving.com/HUMANS Merit Beauty: It's time for your makeup and skincare to meet the reality of your daily routine with Merit Beauty.comMyPhone by Ooma: Safe calling with parental controls. Go to ooma.com/myphone to shop phones and learn more.

  • No Guilt Mom | Overcoming Mom Guilt, Parenting Tips, & Self Care for Moms

    Why You Keep Yelling Even When You Promised Yourself You’d Stop

    New here? Start with our Start Here playlist — five episodes that will change how you think about motherhood This is Part 1 of the Yelling Series — three episodes all about why you yell, how to stop it in the moment, and what to do after it happens. You promised yourself today would be different. And then it happened again. If you’re stuck in the yelling cycle — the yell, the guilt, the promise to do better, repeat — this episode is for you. JoAnn breaks down what’s actually driving the yelling (hint: it’s not anger, and it’s not a character flaw) and gives you the first tool in breaking the pattern for good. What you’ll learn: Why knowing better is never enough to stop yelling The meaning problem: what your brain is actually reacting to in the moment Why the guilt spiral after yelling makes the pattern worse, not better How to identify your personal yelling triggers — and what they’re really telling you The 3-question Yelling Audit to do after this episode Next week: Part 2 — the body reset tools you can use in under 60 seconds, even when you can’t leave the room. Remember: the best mom is a happy mom. Take care of you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • BratBusters Parenting Podcast

    The Secret to Raising Polite (But Confident) Children

    #170 In this episode, Lisa discusses her thoughts on raising polite children. She covers what age she would start manners, balancing manners and confidence, building gratitude, and where to start with calm leadership parenting. Lastly, Lisa addresses six listener questions, discussing her approach for teaching genuine manners, how to handle an 8-year-old who is possessive over toys, what to do when a 5-year-old says unkind things to mom, and how to respond to a 4-year-old saying yuck t...

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  • Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

    TPP 375a: How Can Our Family Navigate Vacations When They Throw Off My Child's Need for Routine

    In this Parent Lean-In episode, Debbie answers a listener’s question about how to travel and navigate vacations with a child who is tied to routines. Debbie shares her past experiences and offers tips for pre-trip planning, addressing concerns ahead of time, establishing new routines while traveling, being flexible, using visual aids, and getting the child active and moving, and more.   Resources Mentioned Debbie and 11-year-old Asher on Successful Vacations for Differently Wired Kids (Tilt Parenting podcast) Download a PDF of our Family Goals Worksheet Download a PDF of our Vacation Concerns Worksheet Download a PDF of our Daily Vacation Planner Worksheet Look at our Departure Plan whiteboard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices