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Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life

Dr. Lisa Damour

Parenting a tween or teen? Buckle up. Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life tackles the questions that keep parents up at night — academics, friendships, mental health, screens, meltdowns, and more. Every week, psychologist Lisa Damour teams up with a different expert to answer a real parent"s real question — no fluff, no judgment, just practical, evidence-based advice you can actually use. Dr. Damour and her colleagues also turn their attention to the emotional rollercoaster of raising kids — the

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

38:19

How to Handle Halloween Group Costume Drama | Dr....

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/10/20

Your seventh grader walks in the door in tears because the group chat just made it painfully clear she’s being pushed out (this time, over Halloween costumes), and now you're wondering whether to coach her on what to say or stay quiet so you don't make it worse.Here’s the good news: this is a typical - if painful - experience in middle school and early high school. Friendships and social standing get reshuffled as kids test out independence and figure out where they belong. At the same time, the

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49:33

293: Olympic Mom on How to Keep Club Sports in Check...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/10/13

You're thinking about signing your kid up for a travel-heavy club team with a price tag that makes you wince - and a co-parent who sees the whole thing differently. Might saying yes to club sports support your talented kid while undermining the rest of family life?It's a miserable spot to be in. We don’t want to hold our kids back, but we also worry about what club sports might cost our families in terms of time, money, and togetherness. The good news: our kids are still figuring out who they

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29:11

292: How Pornographic Content Harms Sexual...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/10/06

Right now, a lot of families are thinking about how to talk with their kids — especially their sons — about consent and how sexual partners deserve to be treated. And if you find something graphic on your teen's screen, you face another challenging question: what is this actually teaching my teen, and is it already too late to do something about it?Here's what makes this conversation more important than ever: according to Common Sense Media, 73% of U.S. teens have seen online pornography by age 17

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30:01

291: How Your Kid’s Exclusion Hurts You Too |...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/09/29

Your sobbing middle schooler has just seen a Snapchat of their friend group hanging out without them and feels devastated …and you have no idea whether you should call the other parents, try to help your child cheer up, or just stay out of it.Watching kids be excluded by friends they’ve had for years often leaves parents feeling bewildered, upset, helpless - or all of the above. Feeling angry on your kid’s behalf and wanting to rush to the rescue are completely understandable reactions. But you’ll

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43:37

290: How to Prevent Failure to Launch | Dr. Mark...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/09/22

Perhaps your kid has left college before graduation and seems to be drifting along. Or maybe your high school student doesn’t seem to be “lit up” about anything. If this is your teen, every well-meaning "how's your kid doing?" from a friend can feel like it’s poking at an emotional bruise.Are you worrying too much, or is this actually a problem? Is your kid “failing to launch” or have they simply hit a rough patch? While the answer may not be clear, one thing is: you’re not the only parent losing

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34:18

289: Signs Your Teen is Heading Towards an Eating...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/09/15

Your kid announces they’re cutting out sugar. No cookies or dessert, just carrots and hummus for lunch on repeat. You notice they’ve lost a little weight. And somewhere in the back of your mind, a voice keeps asking: is this fine, or is this not fine?Are you being anxious, or are you being appropriately worried? That in-between space is exhausting. If that’s where you are right now, you’re not overreacting, and you’re not alone. Dr. Kelly Bhatnagar walks us through what actually separates a

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37:18

288: How Do I Help My Disorganized Teen?

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/09/08

You may know this scene: your kid forgot practice gear again, an assignment vanished into the void, and you're wondering if your teen is just disorganized — or is there something more serious going on?That mix of exhaustion and frustration is real. Chasing lost details, worrying that you may have dropped the ball, wondering if you're overreacting to normal middle school or high school organization struggles, or missing something bigger — you're allowed to feel all of that without it meaning you're

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23:53

287: ENCORE: Best of Ask Lisa: Confidence,...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/09/01

If you've ever wondered whether you're doing enough to help your child feel good about themselves, Dr. Lisa Damour has curated her most essential guidance on confidence, self-esteem & self-compassion into one episode for you.This encore “Best of Ask Lisa” compilation offers a research-backed roadmap for raising kids with a solid sense of self-worth — and for parents who want to model that from the inside out. This episode also features conversations with three leading experts: Dr. Tovah Klein, Dr

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48:14

286: ENCORE: Getting into College with Rick Clark

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/08/25

The college admissions process doesn't have to consume your family. If it already feels that way, this episode is exactly what you need.Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan revisit their conversation with Rick Clark, higher education leader, co-author of “The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together,” and a career insider in college admissions at Georgia Tech. Rick has spent years helping families cut through the noise, anxiety, and mythology of the admissions

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32:45

285: ENCORE: How Do I Help My Kid Develop a Work Ethic?

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/08/18

If you've repeatedly asked your kid to help out and they still don’t follow through, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.Dr. Lisa Damour breaks down why nagging doesn't build a work ethic — and what actually does. From linking privileges to responsibilities, to knowing exactly when to step back and let natural consequences do the teaching, this encore episode gives parents of tweens and teens a practical, guilt-free framework for raising kids who can be counted on, without turning every

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47:23

284: ENCORE: Screens, Toxic Stress & Staying...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/08/11

You know screens and social media can be risky for your kid. But do you know exactly what harm looks like… and what actually protects them from it?Dr. Lisa Damour revisits her conversation with Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, pioneering pediatrician, author, and California's first Surgeon General, recorded live at the Common Sense Summit on Kids and Families. A globally recognized expert on Adverse Childhood Experiences and toxic stress, Dr. Burke Harris has spent her career studying what harms children

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23:42

283: ENCORE: Best of Ask Lisa: Friendship Breakups &...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/08/04

Your kid comes home devastated after being left out, dropped, or caught in the middle of a friendship blowup. You may want to help, but don’t know what to say—or whether you should step in at all. Take heart: this episode will help you navigate the situation with confidence.In this encore “Best of Ask Lisa” compilation, Dr. Lisa Damour has curated her most essential guidance on friendship conflict, bullying, and social drama — the stuff that can make the tween and teen years so painful for kids

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37:01

282: ENCORE: How to Help Kids Build a Healthy...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/07/28

If mealtimes in your home feel like a power struggle, or you're exhausted from worrying whether your kid is eating well, this episode will come as a relief.Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan revisit their conversation with Dr. Reshma Shah, a Stanford-affiliated pediatrician, public health expert, and co-author of the award-winning book “Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families.” With over 20 years of experience in academic and clinical pediatrics and a deep commitment to

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42:12

281: ENCORE: Talk to Your Boys: Raising Confident,...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/07/21

If your son is shutting down, pulling away, or turning to the internet to answer questions you wish he'd brought your way, this episode is for you.Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan revisit their conversation with Joanna Schroeder and Christopher Pepper, co-authors of the book “Talk to Your Boys,” to cut through the noise about boys, masculinity, and what's actually happening inside the minds of tween and teen sons.. Joanna brings her background in gender studies and years as Executive Editor of The

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38:20

280: ENCORE: Dream School: How Do You Find the Right...

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/07/14

Is your family stressed, anxious, and fixated on getting your teen into a "dream school"? What if that's the wrong goal entirely? Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan revisit their conversation with Jeff Selingo, bestselling author and higher education expert, to reframe the process of searching for the “right” college. After more than 25 years of studying what actually helps students thrive in college, Jeff has a finding that may surprise you: it’s not where your teen goes to college that matters

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30:40

279: ENCORE: The Summer of Building Independence

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/07/07

If you feel like you're doing too much for your kids — and it’s time for them to do more for themselves — this episode is your roadmap out. Dr. Lisa Damour makes the case for using summer to foster independence in our kids. The summer months provide the perfect window to hand off real responsibilities to your tween or teen in a way that actually sticks. From laundry to cooking dinner to managing their own appointments, this encore episode gives you a practical, step-by-step approach to raising a

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41:35

278: ENCORE: How to Stay Connected When Teens Pull Away

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/06/30

Does your teen seem more attached to their friends and their phone than to you? That's not just a feeling, and it's not a phase you have to wait out. Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan revisit their conversation with two of the world's leading experts on child development, globally renowned physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté, and developmental psychologist and author Dr. Gordon Neufeld, to address how parents can stay connected to their teens, even as they spread their wings. This is one of our

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43:01

277: ENCORE: Embracing ADHD with Penn and Kim Holderness

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/06/23

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD (or you suspect they might have it) this episode will change the way you see them. Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan revisit their candid, funny, and genuinely moving conversation with Penn and Kim Holderness — viral content creators, bestselling authors, podcasters, and authors of “ADHD is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD.” Together, they strip away the shame, explain what it really feels like to have ADHD, and give parents a practical,

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31:54

276: ENCORE: Lessons from Netflix’s “Adolescence”

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/06/16

If watching "Adolescence" on Netflix left you feeling worried about your son, this episode will help you turn your concerns into action.Dr. Lisa Damour breaks down what the show gets exactly right about adolescent boys: why they're emotionally constrained by culture, how that vulnerability gets exploited by toxic online figures like Andrew Tate, and what parents can do right now to connect with their sons. This is our most-watched episode ever on YouTube — and we think you'll understand why. 💡

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31:13

275: ENCORE: How Do I Support My LGBTQ+ Daughter?

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life ·

2026/06/09

If your child has just come out to you — or you sense they might be questioning their gender identity — you may be wondering what to say, what to do, and how to get this right. This episode is here to help. Dr. Lisa Damour walks parents through one of the most important conversations of adolescence: how to respond when your tween or teen comes out as gay, lesbian, or bi, or expresses a non-traditional gender identity. From what to say in that first moment, to navigating sleepovers, sex, family

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298 results

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