337. Puberty Is Awkward with Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett

Puberty can be a very confusing and transformative time, full of physical and emotional changes that can be both exciting and challenging to navigate. As your children go through this phase, they may need your support and guidance more than ever. Joining us for a conversation all about all things puberty are Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, the coauthors of national bestseller, This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained. If you are the parent of children who are approaching or already going through this time of rapid growth and development, Cara and Vanessa's science-based explanations, compassionate and realistic advice on talking to tweens about difficult topics from mood swings to pornography, along with in-depth knowledge on understanding teen culture are sure to validate and empower you in your parenting journey. 

Listen and Learn: 

• In Cara and Vanessa's expert opinion, what are the biggest obstacles that parents face during puberty?
• How are the early emotional and physical changes of puberty different for boys and girls? 
• Why is modern-day puberty different than before? 
• The importance of self-forgiveness when you mess up as a parent during the stormy stages of puberty 
• How to approach the topic of pornography with your kids
• How much are parents affected by the social messaging around gender, and how can you bring that into your parenting?
• Why teens in puberty feel emotions differently than adults 
• Are empathy and showing a way forward your best moves when your kids are at the mercy of their hormones?
• Can hunger sometimes be a major culprit for pubescent mood swings?

Resources:

• Order of Magnitude website
• This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained
• The Puberty Podcast
• Follow Cara and Vanessa on Tik Tok and YouTube @spillingthepubertea

About Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett

Cara Natterson, MD is a pediatrician and New York Times bestselling author; Vanessa Kroll Bennett is a puberty educator and writer. Together, they host The Puberty Podcast; run Order of Magnitude, the leading brand dedicated to flipping puberty positive; and are co-authors of the bestselling This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained (Rodale Books, Oct 2023). Cara and Vanessa can be found on Instagram and TikTok @spillingthepubertea. Perhaps their biggest cred, however, is that between them, they parent six teens.

Related Episodes:

• 332. Middle School Superpowers with Phyllis Fagell
• 319. Autonomy-Supportive Parenting with Emily Edlynn
• 317. Growing Up in Public with Devorah Heitner
• 304. The Emotional Lives of Teenagers with Lisa Damour
• 272. Middle School Matters with Phyllis Fagell
• 240. Talking to Kids and Teens with Big Feelings with Adele LaFrance

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices