Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life

Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life

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 moments that leave you feeling uneasy, overwhelmed, or just plain alone. You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to hit play. Keywords: ask lisa podcast, dr. lisa damour, 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

Episodes

September 15, 2026 34 mins
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...
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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 some...
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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...
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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 he...
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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...
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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...
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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, bullyin...
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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 year...
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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..&nbs...
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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 t...
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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 appoint...
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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 t...
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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 sh...
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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-watche...
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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. ...
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Does your family hit September feeling more exhausted than when summer started? You're not alone — and it doesn't have to be that way. In this episode, Dr. Lisa Damour shares her research-backed S.U.N. framework — Sleep, Unplug, and Nature — a simple, three-part plan for making summer genuinely restorative for your tween or teen (and for you). Whether your family is drowning in screens, running on bad sleep, or s...
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Does your tween or teen struggle with low confidence and self-esteem? Do you want to cultivate healthy self-compassion and self-worth in them — and in yourself? In this special "Best of Ask Lisa" compilation, clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and co-host Reena Ninan pull together some of their most powerful conversations on self-esteem, confidence, and self-compassion, covering the full arc of the tween and teen years.&n...
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May 19, 2026 34 mins
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...
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It's prom season, and one mom is facing a tough call: her son wants to go to an unsupervised after-party two hours away. Other parents are saying yes. Her gut is saying no. And her son is saying he'll skip prom entirely if she doesn't let him go. Whether it's prom, spring break, or any other "big night" moment, dilemmas like this one can keep parents up at night. Should you trust your kid, or should you trust your instincts? Dr. ...
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Loot boxes, in-app purchases, Robux, skins — and a kid who won't stop asking for them. If you're a parent of a tween or teen gamer, you already know this pressure. But are these purchases actually harmful, or are you just out of touch with how gaming works today? In-app purchases are one of the most confusing pressure points for parents of tweens and teens right now. The games are "free to download," but they’re not re...
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