Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens Podcast By Dr. Lisa Damour/Reena Ninan cover art

Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

By: Dr. Lisa Damour/Reena Ninan
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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. 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 intelligenceDr. Lisa Damour/Reena Ninan Hygiene & Healthy Living Parenting & Families Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships
Episodes
  • 265: Screens, Toxic Stress & Staying Connected with Dr. Nadine Burke Harris

    265: Screens, Toxic Stress & Staying Connected with Dr. Nadine Burke Harris
    Mar 31 2026
    If you're raising a tween or teen in a world of social media, smartphones, and AI, this conversation is for you. How do you protect your kid from the psychological harms of today's digital world (disturbing content, social media, and AI) without pushing them away or damaging the relationship you've worked so hard to build with them? That's the question at the heart of this special episode of Ask Lisa. Live from the Common Sense Summit on Kids and Families, clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour sits down with Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, award-winning physician, researcher, and California's inaugural Surgeon General, for a conversation that will genuinely change how you think about your kid and their devices. Together, they bring decades of clinical expertise and hard-won parenting experience to the questions families are struggling with most right now around tech and their kids. 💡 YOU'LL LEARN - Why what kids see online can rewire their developing nervous systems (and what parents can do about it right now) - The one thing you should say to your tween or teen before they ever go online - How to set a phone contract that's tied to developmental readiness, not just age (and what to say when your kid isn’t ready) - Why teaching kids to recognize algorithm manipulation is more powerful than any parental control - The questions that keep conversation open when your teen encounters disturbing content, appearance pressure, or harmful online trends - What parents of kids who have experienced adverse childhood experiences need to know about AI risks for kids and algorithm-driven platforms If you're feeling overwhelmed by the digital world your kid is growing up in, this conversation will leave you feeling more grounded, more equipped, and even closer to your teen.________________ 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: nadine burke harris, toxic stress in kids, adverse childhood experiences, ACEs parenting, kids and online content, teen smartphone rules, when to give child a phone, phone contract for teens, teen social media harm, kids seeing disturbing content online, boys and body image social media, teen appearance pressure, AI risks for kids, algorithm manipulation teens, teen screen time rules, buffering caregiving 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
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    47 mins
  • 264: Best of Ask Lisa: Friendship Breakups & Conflict

    264: Best of Ask Lisa: Friendship Breakups & Conflict
    Mar 24 2026
    Your kid just got dropped by their friend group, or they're being left out, iced out, or caught in the middle of middle school friendship drama… and you have no idea what to say. In this “Best of Ask Lisa” compilation, we’ve curated wisdom from clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour on friendship conflict to help parents understand exactly what's happening beneath the surface of tween and teen friend drama and give you the tools to help your kid through it. Whether your child has been dumped by a friend group, is dealing with a mean "friend," or needs help exiting a friendship that isn't working, this “Best of Ask Lisa” episode is for you. 💡 YOU'LL LEARN - The crucial difference between bullying and conflict in middle school, and why it matters for how you respond - Why middle schoolers are so anxious about belonging, and why some kids turn to meanness - Why excluding and rumor-spreading are common weapons in friend group drama - Why kids get excluded from friend groups, and how to explain it to your child in a way that helps them take it less personally - Practical, compassionate things to say and do when your tween or teen is hurting All full episodes featured in this compilation are linked below: 185. How Should My Son Deal with Trash-Talking Friends? 166. My Kid is Being Bullied. What Should I Do? 194. How Do I Help My Daughter Get Past an Ugly Rumor? 249. When Teasing Turns Toxic, What’s a Parent to Do? 71. My Kid Was Dumped by Her Friends. How Can I Help? 84. How Do I Encourage My Tween to Drop a Bad Friendship? 156. Is There a Gentle Way to Drop a Friend? 98. My Friends' Kids Are Excluding My Kid. What Should I Do? ________________ 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: friend group dumped, kids friendship breakup, middle school social drama, tween friend problems, teen friend group conflict, child excluded by friends, iced out friend group, middle school bullying, relational aggression kids, how to help child with friend drama, friendship breakup tween, tween social drama, kids mean friends, middle school cliques, how to drop a friend 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
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    23 mins
  • 263: Is My Teen Too Focused on Her Looks?

    263: Is My Teen Too Focused on Her Looks?
    Mar 17 2026
    Is your teen obsessed with their appearance? Spending hours in front of the mirror, constantly taking selfies, and seeking validation for their looks? In a world where social media turns appearance into currency, building your teen's self-esteem on a stronger foundation has never been more important. In this episode, Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan dig into a letter from a parent whose 14-year-old daughter’s world has started to revolve around how she looks. So when does preoccupation with appearance cross the line into something worth addressing? Dr. Lisa breaks it all down, including what to say, what not to say, and how to gently guide your teen toward a stronger, more grounded sense of self. 💡 YOU'LL LEARN: - The key sign that tells you appearance focus has gone from typical to concerning - Dr. Lisa’s "lakes and tributaries" framework to build lasting teen self-esteem - How to help your kid see their worth goes far beyond how they look - The four Rs for setting limits around what your teen posts on social media - What Dr. Lisa actually says when someone compliments her daughter's looks in public Whether your child is a tween just becoming aware of her appearance or a teen deep in the selfie spiral, this episode will leave you with concrete language, helpful frameworks, and a clearer sense of how to talk to your teen about looks. ________________ 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 obsessed with appearance, daughter obsessed with looks, teen taking selfies, suggestive selfies teenager, teen self-esteem and looks, teen body image, raising confident teens, teen mirror obsession, social media and teen appearance, teen self-worth, how to talk to teens about looks, teen beauty obsession, teen narcissism, building teen self-esteem, phone in bedroom teens 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
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    30 mins
All stars
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Dr Lisa Damour is a genius at helping parents figure out how to handle the challenges our kids are facing.

Very Helpful Insight

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I am really enjoying the compromise approach for most issues. Learning how to let your child unload at the end of the day and not feel I have to fix every issue mentioned.

Wish I had this info years ago!

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