Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting

By Dr. Lisa Damour/Good Trouble Productions

Kids & Family

What's Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting about?

Raising kids can be a bumpy, stressful, and uncertain process – which is why Dr. Lisa Damour is here to help. The author of bestsellers Untangled and Under Pressure brings her sane, informed, and practical perspective to your timely and timeless parenting questions. Co-host and journalist Reena Ninan, a former White House and foreign correspondent, gets the answers parents need. In each episode, Dr. Lisa and Reena blend expert knowledge with their experience and struggles as parents themselves to tackle real-life questions sent in by listeners.

4.9

195 ratings

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

96: How Do I Raise Financia...

11.29.2022

Having conversations with our kids about money can be difficult. So how do we set them up for good financial health? Financial expert Bobbi Rebell, author of Launching Financial Grownups: Live Your Richest Life by Helping Your (Almost) Adult Kids ...

Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting episodes:

11.29.2022 96: How Do I Raise Financially Responsible Kids? Special Guest Bobbi Rebell Having conversations with our kids about money can be difficult. So how do we set them up for good financial health? Financial expert Bobbi Rebell, author of Launching Financial Grownups: Live Your Richest Life by Helping Your (Almost) Adult Kids ...
11.22.2022 95: Encore: Happy Holidays? Dealing with Difficult Relatives The holidays can be both joyful and stressful. Being in close quarters with relatives whose political or social views are completely different from yours can make this busy time of year even more challenging. Dr. Lisa offers a plan to ...
11.15.2022 94: My Clingy Teen Hates Going to School. How Do I Help? A parent writes in asking for help for their teen who feels intensely anxious about going to school and interacting with adults outside the home. Dr. Lisa explains that the need to stay close to home during the height of ...
11.08.2022 93: Should I Monitor My Kid’s Grades Online? Grades can be a source of family anxiety and stress, and online grading portals can make the situation both better and worse. A dad writes in asking how parents and kids can better manage online grades. Reena explains that she ...
11.01.2022 92: I’m Not Ready for My Kid to Be in Love. Help! How should we talk to our kids about what it means to fall in love? Parents know how good it can feel to make a strong connection and be on the receiving end of affection, but we also want to ...
10.25.2022 91: My Kid Hates Being A Late Bloomer. How Can I Help? How can we support kids who feel uncomfortable about the timing of puberty? A parent writes in asking what to say to a late bloomer who feels out of step with her peers. Dr. Lisa unpacks the research on what ...
10.18.2022 90: Should My Kid Play Violent Video Games? Do violent video games normalize violence? A parent whose son becomes more aggressive with his sisters after playing certain games writes in asking for advice. Is it best to pull the plug on games like Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto, ...
10.11.2022 89: How Do I Get My Teen To Take Charge of Her Life? How do we help teens take ownership of their lives, especially if they are feeling overwhelmed by all that adults are asking of them? Dr. Lisa explains how parents can move from nagging teens to seeing themselves as teachers who ...
10.04.2022 88: How Do I Get My Son to Give Up Pot? How do you help a teen who won't stop smoking marijuana? When does a family need to step in? A mom writes in asking for help for her son who has been caught smoking marijuana both at school and at ...
09.27.2022 87: Do I Really Have to Send My Tween to Sleepovers? A parent who hates sleepovers writes in to ask if they are really necessary. Dr. Lisa and Reena weigh the social costs of not allowing kids to host or attend sleepovers and what parents can do instead. They also address ...
09.20.2022 86: How Do I Pay For College Without Going Broke? Special Guest: Author Ron Lieber College can be incredibly expensive, so how should parents think about covering the cost? What do we say to our kids about what we can, or are willing, to pay? How do you make the most of 529 plans? Dr. ...
09.13.2022 85: My Kids Lose it When They Make Sports Mistakes. How Can I Help? When kids get stuck or fall apart while playing sports, what should parents do? Dr. Lisa offers strategies for when kids lose their cool, and explains a key change in thinking can help kids manage when they make mistakes. She ...
09.06.2022 84: How Do I Encourage My Tween to Drop a Bad Friendship? Friends are supposed to make you feel better, but what about when kids have "friends" who leave them feeling awful? How do you help tweens and teens identify when a friendship has become toxic and gracefully remove themselves without becoming ...
08.30.2022 83: How Do I Get My Teen to Take School Seriously? After more than two years of pandemic-related disruption, there's a lot riding on this school year. But what do you do if your kid doesn't seem to care about grades or how things are going academically? How can adults get ...
06.21.2022 The Danger Zone on Insta Join Dr. Lisa and Reena live with your parenting questions this Weds, June 22nd, 1pm EST on the @asklisapodcast Instagram live handle. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn @AskLisaPodcast, @Lisa.Damour, @ReenaNinan Check out Dr. Lisa’s website for more ...
06.07.2022 Summer Instagram Lives! Dr. Lisa and Reena have an update. Join them live with your parenting questions this Weds, June 8th, 1pm EST on the @asklisapodcast Instagram live handle. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn @AskLisaPodcast, @Lisa.Damour, @ReenaNinan Check out Dr. ...
05.24.2022 82: How Should Kids Spend Summer 2022? Dr. Lisa runs down the five things she believes parents should focus on in summer 2022. The pandemic narrowed kids' opportunities for growth, but there's now a lot adults can do to help children and teenagers catch up. Dr. Lisa ...
05.17.2022 81: Why Is Our Kid Being So Mean to Us? How should you respond when your kids are mean to you? What’s age-appropriate behavior and what should not be tolerated? Dr. Lisa and Reena unpack why kids lash out and what’s behind the outbursts. How do you know when hormones ...
05.10.2022 80: Should I Push My Child Out of the Nest? How much should we shield our kids from risk? And how much should we go out of our way to make their lives more comfortable? Dr. Lisa explains the importance of fostering independence and encouraging our children to take safe ...
05.03.2022 79: What Do Parents Need to Know about Suicide? What causes a child or teenager to become suicidal? What steps can be taken to prevent suicide? Dr. Jonathan B. Singer co-author of Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner's Guide to Multi-level Prevention, Assessment, Intervention, and Postvention joins the Ask Lisa ...
04.26.2022 78: My Daughter’s Nude Selfie Got Out. What Do We Do Now? A parent writes in asking how to pick up the pieces after her daughter shared a nude selfie with a boyfriend who then sent it to other boys at school. Dr. Lisa and Reena talk about how impulsive moments can ...
04.19.2022 77 Encore: I Hate Nagging My Kids. What Else Works? Getting kids to do things without hounding them can seem impossible. This week the Ask Lisa Podcast presents an encore episode on nagging. At what age should kids be expected to manage their responsibilities without constant reminders? Dr. Lisa explains ...
04.12.2022 76: How and When Do I Tell My Kids Their Grandma is Dying? How do you deal with grief and explain death to your kids? Knowing that you are losing a parent is difficult but how do you also help your kids process what will be coming? Dr. Lisa explains what kids need ...
04.05.2022 75: How Do I Help My Teen Deal With College Rejections? Not getting into desired colleges can be devastating for teens and their parents. How can you help your child move past what feels like a major life setback? Dr. Lisa provides language that might be helpful in navigating this delicate ...
03.29.2022 74: My Son Messed Up. Can I Keep Him from Being Canceled? A parent writes in that her teen sent a group text to his classmates that contained racial and homophobic slurs about another kid. He thought he was being funny, but quickly realized that his classmates didn't agree. The boy and ...
03.22.2022 73: I Saw My Daughter’s Shocking Texts. Should I Confront Her? A parent discovers an alarming text about a classmate on her kid's phone and wonders if she should confront her child. How do you address text messages that you were not meant to see? Dr. Lisa walks us though how ...
03.15.2022 72: How Do We Talk to Kids About Justice? Advice from Preet Bharara How do you teach kids about justice and fairness? Special Guest Preet Bharara joins the Ask Lisa Podcast to discuss his new children's book, Justice Is...A Guide for Young Truth Seekers. The conversation addresses the many ways adults can inspire ...
03.08.2022 71: My Kid Was Dumped by Her Friends. How Can I Help? Why do kids suddenly turn on their friends and ice them out of a group? It’s something Dr. Lisa says she's been hearing about more often. Kids need shared interests to hold their groups together and that "social glue" has ...
03.01.2022 70: Do I Tell My Daughter She’s Beautiful? A dad writes in asking if it's okay to celebrate his daughter’s appearance and how this might help, or hurt, her self-confidence. How do we help kids feel good about themselves and their bodies, especially when they are bombarded by ...
02.22.2022 69 Encore: Lying, Sneaking, Cheating. What Keeps Kids from Being Honest? Nobody likes being lied to, especially by our own children. Why do kids lie? Dr. Lisa looks at lying from a developmental standpoint and points out that when a child asks for more privacy, it doesn't necessarily mean they’re doing ...
02.15.2022 68: How Should Step-Parents Fit In? A step-parent asks for Dr. Lisa’s help as she finds herself parenting three kids under eight, two of them step-children. Should step-parents discipline differently? Dr. Lisa talks about what parents can do to keep kids from feeling stuck in a ...
02.08.2022 67: Should My Teen Go to a Sleepover with Her Boyfriend? A parent from Connecticut wants to know if it’s acceptable for her teen to spend the night at her boyfriend’s house. How should parents approach a conversation like this one? What do you do if your values are not the ...
02.01.2022 66: Should I Bribe My Kid? No one wants to be that nagging parent. Dr. Lisa explains how the trickiest transition in parenting might be when nagging no longer works with your teen. At these times, is bribing a good strategy? Dr. Lisa walks us through ...
01.25.2022 65: My Depressed Teen Refuses Therapy. How Do I Help? What are the signs a teen is suffering from depression and needs help? Dr. Lisa explains what you need to watch for. Reena asks what parents should do if their teen refuses help, and how parents can bring up therapy ...
01.18.2022 64: How Do I Build My Kids' Confidence and Self-Esteem? How do you build confidence in kids? How do you lay the groundwork for better self-esteem? What age does confidence start to plummet in girls? Dr. Lisa and Reena tackle these questions, explain where self-esteem comes from, and cover how ...
01.11.2022 63: Raising an Athlete? Advice from an Olympic Mom. Three-time Olympian and mom of three, Lauren Regula joins Dr. Lisa and Reena to talk about what kids should really be getting out of athletics. How do you help kids make the most of their sports? Lauren explains why she ...
01.04.2022 62: How Do I Boost Mental Health in 2022? What’s the best way to help boost mental health in 2022? Dr. Lisa walks us through her five mental health resolutions for the new year. Reena asks how we can rethink mental wellness for ourselves and our families while continuing ...
12.28.2021 61: Encore: My Kid Looked at Porn. What Should I Do? This week we present an encore episode of one of our top performing shows. American singer Billi Eilish recently spoke about the devastating effects porn had on her when she was exposed at eleven. Dr. Lisa explains how parents can ...
12.14.2021 60: How Do We Help Kids Through Divorce? As divorce numbers rise in the pandemic, we take a closer look at how divorce affects children. Dr. Lisa walks us through how children at different ages process their parents' separation. How can parents make the transition easier? Reena asks ...
12.07.2021 59: My Daughter Is the Mean Girl. What Do I Do? What if your child is the one who is hurting other kids feelings at school? A concerned mom discovers that her daughter, who has been struggling socially, is pushing peers away by being too critical. She turns to Dr. Lisa ...
11.30.2021 58: Does My Child Have OCD? How do you know if your child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? A parent writes in worried about her daughter’s compulsive behavior and anxiety around germs. Dr. Lisa describes OCD, how it takes hold, when it's time to worry, and what ...
11.23.2021 57: Happy Holidays? Dealing with Difficult Relatives. As we reconnect with family over the holidays how do we deal with difficult relatives? Dr. Lisa explains the importance of crafting a plan that can help navigate what should be a happy time of year. What about relatives who ...
11.16.2021 56: Encore - My Child is Turning Into a Teenager. How Do I Handle It? Managing the teenage years can be overwhelming. Dr. Lisa explains what the toughest year is for teens and why. When kids hit thirteen they often become highly emotional. What happens in the brain and the body during this time? Dr. ...
11.09.2021 55: How Do I Keep My Kids Grounded in a Materialistic World? What should parents do when their kids want to own the same luxury goods that belong to some of their friends and classmates? Dr. Lisa explains how we can respond to requests for expensive gifts, and how that conversation will ...
11.02.2021 54: How and When Do I Give My Kid a Phone? What’s the right age to get your kid a cell phone? Dr. Lisa and Reena look at the research on both sides of the debate. When a parent writes in asking if thirteen might be the right age, Lisa shares ...
10.26.2021 53: Should I Comment on My Child’s Weight? How do we teach kids healthy eating habits without focusing on calories or portion size? A parent writes in asking for advice about whether she should say something about her daughter's increasing weight. Dr. Lisa explains how to approach the ...
10.19.2021 52: What Do Parents Need to Know About Edibles? Dr. Lisa offers a deep-dive into the world of edible marijuana and how to talk with your child about the dangers of trying edibles. Reena asks what’s the difference between CBD and THC? How does marijuana affect the brain? What ...
10.14.2021 Welcome to Ask Lisa! Raising kids can be a bumpy, stressful, and uncertain process – which is why Lisa’s podcast brings her sane, informed, and practical perspective to your timely and timeless parenting questions. Cohost Reena Ninan, a world-class journalist who has covered the ...
10.12.2021 51: I Hate Nagging My Kids. What Else Works? At what age should kids be expected to manage their responsibilities without constant reminders? Dr. Lisa explains how parents can help kids remember to do things on their own. What else works besides nagging? Reena asks for strategies to help ...
10.05.2021 50: How Do I Build My Kid’s Confidence and Self-Esteem? Where do confidence and self-esteem come from? What contributes to kids' highs and lows and how can parents help kids build a sturdy sense of self-esteem? Dr. Lisa describes the age at which self-esteem tends to drop off and the ...

Older episodes